9 replies to this topic

[butch33611]

I know most of you dont like the optishot for many reasons but it does do a good job on telling you if the face was square or open. I've had one for a few weeks and mostly just hit irons on the range trying to dial in the face angle a little better. While doing this I found something I find interesting:

On the downswing the more even the pull with both hands the better the shot turns out. As soon as I forget to think about it I either pull it slightly or it fades. Pulling evenly with both hands gives me an inside to out path and square contact. Its something you can really feel as you swing the club. You know if it was off slightly and the shot reflects it. Hitting a shot that I know I pulled with both hands equally the shot is right on line.

I've never seen this discussed before but I think its a real element of the golf swing based on what im seeing.

Anyone else find this to be true?

[hoganfan924]

I used Optishot for a short while but didn't like it.  With short irons it would always say that my face was open and I was hitting push fades, when in reality I almost never hit that shot with short irons and tend to hit small draws.  Once I learned more about how angle of attack affects path, that made sense, since optishot can't measure AoA.  I think that if I trusted the optishot numbers and hit balls on it all winter, I come out in the spring with a severe shut faced pull-hook.

Not really sure what you mean by pulling with both hands.  I hope whatever you've found, you've been able to confirm it's effectiveness outdoors on grass.

[HitBall]

I saw a great video on youtube where the guy shows if at the top if you push with the right hand the club comes over the top etc, but when you pull down with the left hand it keeps your power stored up etc. Right hand push leads to casting, left hand leads to arms catching up to the body. I don't have a long backswing so I'm not sure if the two hands downpull is right for me since that might lead to casting (maybe just left, I'm new to this phenomenon of downpull). Its weird how you can forget something simple like simply pulling down, so who knows how long I may or may not have been pushing with the right hand instead of pulling. Yikes.

Edited by HitBall, 03 November 2012 - 02:49 AM.

[butch33611]

hoganfan924, on 02 November 2012 - 08:53 PM, said:

I used Optishot for a short while but didn't like it.  With short irons it would always say that my face was open and I was hitting push fades, when in reality I almost never hit that shot with short irons and tend to hit small draws.  Once I learned more about how angle of attack affects path, that made sense, since optishot can't measure AoA.  I think that if I trusted the optishot numbers and hit balls on it all winter, I come out in the spring with a severe shut faced pull-hook.

Not really sure what you mean by pulling with both hands.  I hope whatever you've found, you've been able to confirm it's effectiveness outdoors on grass.

I was actually able to confirm this in the reverse. At the end of the golf season (minnesota) I was out for a round before getting the optishot . There was pretty much nobody there but me so I could hit a couple of balls with any given shot. Six iron shot in the fairway. My normal miss is to the left which I did. Then I got this idea of both hands pulling equally and tried it. It worked very well but I figured it wasnt really confirmed based on one good shot but I continued to swing with this thought in mind and hit some really nice shots the rest of the round. Along comes the optishot. The more equal the pull with both hands the straighter the shot. If I pull harder with the left I miss left. When I swing I know if I did it well and the optishot reflects it. I dialed all my irons into the optishot, loft, lie and how long the clubs are. I believe the feedback from the optishot is correct based on what I saw at the course.  

Old school teachers used to say pull with the left hand and just let the right hand go along for the ride. The pro at the course I worked at many years ago said It was an advantage for me to play right handed and be naturally left handed so I've always pulled harder with the left side for the past 30 years. I dont know if this just creates a smoother swing or what the reasons are behind it but it does work to hit the ball straighter.

[butch33611]

HitBall, on 03 November 2012 - 02:45 AM, said:

I saw a great video on youtube where the guy shows if at the top if you push with the right hand the club comes over the top etc, but when you pull down with the left hand it keeps your power stored up etc. Right hand push leads to casting, left hand leads to arms catching up to the body. I don't have a long backswing so I'm not sure if the two hands downpull is right for me since that might lead to casting (maybe just left, I'm new to this phenomenon of downpull). Its weird how you can forget something simple like simply pulling down, so who knows how long I may or may not have been pushing with the right hand instead of pulling. Yikes.

This idea is just something I stumbled onto but I do believe it has some merit or I wouldnt be posting about it here. I knew as soon as I mentioned optishot it would pretty much be dismissed.

[Shambles]

Hitting equally with both hands is something I have consistently failed to accomplish for many many years. If you've managed to learn to do so, more power to you. By my thinking, it should produce greater and more consistent distance with less effort but, having never accomplished that swing, I cannot verify.


Shambles

[dogsbe]

I do think you are on the right direction, but this is all very difficult stuff.  Most players have a dominate hand and they either pull or push down their backswing.  So, you really don't want to weaken your dominate hand, but get both hands working symmetrically together.

I tackled this about 10 years ago and it was really just for wedge play.  It took a lot of hitting one handed shots with both hands to get the same results.  I am currently working on my wedge play again rather hard, so I am going to see if I can still do it.

[24vince]

This sounds like what I was messing with 2 weeks ago, I picked up 1/2 club and was throwing darts....If I dont really think about it during my practice swings I tend to slip back into my "hit" at the bottom....

I dont know about you but I found this easy to do with my irons but really hard with 3wood-driver....

Now it will snow here and I'll 4get about it by spring...

[butch33611]

24vince, on 03 November 2012 - 08:22 PM, said:

This sounds like what I was messing with 2 weeks ago, I picked up 1/2 club and was throwing darts....If I dont really think about it during my practice swings I tend to slip back into my "hit" at the bottom....

I dont know about you but I found this easy to do with my irons but really hard with 3wood-driver....

Now it will snow here and I'll 4get about it by spring...

I find exactly the same thing. Not so good with woods but with irons when I feel it, it always produces a great shot. Plus I also know when I dont do it so its a workable concept. You dont have to video your swing. You know it right away if you made a good swing. I have a very good net setup in my garage for the winter so this swing concept and solid ball striking will be my mission this winter. I know it will take a lot of practice to achieve but I definately think its worth the effort. I hit around 100 balls a day, more if time permits.

I think its some eaiser for me because im left handed playing right handed. My natural move is to pull with the left. By just including the right at the same pace seems to work really well.

Thanks for the positive responces, Im glad im not the only one who sees this for what it could be. I think I have the time, the setup and the patience to make it work. Here's my setup at home.

Attached Files

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[butch33611]

dogsbe, on 03 November 2012 - 08:05 PM, said:

  So, you really don't want to weaken your dominate hand, but get both hands working symmetrically together.

Exactly right. I dont have an agressive swing. I try and keep it smooth and under control so I believe I can make this work and improve my iron play.

On a side note I just got some taylormade burner 2.0 irons to work with over the winter. Finally retired the ping eye 2s.