Swing Question. Long. Question is near the end.

Date: 7 May 2003 06:03:41 -0700
Newsgroups: rec.sport.golf
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I've been re-engineering my swing for the past two years. Yesterday,
marked a fundamental milestone I feel with a 41 on the back 9 of a
very tough course, with US Open rough due to too little let up in
rainy weather.
I've shot better on this back 9 three other times, but, never have I
done so with a new swing. To shoot well, I've had to go back to bad
habits, in order to focus on "scoring" as opposed to ball-striking.
I've taken lessons from good pro's. Watched my handicap go from 23 to
14. But, most the good scores are from when the rough was low, and
the fairways rolled really well and I played with the bad habits that
I "managed" well. Not to mention, some very solid putting. Lately,
I'm playing to about an 18. But yesterday, I was playing like a 10.
Here are some of the original problems given to me based on video
analysis, and general observation: 1. Too much sway. 2. Very, Very
laid off. 3. Weak grip. 4. Dipping my head on down-stroke (about
4"). 5. Very little wrist-cock. 6. Ball too far back in stance. 7.
Right arm over the top.
I knew from the begining, and my instructor agreed, that you can't
work on everything at once. Also, some problems listed above, were
caused by others in the same list. I've read lots and lots of golf
swing discussion; watched the golf channel; watched pro's on the video
analysis; watched other amateur's. I think I've built up enough
knowledge to recognize discussion that helps me, rather than confuses
me.
Things finally just clicked yesterday. I am doing something that
defintely made it happen. I've been close to this thing for about two
weeks. Then, Sunday night I saw a swing tip on the golf channel and I
realized, "That's what I'm trying to do". It just turned out that the
man on TV communicated in a manner that connected with me. The tip,
for me, corrects being laid off.
Basically, he said. After about a quarter of the way into the
back-swing, when your arm is at 9 o'clock. The club shaft should be
darn close to pointing straight up, 12 o'clock. This way, as you go
further into the swing, you can lift your arms without feeling any
torque. You only feel the light weight of the club. Not the torque.
In physics, basically, you are eliminating the moment of inertia. The
man explained that too many golfers start their swing and get the club
way behind them so that they're laid off and when they start raising
their arms up, they feel additional weight from the club (torque). He
went on to analyse some Johnny Miller swing footage explaining how he
had a more modern swing by "Keeping the club in front of him a little
longer".
I had known this was a problem in my swing for some time. But how to
get there correctly and still have a smooth swing was puzzling me. My
bad habit of being laid off for so many years had caused me to
eliminate much of my back-swing. My full swing looked like barely a
3/4 swing. Yesterday, I was getting past parallel if I wanted to.
It's such a good feeling. I actually feel younger. (I'm a fairly
athletic 36 yr old, with a 6' tall ex-defensive end's build.)
Yesterday, I went out with this thought in my head: I've got to eliminate the moment of intertia of the club onto my
hand hands early in my swing, at the same time, staying relaxed at
address and thoughtout the swing. I did this by being relaxed at address, but knowing that as soon as
I started the takeaway, I would keep the club a little more in front
of me, and try and let my wrists cock passively (albeit knowing they
needed a little nudging from my "active" brain). My setup routine is now very similar to Mike Weir's. Take a small
back-swing and check it. I think that's what he's checking -that he
doesn't get carried away in the takeaway, so as not to be able to
control the moment of intertia of the club on his hands... To keep
from being laid off.
Finally, here's my question(s)...
Could I have gotten my swing together sooner, had I focused right from
the start on how not to be laid off. I.E. Eliminating the moment of
inertia of the club on to my hands early in the swing?
Or, did it really take two years of trials, tribulations,
humiliations, hours, and broken relations, to "Bring it all together"?
Thanks,
Feeling you again