Cant get rid of the bad shots!

Question
Hey John!!!  Nice of you to try to help.

I'm a decent, low hndcp. player.  Played in high school and college, but cannot seem to improve.  I play amateur events, but I cannot improve and am totally frustrated.  I should mention that I hit tons of balls, because I love to practice.

I'm a big guy, 6Ft, 285.  Not sure if this matters.

My big problems are smother hooks, toe hooks, low left shots, thin shots.  Lots of toe misses.  From the middle of the fairway with an 8 iron, I'm as likely to hit a low toe hook as to hit the green.

I have taken many lessons over the years, mostly I end up back at the same place.

I am willing to change my swing if I need to.  I taped my swing recently and this is what I see:

1) Club comes back a little shut (closed) and inside.
2) I look very tilted at the top, like my weight is all right over the ball.
3) The club starts down on a steep plane (club pointed just outside my feet) and I lower myself into the ball.
4) Then I raise up, get the club inside and it appears I swing out to the right. Note: my divots usually point right.
5) At impact, my right arm is under my left, you can see a window between the arms and I have almost no clearing.  I'm sort of standing square to the target.

Any ideas where to start?  

Answer
Ok, Mark...

I just spent a few minutes in the living room with a wedge trying to replicate the swing you described from the video you watched.  My wife thinks I'm nuts.  I can't help much with some of this unless I'm on a range with you.  That having been said, if you had only mentioned the list of your "big problems" and left out all of the swing stuff, I'd probably tell you to try backing the ball up in your stance a bit.  This probably seems like too easy a fix, and it really may not work. However, all of the problems you mention (smother hooks, toe hooks, low & left, thin shots) can be caused by playing the ball too far forward in your stance.  If the ball is placed too far toward your front foot, by the time the club gets there it's starting to close and is on the way back up again.  If you can manage to hang on, stay down and not hit the ball thin it will still go left...way left.

You mentioned that you had almost no clearing.  I'm assuming that you're talking about your hips at impact.  Not clearing your hips will cause a lot of pulls or big sweeping draws, but usually not an all out hook.  Still, you might try clearing your hips out faster.  If the hips get out of the way before impact it will help keep you from missing to the left as much.  Sorry I can't be more help.  Keep taking those lessons and pounding balls on the range.

Good luck and have fun.

John