Ray Ray's Swing Thread

[PedronNiall]

Only thing I'll add is that I'd go to this instructor with a fully open mind. Unless they throw something at you about the downswing being all that matters so that's where they're going to start then keep yourself open to really listening to what they say to you. 

 

Keep a notebook or your phone handy to jot down core elements if they don't video the whole session for you or aren't going to do a summary. 

 

If you can get yourself into the same place you did for this thread, being enthusiastic about hearing what needs to be changed from zero and open to fact-based input, you'll be in a good spot. I'd even go so far as to tell the instructor to start from the beginning and go over getting grip, stance/address, and posture all in a solid place in the first few minutes. A competent instructor can often help impart understanding around the key aspects of the swing a lot faster than we can on our own no matter how much we've read or watched about it. 

 

Enjoy the lesson! 

[RayPlan]

Finally getting serious about the work necessary to improve. More to come on that later, but just to give a small update, I'm close to consistently being here at the top of the backswing:

 

[Obee]

Love your journey. My ADHD manifests itsel in other ways in golf. I taught mysel the game by watching pros and reading books.  But in the age of YouTube, I could've seen myself going down a similar road as you.

 

What kind of differentials are you able to shoot when you get to actually play?

[RayPlan]

31 minutes ago, Obee said:

Love your journey. My ADHD manifests itsel in other ways in golf. I taught mysel the game by watching pros and reading books.  But in the age of YouTube, I could've seen myself going down a similar road as you.

 

What kind of differentials are you able to shoot when you get to actually play?

To be honest, I don't even really know what a differential is. 😅

 

I've played maybe a dozen times in the last 3 years, with 3 years completely off before that. Anyway, over the last 10 years or so (even pre-hiatus), my scores would fluctuate within the band of high 80s to 100. Never established a handicap.

[RayPlan]

As promised, here's some video. Curious to hear what people think.

 

 

Camera angle for a little off-center because I had to keep moving the ball position due to divots.

 

[TheDeanAbides]

19 minutes ago, RayPlan said:

As promised, here's some video. Curious to hear what people think.

 

 

Camera angle for a little off-center because I had to keep moving the ball position due to divots.

 

Looking much better, RR. I think you’re a hair too close to the ball though. 

[NittanyCPA]

1 hour ago, RayPlan said:

As promised, here's some video. Curious to hear what people think.

 

 

Camera angle for a little off-center because I had to keep moving the ball position due to divots.

 

Dude you can play some golf with that swing, keep it up.

 

Also, wear some cleats.

Edited February 17 by NittanyCPA

[NittanyCPA]

1 hour ago, TheDeanAbides said:

Looking much better, RR. I think you’re a hair too close to the ball though. 

It does look pretty close, but I think he has his phone or something in his front right pocket, distorting the view.

[RayPlan]

12 minutes ago, NittanyCPA said:

It does look pretty close, but I think he has his phone or something in his front right pocket, distorting the view.

Good eye. It's actually my Bluetooth earbud case. My phone was busy capturing video.

 

14 minutes ago, NittanyCPA said:

Dude you can play some golf with that swing, keep it up.

 

Also, wear some cleats.

Thanks. And I really should. My golf shoes are right by where I keep my clubs and camera stake, so I don't have much excuse not to just throw them on. They're the kind with the slick wire and dial mechanism, so it's not like I would even have laces to tie. 

Edited February 17 by RayPlan

[MK7Golf21]

looks pretty good, anything you have been working on to get your swing to this point?

[RayPlan]

1 hour ago, MK7Golf21 said:

looks pretty good, anything you have been working on to get your swing to this point?

Yeah, and it's kind of a crazy story. I was hitting at an actual range (with heated bays) and this guy approached me, had seen me hitting a few. Said he was a retired golf pro, wanted to know if I would be open to some pointers. I figured I'd see what he had to say, since I'd been sort of spinning my wheels. He seemed legit from talking to him, and he ended up working with me for about an hour.

