4 replies to this topic

[thetinkerer]

Hi,

I'm off 10, and have been playing poorly recently so went to the local pro. He pointed out, as most of my teachers have, is that I have a tendency to stand up at impact. I have no idea why, perhaps its natural instinct to get away from the impact.

Anyway, this had blighted my game for years. Does anyone know a drill or feeling I should aim for to get this out of my muscle memories?

Thanks in Advance,
T

[JVill]

Standing up at impact tells me you are lower than normal at some point before impact?

To counteract standing up, address the ball with your posture higher than normal with a back swing also having your posture higher than normal and your head will tell you not to stand up at impact because if you do, you would wiff it. Instead you should be wanting, with an iron, to beat the ground in front of the ball. Hopefully a few repetitions of that will encourage you to keep steady with your posture.

[hbgpagolfpro]

 thetinkerer, on 12 December 2010 - 10:33 PM, said:

Hi,

I'm off 10, and have been playing poorly recently so went to the local pro. He pointed out, as most of my teachers have, is that I have a tendency to stand up at impact. I have no idea why, perhaps its natural instinct to get away from the impact.

Anyway, this had blighted my game for years. Does anyone know a drill or feeling I should aim for to get this out of my muscle memories?

Thanks in Advance,
T

I haven't seen video of your swing, but the golf swing is full of causes and effects.  Normally, when I notice that a student stands up at impact, it is because they dropped their body during the back swing.  If that is the case, work on maintaining your spine angle in the back swing, or swaying too much if you do that as well.

If this is not the case, you simply need to learn how to lower your center of gravity in the downswing.  I would start out by simply learning how to make a proper swing motion in slow motion.  At impact your weight should be 90% on your front foot, and I prefer that there still be some flex in the front knee.  I don't like to see any locked joints at any point in the swing.  

Do this...without a club, get in your set up position as if you are hitting a 7 iron.  Now, simply shift your weight to the front foot and turn your hips slightly (to the left if you are a righty).  Hold this position for a count of 5, then do it again, and repeat this 10 times.  

Now, moving on, without a club, get in your set up position, and slowly make a back swing, and slowly make the down swing into your impact position.  Stop it there, so you can feel that position.  At this point, don't worry about the follow through.

As you become more proficient with lowering your center of gravity, you can start swinging a club.  Do this drill... with a 7 or 8 iron, place a ball on the ground, and place a tee an inch or two beside the ball, away from the side your body is on.  Now, hit the ball and check your divot.  You should impact the ball before you hit the ground, and therefore, you should see that the divot is ahead of the tee.  If you see no divot, then you likely stood up again.  Try to make the swing without the ball, but place your club beside the tee.  Be sure you are able to make a normal swing where the divot is ahead of the tee.  When you are able to do this, you will solve your problem.

Scott

[thetinkerer]

 hbgpagolfpro, on 12 December 2010 - 11:54 PM, said:

 thetinkerer, on 12 December 2010 - 10:33 PM, said:

Hi,

I'm off 10, and have been playing poorly recently so went to the local pro. He pointed out, as most of my teachers have, is that I have a tendency to stand up at impact. I have no idea why, perhaps its natural instinct to get away from the impact.

Anyway, this had blighted my game for years. Does anyone know a drill or feeling I should aim for to get this out of my muscle memories?

Thanks in Advance,
T

I haven't seen video of your swing, but the golf swing is full of causes and effects.  Normally, when I notice that a student stands up at impact, it is because they dropped their body during the back swing.  If that is the case, work on maintaining your spine angle in the back swing, or swaying too much if you do that as well.

If this is not the case, you simply need to learn how to lower your center of gravity in the downswing.  I would start out by simply learning how to make a proper swing motion in slow motion.  At impact your weight should be 90% on your front foot, and I prefer that there still be some flex in the front knee.  I don't like to see any locked joints at any point in the swing.  

Do this...without a club, get in your set up position as if you are hitting a 7 iron.  Now, simply shift your weight to the front foot and turn your hips slightly (to the left if you are a righty).  Hold this position for a count of 5, then do it again, and repeat this 10 times.  

Now, moving on, without a club, get in your set up position, and slowly make a back swing, and slowly make the down swing into your impact position.  Stop it there, so you can feel that position.  At this point, don't worry about the follow through.

As you become more proficient with lowering your center of gravity, you can start swinging a club.  Do this drill... with a 7 or 8 iron, place a ball on the ground, and place a tee an inch or two beside the ball, away from the side your body is on.  Now, hit the ball and check your divot.  You should impact the ball before you hit the ground, and therefore, you should see that the divot is ahead of the tee.  If you see no divot, then you likely stood up again.  Try to make the swing without the ball, but place your club beside the tee.  Be sure you are able to make a normal swing where the divot is ahead of the tee.  When you are able to do this, you will solve your problem.

Scott

Thanks for your replies guys. I think the main culprit is swaying in the  back swing. I have problems pivoting sometimes, particularly on the driver. This is sometimes shown by a tendenecy to move off my front foot during the finish of a driver shot.  I struggle with the turn on the backswing, so I think this might be the cause.

Perhaps I should buy a Pivot Pro, or strand on a golf ball!!!!!

Thanks again

[JVill]

You said " I struggle with the turn on the backswing."

So you are falling back onto your back foot at the finish? It is OK to go past with the finish in rolling over your left foot  but not ideal (sort of like Gary Player).

When you turn back, keep your weight from moving towards the OUTSIDE of your right foot. Keep the weight on the INSIDE of the right foot and keep that right knee bent at the top. That will help you move towards the front foot on the down swing. The only thing I can think of to prevent you from moving to the outside of your right foot on the back swing is to put something in your shoe to cause pain if you do like a strategically placed thumb tack but that could be too painful.