Mental Issues - Overswinging

CubicZirconia · #1 05-09-2007, 03:54 PM

For the last year and a half I've had a real problem with overswinging (having too long a backswing) when I'm actually hitting a ball on a course. The annoying thing is that I can make umpteen perfect looking practice swings but then when I actually try to hit the ball my body wants to swing too far.

Anyone have an issue like this? Any ideas for curing it?

ghostface · #2 05-09-2007, 04:00 PM

Pretend you are taking a half swing, ldo.

MegaFossil · #3 05-09-2007, 04:03 PM

Whenever Jack Nicklaus needed to hit a long drive, he was thinking to himself to slow down his swing. Maybe this swing thought might help you out.

tuq · #4 05-09-2007, 04:14 PM

OP,

I had a friend that had this problem - his issue was, I was longer off the tee than he was, so mentally he couldn't help but overswing to try to compensate and hit it further. ghostface is marginalizing your post a bit, I have definitely seen it be a problem, and in that and one other instance it took a long time to correct.

MaxPower · #5 05-09-2007, 04:19 PM

Does it have an effect on your shots?

CubicZirconia · #6 05-09-2007, 04:24 PM

[ QUOTE ]
OP,

I had a friend that had this problem - his issue was, I was longer off the tee than he was, so mentally he couldn't help but overswing to try to compensate and hit it further. ghostface is marginalizing your post a bit, I have definitely seen it be a problem, and in that and one other instance it took a long time to correct.

[/ QUOTE ]

Honestly I hit the ball significantly farther than anyone I regularly play with, but trying to hit the ball farther is probably part of it. I don't need anymore distance, but that knowledge hasn't been enough to cure what has become mentally ingrained.

CubicZirconia · #7 05-09-2007, 04:27 PM

[ QUOTE ]

Does it have an effect on your shots?

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes- it leads to major inconsistency. When I have a compact, proper swing, I hit the ball very well. When my swing is too long, I'm all over the place. It's almost all or nothing. If I get into overswinging mode, nothing else matters.

ghostface · #8 05-09-2007, 06:37 PM

I have this problem too when I start playing again in the spring. For me, when I am on the range I know I am overswinging if I can see the club head out of the corner of my eye when I am at the top of my backswing. I just work on shortening my backswing until it feels like I am making a full turn away from the ball and cannot see my clubhead at the top.

Warik · #9 05-09-2007, 11:22 PM

I'm a high handicap golfer, but I realized something today that helped me out during my round. Might help you too.

Stand in front of a mirror with your eye on the ball and do your normal fast overswing. Stop at the top of your backswing and look up into the mirror. You'll probably notice that your body is contorted all weird-like and your club has gone back wayyy too far.

Now reset and this time think of doing a slow half-swing. Look up at the mirror at the top of your backswing and you will be surprised to see that you've probably already made a full turn.

I noticed this when teeing off with my back to the sun. I was taking my practice swings and noticed that my club at the top of the backswing was going way too far. It turns out that I was pretty much perfect after going back what only felt like half way. On that tee shot I blasted my 8-iron over the green and it felt like an effortless backswing and downswing.

Poker CPA · #10 05-10-2007, 12:02 PM

Just got back from club fitting for a new driver. Shorter swing produced more speed, better contact and less spin.