Fixing a flat swing plane

[drawboy]

I was video'd this week and was frankly appauled at how flat my swing plane is. I have been very overweight for a very long time and truthfully it was out of pure need of having to hit around a large belly that my swing has developed so flat. I have now lost 6 stone, and gone from a 44" waist to a 34" waist therefore my swing now needs attention.
I know the drills, swinging up against a wall or putting a foam tube in my bag and swinging more upright to avoid hitting it but my question is; How long realistically will I need to practice this before it becomes ingrained and natural to swing on a correct plane?

 

[DaveM]

Could do with you putting a vid up. Helps if people can see.

 

[drawboy]

No sorry I will not do that, take my word for it, it is flatter than a hedgehog that's been run over by an artic carrying concrete. I just want an idea how long it will take to improve it by very regular practice?

 

[bobmac]

Can I ask where your divots point?

 

[drawboy]

Yes Bob they point right of target, it is only my hand action that stops me blocking my shots all of the time, this wrist rolling leads to a draw, not a hook though.

 

[bobmac]

Yes Bob they point right of target, it is only my hand action that stops me blocking my shots all of the time, this wrist rolling leads to a draw, not a hook though.

That's good news then.
If you had a flat backswing then thew at the top as lots do then I would be concerned.
But if you're starting the ball right and it's drawing back, why do you want to change it?
I 'll bet there are 1,000,000,000,000,000,s of golfers who would swap swings with you.
Unless of course, you're catching the ball a bit heavy?

 

[drawboy]

TBH I am not playing too badly, I was just shocked when I saw the video of my swing, it is really flat and very inside on the way back, a la' Matt Kuchar. I think I could be better with a straighter takeaway and a bit more upright. I struggle for height on my shots, I think the flat plane is the cause of my lack of height.

 

[bobmac]

How far do you hit a 7 iron on a flat day? Honestly

 

[drawboy]

140 yrds

 

[bobmac]

Assuming your aim is ok, your path is in to out so you need to hit it with the face closed to draw it back. That de-lofts the clubface lowering the ballflight.
I would check your aim first and make sure your not aiming right to compensate for the draw. Is your grip strong?
What I'm getting at is you may have to change your grip, aim and swing path to achieve what?
If your grip is a little strong, try weakening it a touch and aiming left a little.
That will get your path on line and the clubface squarer to the target giving you more height
HTH

 

[drawboy]

Thanks a lot Bob i will try that.

 

[MadAdey]

Not sure why you will not put a vid up so people can look at it and give you some advice, but that is your choice. I can see Bob is asking you lots of questions and trying to work out what you are doing wrong. But a vid would be of great help so we could see exactly what it is you are doing wrong.

Oh yes and also a great big well done on loosing that weight. Not the easiest thing in the world to do and takes huge dedication.

 

[bobmac]

Adey, did you get my message?

 

[drawboy]

Not sure why you will not put a vid up so people can look at it and give you some advice, but that is your choice. I can see Bob is asking you lots of questions and trying to work out what you are doing wrong. But a vid would be of great help so we could see exactly what it is you are doing wrong.

Oh yes and also a great big well done on loosing that weight. Not the easiest thing in the world to do and takes huge dedication.

Thanks for that, I will not put a vid up because after years of thinking I had a decent swing when I finally saw what others see I was so embarrased that it has jolted me into immediate action. I play off 11.5 so I can get it round reasonably well but boy oh boy it was a massive wake up call for me. I've booked a block of lessons and I have lots of hard work ahead in the off season if I can get it better I'll be single figures next year.

 

[DCB]

drawboy,

been through similar situation a few years back. First time I saw my swing I thought it was someone else in my body ! It was certainly not what I thought it was like. The best thing my pro said to me was that I was never going to have a classic swing, but, we could get the important area through impact to work well. Lost of hard work and more still to do, but he was right.

Whilst it would be nice to have a graceful flowing swing, I'll just use what I've got and make best use of it now that I know how to ;-)

 

[bobmac]

Whilst it would be nice to have a graceful flowing swing, I'll just use what I've got and make best use of it now that I know how to ;-)

You're not as daft as you look

 

[drawboy]

Due to the rain this morning I went to the range to work on the swing plane, with the aid of the mirror behind every bay I soon got my swing back on a better plane, I asked my pro to check a few things for me outside the pro shop before I left my course this morning.
He confirmed the grip and alignment were fine, I was however really tucking the club in low and behind my body, similar to a baseball swing. I fixed that and the difference was immediate, My 6 iron was going as high as my wedges were with the old swing. As for the wedges, well I'm still waiting for them to come down. Seriously though I have used completely different muscles in my swing and could really feel the pull high in the ribs.
It is the start of the work for me now. I do not like ranges much but at this time of the year it is the only option.
Thanks all for your replies and hopefully in a month I will be able to post a vid of my new swing, now that is something I look forward to.

 

[Basher]

Best of luck DB.
Already looking forward to the new style swing complete with that club twiddling thing you do after your follow through!
I felt your pain mate, my swing looked even worse, massive overswing, dipping my head, collapsing left knee and dropping my right shoulder on the downswing. Yep, I too have work to do over the winter mate!!!

 

[bluewolf]

I'm going through the same thing myself at the moment mate. I didn't really enjoy seeing my swing on the screen for the first time. I've also booked a block of lessons to fix a flaw in the last quarter of the swing. Hopefully we'll have the same result.
Well done on the weightloss, I know how hard it is. I'm trying to lose a couple of stone before next spring. Mainly to prolong the life of my knees which took a hell of a beating on the rugby pitch..

 

[Junior]

Read this thread with interest Draw boy as at 6ft 4, i swing very flat. I had lessons and the pro i saw tried to get my hands higher at the top of my backswing, but in doing this i felt a huge 'disconnect' between my arms and body and i never had any idea where the club head was.

I've settled for trying to get somewhere in-between and try to get my left arm in line with my right shoulder when the club is at the top of the backswing. (if that makes sense?)