I have tried to just use a baseball swing at various times in the past and usually it works pretty well but for some reason I always drift away from it and go back to having a thousand other different swing thoughts in my head as I stand over the ball.

After seeing this drill by David Leadbetter

http://www.youtube.com/watc...

I realised that what he is suggesting is something is exactly what I would do when going through a “baseball swing” phase.

It is such a simple concept, do you think this is a good lesson to work on and a viable way to obtain a better swing?

PS My biggest swing flaw that various coaches have tried to fix is not releasing the club through impact

It’s a good demonstration, and if you compare it to a very upright swing you’ll notice that the flat swing rotates the clubhead in relation to the plane a great deal more, and the upright swing plane rotates the club less.

In terms of releasing, sometimes it is helpful to understand where the club should go and what it does after impact. The forward swing is a rotation that continues after impact. If the rotation was exactly the same it would be a powerful swing, though probably shorter and with a tendency to hook.

In relation to the spine, the baseball swing as demonstrated from a straight posture is very flat—almost perpendicular to the spine. Without an appropriate bend at the hip flexors this might be difficult to duplicate, as some players stand a little too tall for this rotation. But it’s a good concept and gets the clubhead rotating, which it sounds like you may need…

Well I took this drill to the range last night and don’t think I have ever hit it better.

Coming off the face well and much more consistent.

I think my new pre-shot routine is going to be

1. Take my stance
2. Baseball swing about a foot above the ball
3. Without much hesitation, hit the ball with the “feel” of baseball swing still in my mind.

I am going to try it myself. I thought I should have been doing it for years. Thanks. I will even add a step back and forward like Hogan.

Hogan took tips from Babe Ruth.

Hogan took lessons from Sam Byrd ( who was Ruth’s room mate on the road) according to my research into Hogan’s career. Byrd was a Major League Baseball player who turned professional golfer, winning 6 tour events. he is credited with teaching Hogan to keep his arms connected to his body by using a handkerchief under the left arm pit. This was a drill that Ruth taught to Byrd. If you look up Sam Byrd on Wiki there will be something on it.
If you can find Byrd’s swing on YouTube, the similarities with Hogan’s swing is very noticeable.

Though Hogan said he never wanted to rotate the clubface, because he was so flat he never had to try. The actual swing plane in relation to the spine at horizontal almost has to change due to bending at the hip flexors and subsequent changes in flexibility. So, while you’re probably not going to be as flat as Hogan and Kuchar (maybe you can get there?) the change in swing plane and clubface rotation is beneficial.

I am going to try it myself. I thought I should have been doing it for years. Thanks. I will even add a step back and forward like Hogan.

Hogan took tips from Babe Ruth.

For tuition in Sydney call Paul Hart (TheDart) 0412 070 820.

Terry Hill’s, St. Michael’s or Duntryleague Golf Club Orange

An official iseekgolf.com teaching panelist.

Dart, google – a Ballard of Jimmy Ballard, by James Dodson- for the story on Byrd and Hogan. Dodson was commissioned by Mrs Hogan to write Hogan’s story, so his research would be spot on. His article highlights the politics in teaching which I found interesting.
cheers

BGH,
This drill can have a good influence on your swing, my suggestion is keep i doing t continuous. When you get to full finish go straight back the other into your back swing does this make sense. Lead better go this drill concept from us he was a client of ours. He missed the part about keep the motion going back and forth continuously dynamically.
Baseball and golf create the same swing sequence or coordination patterns called the kinetic link. They are similar patterns only on different planes. Baseball is a vertical plane, golf is an incline plane.

Golf and Baseball

Golf is just baseball off the ground…with a little tennis thrown in.

It’s always been interesting that the finish of a tennis stroke is so important to the performance of the shot, while most golf instruction focuses on setup, backswing, and impact, and often disregards the finish. It is the continuous movement of the club beyond impact that has influence on the ball.

Put my new swing thought and pre-shot routine into action on the weekend and hit the ball great.

Going to keep this routine up because I have never hit the ball so consistently for an entire 18 holes.

Golf is just baseball off the ground…with a little tennis thrown in.

It’s always been interesting that the finish of a tennis stroke is so important to the performance of the shot, while most golf instruction focuses on setup, backswing, and impact, and often disregards the finish. It is the continuous movement of the club beyond impact that has influence on the ball.

Bob Duncan, PGA Life Member
Master Clubfitter DP.60

Click here for my new ebook on Amazon

I think when I concentrate on finishing high with the hands up and with the weight on left, it ends up with a good iron shot.

I am going to try it myself. I thought I should have been doing it for years. Thanks. I will even add a step back and forward like Hogan.

Hogan took tips from Babe Ruth.

For tuition in Sydney call Paul Hart (TheDart) 0412 070 820.

Terry Hill’s, St. Michael’s or Duntryleague Golf Club Orange

An official iseekgolf.com teaching panelist.

Dart, google – a Ballard of Jimmy Ballard, by James Dodson- for the story on Byrd and Hogan. Dodson was commissioned by Mrs Hogan to write Hogan’s story, so his research would be spot on. His article highlights the politics in teaching which I found interesting.
cheers

The man who hits at the ball rather than through it has no sense of rhythm.
Secrets of the Master – The Best of Bobby Jones

razaar,

Got it.