“The Fix” Step 1 - Shawn Humphries

Fix Your Swing Series
Table of Contents
1. Hit More Fairways
2. Fix Your Setup
3. Fix Your Ball Position
4. Fix Your Takeaway
5. Fix Your Backswing
6. Fix the Top of Your Swing
7. Fix Your Downswing
8. Fix Your Impact Area
9. Fix Your Release
10.Fix Your Finish
11.Fix Your Slice
12.Fix Your Hook
13.Fix Your Fat Shots
14.Fix Your Thin Shots
15.Fix Your Alignment
Hit More Fairways
1
Incorrect: Option 1
Incorrect: Option 2
Correct: Option 3
You may have been told to tee the ball as high
as you possibly can. If you do this, however, the
clubface needs to move upward to impact at the
center of the face. If the clubface doesn’t move
upward, you will hit the ball at the high part of
the face. This causes the ball to travel high in
the air, making it very difficult to manage the
direction of your ball flight.
The next ball height is halfway above the
clubface. This is a bit lower than the first
option, but it still allows you to hit the ball on the
high part of the clubface. Just like with option
1, if you hit the ball too high, it will be difficult to
control the direction of your ball flight.
The lower you tee the ball, the more likely you
are to hit the ball on the bottom of the face.
This will produce less spin so that your ball flight
is straighter, allowing you to hit more fairways.
The tour players with the most success always
tee the ball about an inch and a quarter above
the ground.
Fix Your Setup
2
Too Far Away
Too Close To It
The Perfect Distance
Standing too far away from the ball means that
your arms are overextended. This gives you too
much bend in your upper body, forcing the club
to come to the inside on the backswing.
When players stand too close to the ball, the
body is vertically too upright. This setup position
makes you stand up too straight and doesn’t
allow for enough knee flex.
Make a fist with your left hand. Slide your fist
back and forth between the club and your body.
You should have just enough space to do this
without touching the end of your club.
Fix Your Ball Position
3
Ball Position 1: Midpoint
Ball Position 2: High Point
Ball Position 3: Low Point
This is neutral ball position in the middle of the
stance. Elite players usually play this position
because it gives you a straighter ball flight and
the ability to work the ball left or right.
Players play this ball position exceptionally
forward, off their left foot. You might be playing
this ball position if you find yourself slicing the
ball a lot. Move the ball back to hit the inside
portion of the ball and have more control of ball
flight and direction.
This is a ball position that is further back in the
stance. Players who play in this position have
the tendency to hit the ball lower and turn it right
to left. If you find yourself hooking the ball too
much, move the ball in the middle of your stance
to straighten the ball flight.
Fix Your Takeaway
4
Takeaway 1: Too Much Inside
Takeaway 2: Straight Back
Takeaway 3: Outward
In this takeaway, the club goes too much
towards the inside. There’s a good chance that
you will go over the ball coming down, creating
pools and slices. Try moving the club outward
as you will see in Takeaway 3.
In this takeaway, the club goes straight back.
This is a better takeaway since you will have the
tendency to hit the ball inside coming down. It
will give you a better ball flight and the ability to
control its direction with solid impact.
If you have the tendency to move the club
towards the inside on your takeaway, try moving
the club outward. This will give you the ability to
loop the club towards the inside coming down.
It is better to work the club outward in front of
you because it allow you to come from the
inside going back. Avoid the inside going back
to lessen the chance of slicing the ball.
Fix Your Backswing
5
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Use a tour stick as a guide for your backswing.
Put it on the ground based on how you would
set-up. Make sure that the shaft angle is
relatively the same angle at address.
When you turn back on your backswing, keep
the club in front of the tour stick.
At the top of your backswing, the angle should
be parallel to the tour stick line. This creates
your backswing plane line.
Keep the club on plane by being mindful of
the angle of the tour stick. It will help you
understand where your backswing is and keep
it on track.
Fix Your Top Swing
During setup, there is a certain distance
between your hands and shoulders. As you turn
your shoulders, maintain that distance, or what
we call width. This width allows you to hit more
centered shots, helps with the swing path and
influences the plane.
There is a tendency for players to take the width
out of the backswing and collapse their arms.
This position makes it difficult to come out from the
backswing. Players who do this tend to create a
casting move that creates slices or pools.
6
To create the width, bring the club above the
ground from address. Turn to create that width
from the top of your swing. This will make it easy
for you to get the club to start dropping down on
plane at impact.
Fix Your Downswing
7
Common Error 1:
Hitting The Ball Over The Top
Common Error 2:
Right Shoulder Starts Downswing
Correct Downswing:
Let the Handle Fall
If you are coming over the top of the ball on your
downswing, that means the club is too much on
the inside on your backswing and too far behind
on the top of your swing. This will cause you to
hit slices.
There is a tendency for the right shoulder starts
the downswing. This will cause the ball to cut in
an oblique direction towards the left.
At the top of your swing, hold the shoulders
and let the handle fall. The club shaft should
be falling over the right forearm. It allows your
downswing to fall back on the inside. This will
result in good impact and great follow through,
producing the desired ball flight.
