Shallow Work

[Cmart050]

Hi all:

 

I’ve had a real problem with flipping/snap hooks, and since nothing helps me sync with my hips, I decided to try and learn to shallow the club instead. Here are the fruits of that labor. Can anyone share if I’m going down a bad path here (figuratively or literally). 
 

*my lower body action is terrible but I was exhausted from running and yard work all day. Usually more turn, better weight shift etc. 

[Valtiel]

I would definitely lean towards "bad path" here, both figuratively and literally, heh. You're basically doing a hyper exaggerated practice swing type of move but as your real swing, just way too much changing in plane with the classic mistake of paying so much attention to what your hands/arms are doing that you're ignoring proper lower body action (probably exacerbated by the exhaustion you mentioned):



The only two positives here that you've managed to get your hands back to the same place they started, and that you're hand path has made a nice rhombus. 😄

Otherwise everything else here is going to cause you problems. You're shallowing move is excessive enough that you're intentionally getting yourself stuck. Your lower body move has completely stalled and you've flipped the heck out of the club to make contact. The biggest thing to get your head around is that proper lower body action and sequencing is what allows you to shallow, and any attempt at forcing this with your hands will only cause you grief. These two frames highlight exactly that:



You've not only dropped your hands/arms in an overly exaggerated manner to start your downswing, but your lower body is basically completely dormant here. This is backwards and is guaranteed failure as you've skipped over proper sequencing in favor of trying to force your arms into a specific position. I've put Cameron Champ next to you here as a bit of an exaggerated example of what most tour pros do who shallow aggressively. Notice the hip action and how he has both gotten off of his right side and rotated all the way back to square to the ball only in the first part of the downswing. This is more than most pros, but its the same sequence that they all have. The beginning of the downswing is kicked off by a shift into the lead side and a pushing of the left hip backwards. This is what allows you to shallow naturally, not forcing your arms behind you and stalling your rotation, which leads to:



You're basically flat footed here with no shaft lean and both arms fully extended, a product of the aforementioned improper sequencing issue. Compare to Tiger on the right all the way up on his lead side, hands leading, hips open.

Generally you'll want to abandon the focus on all this loopy stuff you're doing with your arms and focus on proper lower body sequencing as that will allow things to fall into place more naturally.

Edited April 10, 2022 by Valtiel

[BrianMcG]

Can you make a couple of regular swings for comparison. It’s got to be better than this. This is way to manipulated to be effective. 
 

In all the best players the shallowing of the club is actually very subtle. 
 

 

 

Edited April 10, 2022 by BrianMcG

[Red4282]

Looks like a recipe for very straight shots but no power. Have to get that body more active and firing first. Like throwing a ball flat footed vs taking a step into it. Shallowing will happen naturally if the body moves correctly and the face isnt wide open. Its not a conscious move, should be secondary.

[golfarb1]

In your early /mid downswing , your  trail elbow is moving down and away from the target line WITHOUT any torso rotation . During transition you need to perform the Harvey Pennicks “magic move”

WEIGHT YOUR FRONT FOOT while BRINGING YOUR TRAIL ELBOW TOWARDS YOUR RIGHT FRONT POCKET

[indianagolf2]

Left hand is way too weak...grip is huge in golf