Slinging Swing Modifications

My new “slinging” swing was hardly twenty-four hours old when I went out to start slinging again to make it repeatable. From the first plastic ball I teed up, the only consistency was that every swing was terrible, an ugly mixture of slices and topped balls. After a dozen or so of these swings, I stopped to take stock. The most obvious cause of the problems was my hands. Even yesterday, I suspected that, although I was seeing an improvement, I had adopted a swing that is too “handsy,” to use Tom Bertrand’s term. Taking a good look at my grip, I carefully pressed the pad “at the inside heel of the palm” against the handle and wrapped my fingers, just as Hogan teaches in Ben Hogan's Five Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf. I also made sure to overlap the right-hand pinkie on top, rather that beside, the left index finger and keep both hands tightly together.

With these corrections, I started some slow-motion swings, watching what my wrists did, and what I saw also needed some correction. Instead of maintaining wristcock, I was dropping my wrists and virtually dragging the club to the ball. That probably accounted for all my mishits, the skulled balls and sharp slices. Keeping the angle between my wrists and the club, I started to feel what Tom Bertrand means when he describes Hogan’s Secret, the turning of the left elbow “level left” toward the left hip. There is no hand action at all, just a very controlled clubhead arc out to the ball and then around the left leg, exactly what you want.

This new movement made sense to me. I could still get the slinging swing and, in addition, a much more accurate clubhead path to the ball; Already, I had the sense that the mass of the clubhead was hitting the ball squarely. The greater swing path accuracy would take care of the skulling balls and scuffing the mat that were plaguing me. With these new swing ideas in mind, I started hitting practice balls again, very deliberately and with moderate clubhead speed.

I could see the improvement right away. After a couple dozen swings and the growing sense of hitting the ball really solidly, it was time to try out my modified slinging swing on the Callaway practice balls. By the way, these have worked out extremely well. The true flight path they give is very helpful in diagnosing a swing, and they are safe to use in your yard. I’ve hit both cars several times, as well as screens, windows, and siding on the house (numerous times—it’s a big target), with absolutely no damage. They’re that soft.

This Callaway session was very gratifying. The swing modifications seemed solid. I hit the ball consistently well, skulling only a couple and no disastrous slices. My wrists firmly cocked, the club handle in the firm Hogan grip, I was able to hit toward my target again and again (see video below). Many times, I hit straight out, but I learned what to do in order to draw the ball. The practice went so well that, near the end, I decided to try a controlled fade. Addressing the ball as I remembered how to make this shot—stance slightly open, but still aiming at the target—I hit a shot, a beauty, high and fading just right. I couldn’t have asked for more. Just to make sure, I tried three more. All were acceptable. Then, to seal the deal, I tried three draws. All fine—right at the target, pulling right to left. I couldn’t have been more gratified. I felt as though I could go out on the course right then and there.