Fix Your Impact Area
8
Tour Player’s Impact
Single-Digit Handicapper
Double-Digit Handicapper
When it comes to how far tour players hit the
ball, the impact position is more important than
clubhead speed. As a tour player reaches
impact, they deloft the golf club by using their
hands in a forward shaft lean. In fact, the
average tour player delofts the club 4 degrees
at impact.
At impact, the recreational golfer releases the
club too early. Single-digit handicappers do not
deloft the club like tour players do. Instead, they
simply square the clubface with a slight forward
shaft lean.
Higher handicappers do not deloft the club at
impact and are unable to square the clubface.
These players typically add loft to the club
because they release too soon.
Fix Your Release
9
Common Release Errors
Common Release Errors
Correct Position
A player’s body and head need to come up
during release or it will cause the arms to flip
and close too much in one direction. Another
common error is hanging on to it too much.
If you’re hitting too much turf or hitting it off the
toe and slicing the ball, the club faces out and
cuts across on contact. Release direction tends
to go towards the left.
Let the arms rotate to square the clubface.
Rotate after contact so the back of the left hand
matches up with the clubface. Follow through all
the way up to finish. Avoid squaring the
clubface and holding it down the line. Club
should come down more from the inside to
release it out to the right. Players should finish
by circling it around and through.
Fix Your Finish
10
Incorrect Finish 1:
Ball Flight That Fades
Incorrect Finish 2:
Ball Flight Draws
Ball Flight 3:
Straight Ball Flight
Players that slice the golf ball have the tendency
to angle the right arm. This will make the ball
flight to curve way towards the right.
Players who hit balls right to left draw the ball
with this finish. Both arms cup to the left with the
right hand over the club. Players who do this
have the tendency to hook the ball.
Players who hit the ball straight have the club
right on plane and finish with their club behind
their ear. Try practicing with a mirror. This is how
you should look at finish.
Fix Your Slice
11
Back of the Left Hand
Don’t Get Too Steep
As you turn back, make sure the back of the
left hand is flat. Slicers often cup their left hand
at the top of the swing, opening the clubface.
To get a straighter ball flight, avoid cupping
your hand at the top. This will help square the
clubface at impact.
Having a golf swing that is too steep means you
are off plane and probably are slicing the ball.
The best way to avoid a swing that is too steep
is by working on creating a more rounded swing.
Round out your swing by swinging the club like
a baseball club. This squares clubface as it
works around and through.
Fix Your Hook
12
Why it happens
“The Fix” Step 1: Hold the shoulders
“The Fix” Step 2: Club Parallel
Players who work the club too much from the
inside are the ones who hook the golf club. The
club comes too much off their right hip, and they
are unable to square the clubface at impact.
On the backswing, turn back and feel like
you are holding your shoulders at the top of
your swing.
On the downswing, the club will fall in front
of your body, parallel to the feet, ground,
and target line. Notice how the club is no
longer behind your body. Now, you can
easily square up your clubface at impact
without hooking the ball.
Fix Your Fat Shots
13
Step 1: Move closer to the ball!
Step 2: Work on your takeaway!
Step 3: Round out your swing!
There is a good chance you are standing too far
away from golf ball forcing the club to work too
much in on the backswing. If the club works in
on the backswing, it will stick into the ground at
impact. Check to see if you are the proper
distance from the ball by placing a fist between
the end of your club and your body.
On your takeaway, try to keep the club out
and in front of your body. If the club works too
much to the inside on the takeaway, you will
have trouble coming from the inside on the
downswing.
Bring the club above the ground to shallow out
your golf swing. The goal is to get the club going
around your body. Take a few practice swings
15 inches above the ground. Then practice at 10
inches above the ground. Repeat this drill at 5
inches above the ground, and then practice
hitting the ball off a tee.
Fix Your Thin Shots
The Problem:
The Solution:
If your ball position is too far forward in your
stance, you will catch it thin. When the ball is
too far forward in your stance, your weight shifts
back as you turn back, and the club bottoms out
before it reaches the golf ball. After it bottoms
out, the club moves up and through impact.
Move your ball position back to the center, just
right of your belt buckle. Try out this new ball
position and look where the club reaches
impact. If you start taking too much turf, move the
ball up one position to your middle of the stance.
14
Fix Your Alignment
15
In this lesson, Shawn uses tour sticks to fix
common alignment issues.
Using 3 tour sticks, line them up parallel as
shown in the picture above. This setup will
give you a visual and help get your alignment
on track.
Place the first stick on the left side, closest to
your setup position. This stick marks your feet line.
Place the second stick farther away from you
but still parallel to the first stick. This outer stick,
or what we call rail, will help you gauge your
way down the fairway.
Place the third stick parallel to the two sticks,
directly behind the ball. This will be your ball line.
Square your knees, hips and shoulder parallel
to the sticks. The club should follow the ball line
as you begin your takeaway. Use the same line
to guide you back at impact and follow through
down the line until finish.