It's All in the Flip

As the regular readers will note, the driver has been an ongoing problem.  On Wednesday last Sonny remarks that I'm flipping the driver!  Really?  (A flip is when the club head reaches the ball before the arms and hands get there.  Ideally the arms and hands will stay ahead of the club throughout the down swing.)

I mention this to Walt, another pro, from whom I've had a lesson or two.  "Yes, you've always had a small flip with the driver."  Well, I've known Walt for 10 years or so and this is the first I've hear of this!  What else hasn't he told me?

So it seems that I just have to flip the "no flip" switch and we are off to the Senior US Open.  Yes, well, it's never that easy.

The question that has to be resolved is the flip is the cause or if there is some other problem which requires the flip to get the club head on the ball?

There are two main errors that require the flip for rescue purposes.  The first is an overly active lower body that leaves the upper body too far behind the ball.  The flip is needed to get the club forward enough to compensate for the upper body being too far behind the hitting position.  The second is when the upper body has gone too far forward before the hit and the flip gets the club down to the ball to compensate for the wrong position, this time too forward.

Basically if the upper body is where it should be when the club comes down, there is probably no way to flip.   Certainly the reactive mind will not call up the flip as  a needed action.

So Thursday I'm at the range and determined not to flip.  I'm going to make sure the arms and hands are leading and even if it feels like I'm leading too far I'm going to do it.  I play with this at the chipping area, because if it works at speed it ought to work with a short pitch.  And it does.  The strikes are solid more often.  It feels good and it feels like the swing is getting more efficient.  A couple of guys watching me chip give me a thumbs up and nods of appreciation to impressive ball action. 

Off to the hitting area for some full length shots.  I start with a nine iron to warm up.  It's going well.  I move to the six iron and it too is no problem.  The strikes are solid and the ball has a high trajectory more so than usual.  Four wood is next and I'm getting happier.  Then of course a migraine kicks in.  Pretty soon I have a blind spot with shimmers that preclude seeing the ball with both eyes.  Time to dig for medicine and head for home...

It's now Saturday and I've looked up the flipping causes and I'm not convinced that just holding the hands is going to solve the driver issue.  I swing a bit in the backyard and notice that it's very easy for me to take the driver back without much of a shoulder turn.  Ho, ho...  Am I on to something?  I think so, as I've noticed a too short, too quick driver swing on the course.  If I don't turn the shoulders, then it probably causes me to get the upper body too far in front of the swing and then I'll need to flip.

The current theory is that is what is happening.  Barb is doing some sewing things this afternoon and I think I can get away and do some testing...