Swing analysis?

Question
QUESTION: http://www.youtube.com/user/t1met00wn#p/a/u/0/EKddTNGJI6c

I was wondering if you could take a look at my swing and tell me what I should improve on... If you could that would be great!

I think I'm coming over the top a little bit right now...

ANSWER: Hi Jeff:

Good swing.  You need to make your base a little more solid at the top of the swing.  Your base is your foundation (your legs).  You tend to collapse the right leg and knee too much which leads to a little sway.  You recover nicely, however, if you could post up on your right leg better, it would help you move through the impact area stronger.  Basically, in your backswing, you should turn around your right knee.  Everything stacks on top of the right knee.  Your hips begin to turn and coil around your right knee.  If the right knee wobbles outward, your weight rolls to the outside of your right foot (called a sway).  Make sure to keep your weight solid on your right foot, and turn around a flexed right knee.  You don't want your right knee moving to the right much.  Watch Sergio Garcia, he does it great.  

You are coming over the swing plane a little bit.  To help you here, a simple tip can make a world of difference.  If you were standing behind your ball getting ready to line up your shot, I want you to picture looking out at your target (say a flagstick).  So your eyes are moving from the ball to the target, drawing your imaginary line called the target line.  Now I want you to picture a big clock out there where the flagstick is at 12 o'clock.  Can you picture that?

Next, let's examine what your club does in the downswing to cause an over the top move.  Focus on the butt end of the club (the butt end of the grip) that you're holding onto.  From the top of your backswing, the butt end of your club moves out away from you a bit, then moves towards 10 o'clock.  THE CLUBHEAD ALWAYS FOLLOWS THE LEAD OF THE BUTT END, so as you swing your club towards 10 o'clock, you'll have a tendency to pull your shorter clubs and hit fades or slices with your longer clubs.  All because you take the butt of the club from the top of the backswing and move it towards 10 o'clock.  However, 12 o'clock is where your target is, right?  

So, from the top of your backswing, why don't you move the butt end of the club more towards 12 o'clock and see what happens?  If only makes sense to swing the club towards the target, since that is your goal (I hope).  So pay attention to the butt of the club for about the first foot into the downswing.  Do this very slowly, in slow motion, making practice swings.  Swing the club from the top of the backswing down until the butt end of the club is pointing at the target.  That is the correct path of the club.  You will hit so many more shots at your target (at least start at your target).  It's a simple fix for a common problem.  

Go practice.  More solid right leg at the top of the backswing, and move the butt more towards 12 o'clock instead of 10 o'clock.  

Eddie Kilthau
PGA Member  











---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: If you have the time, here's some new videos I took, since today I went to the range. I'm not sure if they're different at all... I took some driver shots too though.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TYW-F5L70E

and

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhSdyEDuFdM

One other question:
I watched an episode of Golf Fix, and Michael was talking about how at the top of the backswing, you should try to feel like the back of your hand is facing the ceiling... I think this makes the clubface more square at impact.

Is this correct? I just started trying to do this today and it's been helping.

Answer
Hey Jeff:

Looks better!  But, do not take it outside, take the club back a little more to the inside.  Square up your shoulders a little bit, they are a little too open.  And then, don't forward press the club so much at address.  If you forward press your hands too much, it will open your shoulders.  Center your club more at address.  I believe if the back of your left hand is facing the ceiling at the top the face would be closed.  I believe there should be a slight dish in your left wrist at the top of the backswing.  Your club is in a much better position at the top of the swing, don't mess with that too much.  In summary, square your shoulders, center the club more towards your belly button and take the club a little more to the inside on the takeaway.  Keep up the good work.  

Eddie Kilthau
PGA Member