Alright, so I spent some time down the rabbit hole watching slow-motion videos of Tiger Woods hitting his irons. Man, that swing is just something else, even slowed way down. It looks so effortless but powerful. Naturally, I got the itch to head out and try to feel some of that myself.
So, I grabbed my trusty 7-iron – figure that’s a good middle ground – and went down to the range yesterday afternoon. The plan wasn’t to suddenly swing exactly like Tiger, ’cause let’s be real, that ain’t happening. But I wanted to pick out maybe one or two things I saw in those slow-mo vids and just try to feel them in my own swing.
Getting Started – The Setup & First Swings
First bucket of balls, I just tried to get loose. Didn’t think too much, just hitting shots. As usual, some were okay, some were pretty terrible. You know how it goes. Then I started thinking about what I saw in the video. The first thing that always stands out is how smooth his takeaway is. It’s like one piece, arms and body moving together.
Trying the Takeaway:
- I focused on keeping the triangle formed by my arms and shoulders intact moving back.
- Tried to feel my chest turning away from the ball, not just lifting the club with my hands.
- This felt super slow and deliberate at first. Honestly, it felt kinda weak, like I wasn’t generating any speed.
- Hit a bunch of shots just focusing on this. Lots of pushes to the right initially because I wasn’t completing the turn maybe? Hard to say.
The Transition Trouble
Okay, the takeaway felt weird but doable after a while. The next thing I noticed in Tiger’s slow-mo is that transition from backswing to downswing. It’s so smooth, there’s no jerky rush. He creates so much lag without even trying, it seems.
This part was way harder for me. My usual move is to get quick from the top, kinda snatching at the ball. Trying to be smooth like Tiger?
My Attempts at Smoothness:
- I consciously tried to pause, just for a millisecond, at the top. Didn’t really work, just messed up my rhythm.
- Then I tried feeling like my lower body started the downswing before my arms finished going back. That felt completely alien.
- Most of these shots were pulls or hooks. Felt totally out of sync. Like my arms and body were having an argument.
Focusing on Impact Feel
After getting frustrated with the transition, I decided to simplify. Tiger’s impact position looks so powerful – hands ahead of the ball, compressing it. I figured I could at least try to feel that.
So, I started hitting little half-shots, maybe three-quarter shots, just focusing on striking down on the ball and getting that crisp contact. Trying to get the divot after the ball.
The Impact Drill:
- Really focused on keeping my weight moving forward through the shot.
- Tried to keep my hands leading the clubhead into the ball.
- Got a few really nice compressions! That feeling when you pure it? Yeah, managed that a couple of times. Felt awesome.
- Still hit plenty thin and fat, especially when I tried to swing harder. Old habits die hard, I guess.
Wrapping Up the Session
Finished up a second bucket just trying to blend it all together, mostly focusing on that smoother takeaway and the feeling of compression at impact. Didn’t magically turn into Tiger Woods, obviously. Still hit plenty of iffy shots.
But, you know, it was a good practice session. Focusing on those specific feels from the slow-mo gave me something concrete to work on rather than just banging balls mindlessly. The takeaway felt a bit more connected by the end, and I definitely felt a couple of those pure strikes which is always encouraging.
Gonna keep those feelings in mind next time I’m out. That smooth tempo and compression – that’s the goal. It’s a process, right? Just gotta keep grinding.