I started the program in April and was hitting the ball extremely well. After playing more and more golf I have the natural tendency to take the club back further and further. When I do this my contact is terrible and I sometimes cannot get the ball in the air. I went to the range and just shortened my back swing and started making better contact. For the last 35 years of my golf career I have been an extreme chopper. My divots were very much outside in and it was so frustrating. I have had numerous instructors tell me to shorten my back swing but for some reason I try to get more distance. You would think I would learn but I always resort back. At 57 years old I guess I will have to live with a driver of 200 yards, which is a little frustrating. When I swing short my contact is better, just not the power I would like. I was thinking since my swing is not as outside in (divots going straight) that I could lengthen my swing but it just doesn't work. I guess I will live with short and straight, as my driver is usually right down the middle. I just don't know how those guys swing short and bomb the way they do. I guess age is probably the culprit. Tom, thanks for the "Get out and Play" lessons, they are short and easy to follow during the golf season when I am on the course several times a week.
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@mjaspering - Please have a look at the dialogue between @mst_hokie, @MarkG in NH, and me regarding the "abbreviated backswing" in this thread.
Reaching back for more is like conducting a séance for those old swing demons, and they sure come back to haunt us when we do. Remember - the depth we create by getting our hands behind the trail shoulder at the top gives us all the power we need. So as I state in the referenced thread, don't worry so much about getting to parallel - just try to feel and ingrain your body's natural stopping point in the backswing where the tilting, turning, and extending motions are complete and the lead arm has crossed the chest 45 degrees. This is the point where if we were to try to go any further any or all of the following will occur:
1) the lead arm will bend and/or lift
2) the wrists will break down
3) the lead knee will kick inward towards the trail side
4) the lead shoulder will level out and lose its orientation towards the ball
5) weight will shift into the trail side
As for power loss, this will not be the case when the swing is properly executed. If fact, you will likely gain distance and it will feel nearly effortless. If you are 57 and in relatively good physical condition, then there's no reason for you to not be driving it a minimum of 250 - and perhaps considerably longer than that - once you've taken ownership of your swing.
If you continue to be challenged by this, you may wish to give some thought to the V1 Swing Video Analysis - an effective and inexpensive service that I highly recommend to everyone in the school. This enables me to put my eyes on your swing and offer some very specific observations and corrective action plans if applicable. 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.
Don't look at you age as a limiting factor. Instead, let's take advantage of your youth and have you out there bombing it sooner rather than later!