Sam's Golf Improvement Strategy

Golf Swing Targets

Golf Swing Goal:        To get completely comfortable with the feeling of driving my rotation by pulling rather than pushing.  To focus on feeling my swing happening rather than trying to make it happen. 

Golf Swing Targets:  To regularly be hitting 9 fairways and 13 greens in regulation when I play.

Golf Swing Basics

My basics:

1. Great grip
Parallel left thumb
Left thumb short
Fingers of right hand

2. Great balance and posture
Weight down through the ankles.
Neutral spine
Shoulder blades in neutral

3. Backswing
Keep shoulder blades in neutral
Turn shoulder blades around spine
Feel right glute being pulled round by left scapula complex.

4. Downswing
Transition - bump onto the left leg
Fire the left glute and unwind through the ball
Keep shoulder blades neutral and arms passive.

Practice at Collingtree 18th June 09

Hitting 7 irons.  Working on taking the club away with the right shoulder blade. Make sure I'm feeling a stretch in the left armpit and feeling that there is plenty of width in the takeaway.

Swing Practice 2nd Feb 09

Perfect grip, perfect posture. Scapula in neutral. Imagine a long triangle with the shoulder blades at each corner, the clubhead at the top. Spine is in between shoulder blades and the whole triangle turns around the spine. Stops the right arm flying away from the body. Feel the right glute being pulled round into the backswing as a result of the left scapula complex turning and stretching. This happens really naturally and easily with no effort. It's just the natural response of the upper body turning and coiling properly. Feel like the base of the spine is moving towards the target slightly, so can feel like I'm right on top of the ball. Swing the club with your hips, feel your centre and swing from there.. ------------------

Sam Swing Video FO 1st November 08

November 08 FO from Sam Jarman on Vimeo.

Sam Swing Video DTL 1st November 08

November 08 DTL from Sam Jarman on Vimeo.

Swing Video 3rd July 08 DTL

Sam Swing 3rd July 08 DTL from Sam Jarman on Vimeo.

Swing Video 3rd July 08 FO

Sam Swing July 08 Face On from Sam Jarman on Vimeo.

Swing Practice

If I start hitting it bad, check that the club is not going outside the line on the way back. Left arm across chest hands into right thigh

Hips. Very important. Right knee stays firm and flexed. Hips turn inside, so weight transfers to left side in backswing. Don't let hips slide to the right, they turn to the left.

Practice at Clevedon - Jamega Tour

17/06/07
Practice round at Clevedon. Wedges. Pivot round front leg. Make sure hips are working properly, right hip turning behind me. Feels like hips going towards the target in the backswing.

Grip. Left hand position. Check clubface with hands by sides. Must be closed rather than open. Square will hit a fade due to pronation of left hand through the hitting area. To hit a draw make sure the clubface is properly closed. Short left thumb. Right hand, check thumb and forefinger not involved.

The correct clubface position at address is crucial in determining how the right arm works in the downswing. If the clubface is open, the tendency is for the right arm to work over the top to try to 'squash' the clubface shut. If the clubface is slightly closed, the right arm works correctly, with the elbow leading in the downswing in order for the clubface to stay square as the left wrist pronates.