thin iron shot, weak ball flight

Question
hi, i am having problems with my game i hit the ball thin alot also fat and have a weak high ball flight. i have 3 video clips of my swing. 1 clip is a punch shot, when ever i try to stop the club quickly after impact i strike it much better. the links to the clips are below

http://files.filefront.com//;6572098;;/

http://files.filefront.com//;6572144;;/  

http://files.filefront.com//;6574548;;/


thanks

Answer
Hello Rhys:  If you play your videos in slow motion, you'll notice a rather pronounced dip with your left leg in the your full swing.  Your right leg straightens a bit which keeps your weight forward at the top of your swing. Because the weight is already forward at the top of yours swing, it moves up and away from the ball in the forward swing.

You take the club well past parallel with considerable wrist action.  This causes you to cast a bit from the top to catch up which adds loft to the clubface at impact.  And being ahead of or over the ball at impact, the club has a difficult time squaring itself.

With your left leg bending so much in the backswing, it has to straighten in the forward swing and this causes your hips to spin rather than slide laterally.  I'm not suggesting your hips should slide a great deal during the swing, but if you'll watch the pros, you'll notice a slight forward move with the hips and knees to start the forward swing.

Your punch shot is more successful because you don't dip as much and you try to hold the release.  It's hard to see but the punch shot shows much more extension further past the ball than the full swing.

The view from down the line shows you crowd the ball.  This may be a cause of or a result of your weight being positioned toward your heels.  With the weight towards the heels, it's difficult to make a proper shift; your reflexes kick in and keep you centered over the ball to maintain balance.

My recommendations:  Move your weight towards the balls of your feet.  Stand far enough from the ball to allow your arms to hang from the shoulders.  Allow your knees to move with the swing but do not let the left dip.  Shorten your backswing to the point your hands stop above your right shoulder.  The club will stop just short of parallel.  Your hands, arms and shoulders will be in better sync with your lower body and you'll deliver the club to the ball in a more consistent manner.

There are links to professional swing sequences on my site along with more on balance, posture and setup.  Please visit www.golfnutts.com.

Good luck Rhys; you're in for some work on the swing but I think you'll find it falling into place fairly soon.  You've got too much talent not to pick up on it quickly.

Fairways and Greens,

John