Swing breaking down?

Check your setup first.  About 99 percent of swing faults are due to this.

1.  Grip.  Vs pointing toward chin

2.  Ball position relative to torso where head is just behind (about the inner side of one's shirt pocket) regardless of club. If too far back, hands want to turn over, causing hooks.

3.  Toe slightly up when grounded.

4. Arms extended slightly past vertical - most faults are because one stands too close or too far from ball.  If you stand too close to the ball, you'll take an outside-in swing to avoid shanking (inside-out produces a shank or a push) or chunk it.  You'll also take a steep swing.   Too far from ball you lose your balance (another shank causer).  Also, too many tuck their arms in too close.

5.  Weight on balls of feet, even. Weight slightly more on front foot (this is subject to opinion but that is what works for me).

6.  If arms hang straight down without a club, they should line up with knees.   When you are set up to the ball, your nose and hands should line up and they should be a little bit ahead of the clubhead (almost vertical with woods and more prominent with wedges).   I see too many people with locked knees. 

7.  Stance width determines ball position.  Slightly less than shoulder width for short irons - ball appears to be in middle of stance.  About shoulder width for hybrids and long irons - ball appears to be slightly ahead of center.    A little more than shoulder width for fairways and ball is about 2" behind front heel.  Driver a little wider than fairways and off the front instep.

The Swing

A nice drill I got from a teaching pro was the palm down-palm up drill.   You hold your front hand at shoulder height as if shaking hands.   Your entire front arm rotates as one unit - palm down on backswing and palm up on follow thru.

Keep your eye on the ball all the way through the swing.  Keep that front foot planted on the backswing.

Lower body quiet on backswing and active on downswing.  The hips start the downswing.

Check out Revolution Golf (Paul Wilson) or www.swingsurgeon.com

I have another post floating but here are some photos I took while giving a golf lesson to some newbies.  Mind I'm not a golf pro but I would say if I shoot 39 for 9 holes with an 85 mph golf swing that is good.

Hitting a pitch shot with the 54-11

Notice the golf ball a few inches from the pin.

Mikie is set up to the ball properly IMHO -  He striped one 200 yards only with an arm swing; if I can get him to take it back straighter and shift weight, he'll easily bomb them 300.

Look at the young lady..