 

First, he had me to stand with my feet close together and swing with only my arms -- as little body or pelvis turn as possible. That was hard for me to do, since I tend to overrotate my pelvis and torso. He had me focus on moving my arms independently from my body and get them moving more, in general. Including something I'd been strenuously trying to avoid: getting my left arm more across my chest. 

 

He took video on his phone and showed me comparisons when I would try the new moves. He got me "changing the picture" in some really interesting ways, and I actually made some good contact with the arms-only feel. At the end, he gave me some homework, said to keep working on certain things in the backswing, and suggested I do mirror work indoors with a little kid's club, to allow me to get more reps in without having to deal with winter weather. He also recommended looking at Adam Scott's swing as a good example. I took good notes on my phone, since that's the only way I tend to remember things.

 

Me being me, my mind was going a mile a minute from having a such a productive practice session that I didn't think to get his number or any other contact info. Classic me. It's a shame too, he was really friendly, with an off-kilter sense of humor that was very compatible with my own.

 

Anyway, since then, I've been working every day on keeping my arms more disconnected from my body in the backswing (vs. turning my arms with my body). Changing that element of the backswing has led to some knock-on effects as I've realized how those changes affect other things down the chain. 

 

I know I'm still a long way off, since I don't have the body pivot mechanics down, and I know that will be a long road to adapt those motor patterns, but it's pretty wild how much difference some relatively simple backswing adjustments have made.

 

And all thanks to one guy with the knowledge to help me and the generosity to give me his time for nothing in return. I'd like to get the chance to run into him again and hopefully show him a significantly improved swing -- I owe it to him.

[jonsnow]

 

For no particular reason other than I thought Ray would enjoy it...

[jonsnow]

I guess not....

[RayPlan]

You know I don't understand metaphors, allegories, and the like

[jonsnow]

48 minutes ago, RayPlan said:

You know I don't understand metaphors, allegories, and the like

Nobody understands alligators...

[TheDeanAbides]

5 minutes ago, jonsnow said:

Nobody understands alligators...

I do! Just don't get closer than 3' and you're golden. They're not very complicated creatures. 

[jonsnow]

It always makes me laugh when I see people toss golf balls at alligators who appear to be sleeping on golf courses, usually at Hilton Head where you have a high percentage of tourists who aren't familiar with them. If you piss them off, a human is not outrunning an alligator.

[KMeloney]

2 hours ago, RayPlan said:

And all thanks to one guy with the knowledge to help me and the generosity to give me his time for nothing in return. I'd like to get the chance to run into him again and hopefully show him a significantly improved swing -- I owe it to him.

12 pages of feedback, and you owe it all to some guy at a range? Well, at least maybe some of the instructors on here who have tried to help you will appreciate your honesty anyway.

[mshills]

5 minutes ago, jonsnow said:

It always makes me laugh when I see people toss golf balls at alligators who appear to be sleeping on golf courses, usually at Hilton Head where you have a high percentage of tourists who aren't familiar with them. If you piss them off, a human is not outrunning an alligator.

Nope!! Give em a wide berth.

 

This thread is madness. 

Edited February 17 by mshills

[RayPlan]

7 minutes ago, KMeloney said:

12 pages of feedback, and you owe it all to some guy at a range? Well, at least maybe some of the instructors on here who have tried to help you will appreciate your honesty anyway.

I'm sure if any of those instructors had seen me in-person or possibly an online lesson, they'd have gotten me on the right track. Which is what a lot of them have been saying all this time. 

[TheDeanAbides]

27 minutes ago, jonsnow said:

It always makes me laugh when I see people toss golf balls at alligators who appear to be sleeping on golf courses, usually at Hilton Head where you have a high percentage of tourists who aren't familiar with them. If you piss them off, a human is not outrunning an alligator.

According to some sources, 6% of Americans believe that they can beat a grizzly in a fist fight, so I reckon a fair few would take that race. 

