Unable to complete back swing when ball is there

 

Please help!!! 

 

This is resurrecting an old post so I apologise to anyone that replied to a similar post a while ago.

In summary,  when I make a practise swing I can bring the club right back so that it is parallel and pointing the target.  When the ball is there I can only come back to half way.  Something in my head stops me.  I also for some reason when the ball is there dip down on the backswing.  Whatever I try I just cannot stop.  Its not physical it is definitely my brain wont let me come back for some reason.

Now had lessons from 3 different pro's to see if they can come up with a magical solution but 18 months on and still I cant make a full swing.

Has anyone else enountered anything like this?

Things Ive tried including various drills are:-

trying to imagine there is no ball there

trying to really relax my back and shoulder muscles

If I make a one handed swing with my right arm only I come all the way back and make a full swing (this was a drill one of the pro's gave me) and doing this I dont dip,  then as soon as I add my left hand its back to half a swing.  This one handed drill is a great drill to get the feel of your hands turning over at impact.

Only way I can make a full back swing is to keep my eyes watching the club going back and off the ball which obviously isnt going to be feasible.

Ive got to somehow blank out the fact that the ball is there and lose the tension.

Anyone got any thoughts?

 

thank you

John

 

 

 

 

But not too far away from the ball!!

 Matbe subcociously your head is telling you that you'll hit a more successful shot with the half swing? Anyway, what's wrong with a half swing if it workks 

Try laying down a small towel about 2 inches behind the ball, then swing for the ball without hitting the towel, this may take your mind off the ball but obviously you can only try this when on the driving range..

Thats the trouble Patrick, dont think it is working.  Started playing golf approx 3 years ago and after the initial 6 months of big improvements made Ive levelled off and cant get any better.

I dont feel I can improve my consistancy or distance until I can make a full swing.

The 2nd part of the problem is that I dip on the actual swing as well for some reason and yet I dont on the practise.  This in turn creates inconstency in my ball striking.

Had my swing videod and watched by different people and its always the same when the ball is there.  With such a short backswing I cant create a lot of clubhead speed.

I'm keen to improve and go the the driving range 3 or 4 times a week and try to concentrate on just one or two swing changes each time. 

Thanks all

John

 

The towel drill should help with the dip you have.. I'm pretty sure that should you dip you'll hit the ground before the ball which may in turn mean you'll move the towel.. When I first started playing I was told this drill as it helps with the angle of attack on the downswing..

I got shouted at a few times on the driving range when I kept asking people to stop whilst I retrieved my towel from the range!!

From what you've said in your post I'd say the biggest problem is in your head!

You have obviously let this problem get to you big time.

One thing I would try is to slowly swing all the way to the top of your backswing and then hold it there.

Count to three and then swing down and through the ball.

Don't worry too much about which direction it goes or even how far, just get used to swinging all the way to the top with a ball there in front of you.

It might take a while to get used to the ball being there but at least you will be swinging all the way back.

Once you get used to it you can start to swing back a bit faster and reduce the length of time you pause at the top.

I hope this helps.

Russ

Well ive been to the range tonight and for the 1st time in 3 years of me playing golf ive managed to hit around 20 to 30 balls with a full swing.  My son was getting bored watching for me by the end! 

 I teed the ball up and came back slowly (7 iron)  until I could see the club head out of my left eye.   I did try this before approx a year ago and couldnt do it.  (coincidently more or less the same as what Russ has just suggested but without stopping at the top)  I warmed up with one hand drill first.

Even with a slower back swing the ball was going further  (I was consistantly slicing but i know I can work on that) Probably just my hands not releasing properly as I'm conceentrating on the back swing so much.Contact with the ball felt ok as well and a higher flight than before (I do tend to hit the ball quite low so this is good)Anyway, I'll be working on it for the next few weeks and in the nect few days will try without the ball teed upthanks all  (not sure how ive changed into itallics).

 John

 

 

 

 

 

swingitis

my uncle cant throw a dart with his right arm anymore, you can get cueitis too.

you might need a shrink lol

John,

Just my thought but it could be that you are locking the right arm.  This will limit how far back you can swing.  Try making the right arm really passive and relaxed, so it effectively a one-handed swing with the right arm just along for the ride.  This will not only help in extending your swing, but should also help in curing your slice. 

Ibeen having the same problem for a while also John.  I find that if I concentrate on taking the clubhead away slow and straight, and then focus on a straight (toward the target) follow through, my mind is freed up from worrying about the length of my backswing.  It seems to be getting fuller, not to horizontal at the top, but long enough to keep up with my mates.

 

I now do have a full swing  (unless I get lazy and forget sometimes).  Initally, I had to make a real effort to keep swinging back until I could see the club out of my left eye but now I am starting to do it out of habit without thinking too much about it.

 Although my irons have improved and I have now started using a wood more regularly my scores have not come down (if anything my scores have got worse)

 Main reason for this is that since I started making a full swing I have now started to slice my driver which I didnt do before - frustrating game.  I am also hititng most of my irons to the right as well (irons tend to be straight off to the right as oppose to a slice) .  So I am now losing shots as I dont leave my myself a shot at the green or can go o/b off the tee.  (I have now really cut down on the topped and fat shots though)

Several things I have been trying to cure the slice  -  trying to make sure I'm not standing too open but I do feel as I hit my driver that I come across it and I am also trying to make sure I release the club with my right hand turning over the left at impact.  Still for the last few weeks since my 'new full swing' been slicing most shots.

Took me 3 years to move from my half to full swing so I hope this doesnt take as long to sort!  Annoying that as one thing improves another gets worse.

Any ideas?

Thanks everyone.

John

 

 

The right hand must not turn over the left at impact, it does this automatically after impact. All you are doing is poking the cluibhead at the ball instead of swinging through the ball with both hands.

Jp

I think sometimes I leave the face open and so even after impact my right hand isnt on top of the left.  I know as soon as Ive done it  (its like I am sometimes trying to guide the ball in the right direction or push it to the target)

I think I know what you are saying, that with the correct tension free swing that the hands will release automatically without trying to turn the right hand over.

Something I forgot to put in my previous post was the with my driver now  with a full back swing I think I have a much steeper swing than I did before so I need to try to flatten it out a bit and perhaps this will help me come more from the inside to out.

John

John H, you have to remember that the backswing is a positional movement only and it is essential to get the top of the swing position correct or it is impossible to swing correctly on the downswing.

A full shoulder turn allows the left hand and arm to fullly swing into the correct position at the top.

Power is not generated on the backswing, so make this movement smooth and controlled.

Most players start the downswing by turning the shoulders. Consequently they end up swinging across the intended line of flight from "out-to-in", with the shoulders open at impact.

A correct downswing movement must result in a powerful swing into and along the intended line of flight, through impact. For this to be achieved the shoulders must be square at impact, or better still, fractionally "closed".

Main faults in the downswing are:

1. Dominant right hand - club thrown forward over the hands.

2. Turning the shoulders from the top - club moves to an 'outside' line and an out-to-in impact.

3. Throwing out from the top  - a sure way to waste power.

Premature use of the right hand both destroys a timed delivery (which is the secret of power) and destroys the club line down into the ball, resulting in inaccurate and mis-hit shots.

A correctly timed delivery is, in the final analysis, what the golf swing is all about. Once the left hand and arm has successfully made the line down into the ball, the hands take over for the final application of power.

We are all guilty of trying to hit the ball too hard, when all we have to do is swing the club on the right line and wait that extra fraction before applying the power.