So,
I've been struggling with thrusting my hips toward the ball throughout the swing. Starting right of the bat with the back swing and thrusting even further during the downswing. I'd be as much as 6" forward, toward the ball location, during the swing. I just couldn't figure out how to keep my butt against the wall. I tried shifting my butt back further at setup. No good. I tried consciously keeping it there, no good...
So, I did a youtube search and found my issue. My hips are behind my ankles at setup. I was, kind of, counterbalancing my address bend by pushing my hips further back. My body was simply putting me back into balance during the swing. I've worked on trying to keep my hips just above my ankles. This caused my ankles to bend forward a bit and my shins to create and angle forward, putting my knees over my toes more.
Looking on the video, my hips are staying where they were at setup and my smash factor is climbing a bit. I think this may have been a hurdle I wasn't able t address or cross. Here is the video I found, I hope you take no offence Tom! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IxllCJRKS4 It is my issue exactly! I think @Buford T Ogletree was dealing with this too.
Anyway, I just wanted to share this and see if anyone had any thought on this.
Well, i think I've just had my best round ever. My score didn't improve but the number of good shots in a row was way better than I've ever experienced! Was trying to utilize the right arm hammer and was push fading everything into other fairways (maybe a slice but didn't seem that drastic). Then, I decided to stop trying to lay the hammer down and focus on rolling over the trail foot while keeping my hips over my ankles.
Boom, shot a beautiful fading 7 iron. Then duffed a nine, then stuck the green with a wedge. Next hole i couldn't get off the tee but the wedge worked great again! Next hole 195 yard 4 iron pushed a little but just off the fairway. Then, stuck the green with a 9. Next hole 177 yard 7 iron off the tee followed by a pushed 9 iron right off the green. Screwed chips but 2 put. Then another 190 yard 4 iron pushed just over the edge of the next fairway but in striking distance of 185 out. 4 iron just off the green but caught the edge of a hill and it rolled away... then a career best drive of 255 straight and in the fairway! Look wedge pushed slightly, short and in a bunker. Got up and down from there. Then a HUGE slice with driver, duffed a recovery 9 and then thinned the 9 but stuck in the green.
Something happened and i lost that feel after that long drive... not sure why but this brings great hope!
In the really good shots, I seem to start right and stay straight with longer irons but start center and fade slightly left with shorter, at least that seemed to be case a number of times.
Anyway, never have I ever experienced that many good shots (for me) in this long a run! I think I'm overcoming the goat humping!
Can't wait to play tomorrow!
Lower body setup keys from the S&T book...
@Buford T Ogletree Its a weird feeling. Almost like your squatting down to the ball instead of bending over to pick it up kind of feeling. The images in that video really helped me understand the cause of "humping the goat" so, it makes the solution more understandable.
YESSSSS!! Thank you so much for this. This issue has plagued me and I couldn’t figure out how to remedy it, but what I did know for sure was that it causes your downswing to steepen. I will definitely start looking more closely at my hips in relation to my ankles now for sure. 🤩
@Tom Saguto I'm actually looking at this in a very positive light. I knew the GHing was a cause of some of my inconsistencies. Having a better understanding of what I'm doing wrong gives me a much better chance to overcome it. I remember that video now, about keeping the leg straight. It just didn't sink in. I used to teach a class on AutoCAD and I know you have to get out into the weeds sometimes to understand what it is you don't know in order to comprehend the solution to it.
Much of this Forum is about y'all helping each other, so no offense taken.
The official industry term for your described affliction, @danny, is "goat humping"...🤣 (Seriously though - it is...) This lesson in the Ball Flight Fixes section is specific to it. I also touch on it in this posture lesson from Chapter 1, and the setup fundamentals as described in the S&T book - even though not specific to this - should put you in the proper position as well. Subtle stuff indeed, but definitely a swing influencer. Nice self-discovery!