Edited February 17 by TheDeanAbides

[jonsnow]

I think of that as thinning the herd...

[TheDeanAbides]

1 minute ago, jonsnow said:

I think of that as thinning the herd...

And the 2025 Darwin Award goes to... several small bits of JJ McPuddle!

[RayPlan]

23 minutes ago, mshills said:

Nope!! Give em a wide berth.

 

This thread is madness. 

You were right though, Mr. Shills

 

 

[RayPlan]

29 minutes ago, jonsnow said:

It always makes me laugh when I see people toss golf balls at alligators who appear to be sleeping on golf courses, usually at Hilton Head where you have a high percentage of tourists who aren't familiar with them. If you piss them off, a human is not outrunning an alligator.

Just wait til they close their mouths and jump on their heads

 

 

[KD1]

5 hours ago, RayPlan said:

Yeah, and it's kind of a crazy story. I was hitting at an actual range (with heated bays) and this guy approached me, had seen me hitting a few. Said he was a retired golf pro, wanted to know if I would be open to some pointers. I figured I'd see what he had to say, since I'd been sort of spinning my wheels. He seemed legit from talking to him, and he ended up working with me for about an hour.

 

First, he had me to stand with my feet close together and swing with only my arms -- as little body or pelvis turn as possible. That was hard for me to do, since I tend to overrotate my pelvis and torso. He had me focus on moving my arms independently from my body and get them moving more, in general. Including something I'd been strenuously trying to avoid: getting my left arm more across my chest. 

 

He took video on his phone and showed me comparisons when I would try the new moves. He got me "changing the picture" in some really interesting ways, and I actually made some good contact with the arms-only feel. At the end, he gave me some homework, said to keep working on certain things in the backswing, and suggested I do mirror work indoors with a little kid's club, to allow me to get more reps in without having to deal with winter weather. He also recommended looking at Adam Scott's swing as a good example. I took good notes on my phone, since that's the only way I tend to remember things.

 

Me being me, my mind was going a mile a minute from having a such a productive practice session that I didn't think to get his number or any other contact info. Classic me. It's a shame too, he was really friendly, with an off-kilter sense of humor that was very compatible with my own.

 

Anyway, since then, I've been working every day on keeping my arms more disconnected from my body in the backswing (vs. turning my arms with my body). Changing that element of the backswing has led to some knock-on effects as I've realized how those changes affect other things down the chain. 

 

I know I'm still a long way off, since I don't have the body pivot mechanics down, and I know that will be a long road to adapt those motor patterns, but it's pretty wild how much difference some relatively simple backswing adjustments have made.

 

And all thanks to one guy with the knowledge to help me and the generosity to give me his time for nothing in return. I'd like to get the chance to run into him again and hopefully show him a significantly improved swing -- I owe it to him.

 

That, my friend, was the Legendary Vagger Bance. You don't reach out to him... he doesn't even have a phone number or an insta. He finds you when you need him most.

Edited February 17 by KD1

[biker74]

Use the info you got here as a great tool to reference.Ive learned a lot reading this.Good luck on your game and shoot some good golf 

 

see if you can lock this up before it goes off the rails

Edited February 17 by bluesbroth223

[RayPlan]

1 hour ago, bluesbroth223 said:

Use the info you got here as a great tool to reference.Ive learned a lot reading this.Good luck on your game and shoot some good golf 

 

see if you can lock this up before it goes off the rails

Nothing here will have gone to waste, I apparently just needed to try something a specific way before I could do the other things. Those helpful posts will remain good reference.

Edited February 17 by RayPlan

[iacas]

4 hours ago, RayPlan said:

I'm sure if any of those instructors had seen me in-person or possibly an online lesson, they'd have gotten me on the right track. Which is what a lot of them have been saying all this time. 

 

Uhhhh… sheesh.

[jonsnow]

5 hours ago, mshills said:

Nope!! Give em a wide berth.

 

This thread is madness. 

You say that like it’s a bad thing?