Question:
Hi, I’ve been playing for about 3 – 4 years now. I’m a high handicapper, but I practice hard, and I take a lesson from a pro every now and then. I’m not very consistant, but I think I have potential for a better game. I’ve shot in the high 80’s a few times, so I have some potential. I just got back from a lesson, and I see the same problems I always see. 1. Swing plane too flat – club layed back and not getting into the online position at the top of the swing. 2. Too crouched over at address – causes me to lift up and move back down lunging at the ball. Those are my biggest problems. The good news is I am hitting much less over the top than I used to, so there is some improvement, and I’m not moving up and down as much as I used to. I’m 6′ 1", so I don’t know if this might have anything to do with crouching over too much. Seems like this should be easy enough to fix. Just need to stand closer to the ball I guess. When I try to swing on a more vertical plane, and get my club up higher, I seem to have trouble closing the club face and the ball starts moving to the right on me. I’d appreciate any tips on drills that my help me stop the up and down movement, and also how to get more comfortable with a more vertical swing plane and get that club into the correct spot at the top of my backswing. I see all the profesional golfers reach this position, so it must be important. Thanks in advance, Steve Before you buy.
Response:
Been there. Done that. Wrote the book! I’m just recovering from an overly flat swing. I feel your pain. There are a few simple things you can do: 1) Try this drill. Stand with your rear to an exterior wall (preferrably brick, so you don’t make alot of marks) and practice swinging. If you snatch the club away you’ll hit the wall every time. 2) Reduce your swing length. Try taking half-swings. You won’t tend to "lose the club behind you" as much. 3) Hold your left hip firm for as long as possible on the back swing. Overturning the hips was forcing the club too far inside in my case. I was losing a ton of power. 4) Don’t worry about blocking right for now. Believe it or not (I know this is very hard to believe) it is probably caused from the fact you’re still taking the club too far inside! I have to really exaggerate (sp?) keeping the club outside. Several times I returned to the pro, proud as anything about my new "vertical swing" only to see on video tape it was still to flat and inside. Keep taking the swingline farther outside until you start to pull and hook a little. Then back off. My pro said taking the club too far back inside and keeping it on a flat plane can work, but consistency may be an issue. It’s worth the adjustment. My swing is much more vertical and my distance is back. Most of all, if money and time allow, get on a steady regimen of lessons. Now and again with a pro is not enought when you’re battling the evil of the flat swing. My pro put it to me this way. Many of his students take a lesson in the spring, then one in the summer as they start sucking worse and worse, and a flurry in the fall just before the snow flies. Here’s the result. A golf swing lasts about 2 seconds (if that). Say you hit 50 balls during a lesson. You’ve actually spent a minute and a half teaching your muscles feel. Then some folks go to the range once a week and hit 90 balls. Another 3 minutes of muscle memory a week. Then they play a round of golf (30-50 full shots). That’s another 2 minutes. After 2 months, if they play twice a week, they’ve invested 64 minutes training their muscles. Then they can’t understand why they’ve lost everything they learned. Now not everyone can play more but everyone can swing a club with a mirror nearby (half swings or take the club head off an old club). He asked me to do this 10 minutes a day and hit less than 20 balls with a full swing at the driving range. This has done more good for my swing than 300-400 ball days! Good luck and hang in there. It sounds like you’ve got a great start and I’m sure you’ll be happily in the 80s regularly, even scaring 79! Art PS Really wanna lower your scores? Short game. Short game. Short game. Art
<snip – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – When I try to swing on a more vertical plane, and get my club up higher, I seem to have trouble closing the club face and the ball starts moving to the right on me. I’d appreciate any tips on drills that my help me stop the up and down movement, and also how to get more comfortable with a more vertical swing plane and get that club into the correct spot at the top of my backswing. I see all the profesional golfers reach this position, so it must be important. Thanks in advance, Steve Before you buy.
Response:
<snip Several times I returned to the pro, proud as anything about my new "vertical swing" only to see on video tape it was still to flat and inside.
I know what you mean! I thought I was doing a good job not standing up on the back swing, and the video of my swing was pretty scarey looking. I should video myself more at home. It’s very hard to tell what I’m doing without seeing it on tape. Thanks a million for the drill tip. Can’t wait to try it. Steve Before you buy.