Newbie Here, Need Serious Help on my downswing (Video Critique)

@James Flood @danny @Tom Saguto You guys are amazing, thank you so much, I see I definitely need to focus on the weight forward and shorten up the backswing for now. I don't exactly know what is meant by flattening my shoulders, I assume i'm standing up in my backswing? I appreciate you guys and now that my back is feeling better I'll be out practicing to work out the kinks!

@Andrew Michael I agree with Danny and would add the following: keep that weight forward! Too much weight on the trail leg - left hip should be forward throughout. At about 8 seconds in

you can see the shift back. Also, at about that point you look to raise your shoulder (as opposed to turning) and it has the effect of pulling you away from the ball.

I think the 90% drill would help with both issues but use a MUCH shorter backswing for now - it's adding too many moving parts too soon. Keep the weight forward and good things will happen. You're already keeping the arms pretty straight. Also, you keep your trail elbow in nicely and I envy you for that.

Good luck!

James

Ok now i see some stuff. So, you're flattening your shoulders out at the top and it seems to be jamming you up a bit. I also notice your are starting the downswing from the top, as you mentioned (like me). Also, your arms are breaking down through impact. I see so much of my swing problems here! As you reach the top, you're reaching for more turn and your body is stealing it from your hips, I see your hips and lead knee tuck away from the target just before the downswing. I think you need to learn where the backswing wants to stop to stay connected and let it stop. It'll feel like a shortened backswing but it isn't. Letting the lead knee came back is trickery and will only lead to unhappiness! LOL don't be fooled by the fake turn!

Thank you guys for the input! @James Flood I've gone through the first couple chapters of the golf swing simplified, practiced the 90% drill, gone through the whole driver series as well as some of the swing fixes. Going to get back to the basics and I have since started slowly from the beginning again, on chapter two now. @Tom Saguto Thank you, I will be submitting a V1 analysis soon, I'll heavily focus chapter two and hopefully show you some improvement upon sending it in @danny Thank you sir, I do believe i'm starting the downswing my upper body but I don't currently know how to rectify it. I believe it could be the cause to my upper middle back pain. I've been focusing on weight forward during the whole swing. Here's a front view of my iron swing just as a reference

Hi Andrew! welcome aboard!

Try and get a face on example of your swing too.

I don't think you're getting any extension or tucking your butt. That leads me to believe you're starting the downswing with your upper body. (you're not alone my friend!)

Danny

Welcome aboard, @Andrew Michael! (And welcome also to this great, addicting, and tremendously frustrating sport!!)

I'm very happy to see you here in this fabulously fun and highly supportive Forum community, and I'm hopeful that you will be a regular participant in the numerous dialogues on a variety of topics.

@James Flood is spot-on in that I must do my best to refrain from engaging in personal swing analyses here in the forum - whether it be video or still photo sequences - as it conflicts with the V1 services I offer. However, this does not preclude other members from commenting on such uploads, and many of them - like James - have a very good understanding of the swing and are also glad to share their experiences and challenges in the learning process.

Piggybacking off of James' great recommendations, allow me to share with you the advice that I offer to any new student who asks about the most effective means of navigating though the school:

1) It is crucial to take sufficient time to master the fundamental components of the first couple of chapters! I cannot emphasize this enough, as frustrations predominantly occur when a student jumps ahead in the curriculum without properly dedicating himself/herself to the foundational base upon which our consistently repeatable, powerful, low maintenance swing must be built. Please have a look at this introductory video if you have not already done so: https://saguto.golf/courses/1166020/lectures/30347767.

2) One of the many great things about this swing is that you can achieve solid ball striking even at the most basic levels. This is why I oftentimes will suggest that students park themselves on Chapter 2 of the Golf Swing Simplified course for an extended period of time after locking down Chapter 1's foundational elements. Chapter 2 reinforces the body motions and the weight-forward component, and it culminates with what I call "The Best Golf Swing Practice Drill of All Time". Work yourself sequentially and gradually through the chapter, and then commit yourself to that drill in Lesson 2.8. Learn it. Practice it. Master it. You can even use this partially abbreviated swing on the course and play quite well with it as it will provide plenty of distance. (It actually is the full swing minus just a couple of power accumulators.) Once you've got that down, you will be well prepared to move forward in the curriculum and well on your way towards taking ownership of YOUR swing!

2a) The recently released "Get Out and Go Play" quick-start program is exactly as it sounds - it is designed to fast-track you out onto the course so you can have fun - and success - playing as you learn! Should you choose this path, everything in #1 above still applies, and as implied in #2 you will still want to work through it sequentially and gradually, mastering each lesson before moving ahead to the next one. In this program, Drill #5 - The Flying Wedge is the one you'll want to park yourself on and nail down.

3) Also, as you progress always keep in mind the V1 Swing Video Analysis service, an effective and inexpensive service that I highly recommend to everyone in the school. I liken it to bringing your swing into the shop for a tune-up or minor repair. Scheduling one on a quarterly basis for preventive maintenance will do wonders for keeping things humming along nicely, and it's also a great tool for pinpointing and resolving any issues that arise. The process involves downloading the free V1 app and then submitting two videos to me through the app - one down-the-line (captured from your stance line, not the target line) and the other face-on. You'll find more information about the V1 Analysis halfway down this page on the Saguto.Golf site: https://saguto.golf/p/sagutogolf

I look forward to hearing from you regularly in the Forum and to assisting you in building a consistent, low maintenance, powerful, body-friendly swing that will bring your enjoyment of this great game to a new level!

Thanks for your message and have fun out there!!

Tom

Andrew: are you following the lessons as structured and, if so, how far along are you?

That aside, from what I can see I think that your backswing is promising (there are obvious issues but, on balance, it's a good start). Once you start your downswing, you lose your relationship with the ball - you're practically standing vertical at impact. I could point out some obvious issues but I don't think it would serve you well. Your best bet is to spend more time focusing on the beginning lessons of the course. I've been here a month and that's where I am - and I've been playing for years. It's a marathon, not a sprint.

The best advice I can give is:

1) go through the basics up to 2.8 - don't rush it;

2) go through the "Get Out and Play" streamlined program;

3) submit a V1 video to @Tom Saguto for his analysis. He's very generous with his time in the forum but won't your analyze your swing videos here.

Good luck!

James