(After one round of golf in the last five years, Dave Tindall is trying to break 90 for the first time in over a decade. Follow his journey here).
Having made a change to my putting last time, my new focus is improving a swing that had alarmed me when I saw it captured on video recently.
I’d written in a previous diary piece: “I winced when looking back at some action shots/videos my playing partner took.
“A cruel analysis is that I’m swinging it like an old man. Watching my knees dip as I hit a drive and how low my arms are as I swing the club back, I’m mildly appalled.
“My rhythm is pretty good which saves the day a little bit but, technique-wise, there is much to do. No wonder I hit it no distance at all.”
I don’t want to try and work this out or correct it on the course, while thrashing shot after shot on the range will only likely embed bad habits.
So I’ve taken a trip to nearby Northcliffe Golf Club in West Yorkshire after manager Dave Delaney tipped me off that Head Pro Matt Stanworth had an indoor studio with one of those GCQuad devices.
I’ve used Trackman before but not the GCQuad. The difference, as Matt explains, is that the Trackman is radar-based and the GCQuad camera-based.
The Foresight Sports GCQuad, to give it its full name, uses a 4-camera system to capture and precisely measure every aspect of club head and ball launch performance.
It works by putting four reflective white dots on the face of the golf club and uses these to spit out data which breaks down what’s actually going on when you swing the bit of metal to hit the little white thing.
The technology is above my head but my very basic first take when seeing a GCQuad is just how small and portable it is.
Matt dots up my 7-iron, 5-iron and Driver and, after a brief limber up, I’m ready to hit.
I strike a few 7-irons, the first going 148 yards, which I’m happy with. Matt then shows me data that makes complete sense to me.
I know fine well that I’m fader, blocker and pusher to the right.
The data shows that my clubface is open at impact although, for a 7-iron, this is fairly controllable. It’s a baby fade if I hit a decent one.
Matt has to be elsewhere for a while so he leaves me to hit 5-iron and Driver. But, on departing, he warns me that my out-to-in swing path and open clubface will produce exaggerated results and outcomes in the longer clubs.
And, boy, is he correct.
I get a terrible attack of the ‘rights’, the ball flight on the video wall in front of me showing everything leaking horribly away.
Calling it a ‘fade’ is far too polite as I watch a series of uncomfortable left-to-right arcs.
I’m really getting nowhere, the problem is getting worse. I need Matt back!
I know I don’t hit it far but hitting drives 180 yards is pretty humiliating. One dribbles to 201. Whatever.
A breakthrough
This lack of distance ultimately bleeds back into my game. I’m always hitting approaches from a long way back and hence miss greens galore.
And then something quite magic happens.
Matt looks at the data, looks at my swing and then basically tells me I need to roll my wrists/forearms over before, through and after impact (between the 9pm and 3pm positions I guess you’d say).
It will give me more whip and stop this static-wristed block which is more suited to a cover drive in cricket.
Previously, my open clubface had increased my launch angle (due to increased loft) and meant drives were just floating out to nowhere; well, 180-200 yards.
So I try Matt’s magic move and suddenly things change.
The timing will need working on and a couple of times I flip too soon and quick but suddenly I’m getting much more power by rolling the wrists and forearms.
My last drive of the seven or eight I try – and I don’t particularly attempt to thrash it – runs out to 238 yards.
And, as the graphic shows below, my clubface is ever so slightly closed at impact after previously being wide open.
Now that may still seem very short but, according to studies, an average club golfer aged 30-60 (I’m 55) would be classed like this:
180-200 yards – short hitter
217-250 yards – mid range hitter
260-280 yards – long hitter
In addition, the average ball speed for an average male amateur golfer with driver is 133mph. I’m not far off that according to the GCQuad data above after being some way below it previously.
Thanks to the GCQuad and Matt’s advice, an obvious fault in my technique has been identified and I’ve immediately moved from short hitter to mid range hitter.
Okay, one drive went that far (233 yards) but I definitely feel like something has been unlocked.
This is exciting. This is the whole point of this journey.
Time to try and hone this new driver move on the range.
WATCH: How to practice your swing in the bedroom or a hotel room
