Flexibility & Frustration

[User 105]

After a good year of getting myself down to 13 I booked up another pack of lessons with my pro to work on my game over the winter so I can try to push for single figures next season.

I had the first lesson last Monday and I'm swinging a bit flat, my hands aren't getting much above shoulder height on the back-swing, and my pro is trying to get me to take the club away higher.

The problem I'm having is due to years of weight training my upper body is quite tight. I can't physically take the club away on plane and get it into the position the pro want's.

He's got me going back outside the line so I can get the club up, then trying to come down inside the line. But I just physically can't seem to get the club back on the inside when I take it away high.

I've been up the range pretty much every night for the past 8 days and just can't do it. I'm constantly fighting a fade\slice because I can't get the club back inside. And trying to force my body into a position it just doesn't want to get in is killing my back, shoulders and arms. Making me even tighter.

For me, it usually it only takes one or two range sessions to at least get the change usable. I must have spend 7 hours on the range and hit almost 1000 balls.

I've got another lesson with him this Friday but I suspect we are just going to work on exactly the same thing. Which if I haven't managed to at least get close to what he's trying to get me to do seems pointless.

What do you guys think. Drop the lessons for the moment and work on my flexibility until I'm loose enough to swing how my pro want's me to, or continue with the lessons ?

I'm thinking go Friday see what he says. Then decide. I just don't fancy 6 lessons of trying to make the same change if i'm physically not able to. Seems pointless and a waste of time\money.

This is really getting me down. It feels like unless I can sort this out then I'm not going to improve much further. Which is one of the major goals that keeps me motivated.

 

[Robobum]

If the pro is insistant on you doing something that is physically impossible for you and won't work with what you've got then I'd bomb him off and see someone who will.

 

[User 105]

If the pro is insistant on you doing something that is physically impossible for you and won't work with what you've got then I'd bomb him off and see someone who will.

I've been thinking the same. But I've been working with this pro for 18 months and he's got me to where I am, which I'm delighted with.

I'm going to discuss it with him Friday. It might be a case of this is as good as I'm going to get given my lack of upper body flexibility.

 

[sawtooth]

You dont want to take the club away on a exaggerated inside or outside path. If you set up correctly and keep your leading arm relatively straight the club should just follow a natural arc.

I would prefer to have a flattish backswing with a high follow through than the other way around!

 

[Imurg]

The problem I'm having is due to years of weight training my upper body is quite tight. I can't physically take the club away on plane and get it into the position the pro want's.

You'll just have to let your body go to seed like the rest of us!
Seriously, I'm with Robo on this. If you can't do it - whatever it is - and he's insisting that you do and can't work round it then find someone who can.

 

[stevelev]

I remember Paul Lawrie saying that to alter your swing, it takes on average 10,000 swings to let the change set in.

For a pro thats a couple of weeks, for us mere mortals, thats a months minimum, for me nearly a year, or 3 rounds

 

[rickg]

Re: Flexibility & Frustration

Westy, If you're in Stevenage and are looking for a different pro, I can thouroughly recommend Mark Gorman at the A1 driving range at Borehamwood. He works for the N1golf franchise.
He's currently working out of Barnet Copthorne while the A1 driving range is being redeveloped.

Mark is a class act...keeps things very simple. He is also presently coaching Daniel Gaunt, the Australian who has had a couple of great finishes on the European Challenge Tour and has just qualified for the European Tour proper next year.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Re: Flexibility & Frustration

Have a chat and see what he says. Personally if you're finding it easier to swing flattish and still get back to the ball I'd get him to work to that. There a loads of good players with a flatter plane and so it shouldn't be a negative thing

 

[Oddsocks]

Re: Flexibility & Frustration

If you can drop 10+ shots in 18 months I'd stay stick with this man!

If flexibility is becoming an issue have you considered yoga or some sort if exercise to increase your flexibilty to make the changes he thinks are worth while achievable.

I would also strip your game down over the course of 2 or3 rounds and look at where your dropping the shots in your game, if they are in the area that he is working on then he is onto something, if however you beleive that your problems areas are nit what your working on, discuss it with him and work on your weak points . You don't have to be able to drive the ball miles to be single figures, I would guess alot of shots are lost short game so work on that and get that shirt game hot for the spring.

 

[User 105]

Re: Flexibility & Frustration

My irons, were, the best part of my game. When we went through the video review last week the one thing he did say was that even though my swing is too flat I get the club back in a great position to deliver it at impact. But that involves too much lower body movement to get the club back on plane, which in turn is going to lead to inconsistency. Too many moving parts having to work together !!

The areas that cost me shots are driving, not hitting enough fairways to setup good chances, and wedges from 120-50 yards. 50 yards and in I'm pretty accurate and putting isn't a major problems for me.

I'm going to work on some daily stretching routines to see if I can improve my flexibility because if I can get my swing more orthodox then it's got to be a good thing.

But if it comes to it, swinging a bit flat but still hitting long and reasonably accurate is always going to be preferable to upright and trying to over manipulate the swing path and fighting a fade all the time.

I'm going to have an honest chat with him on Friday and see what we decide to do.

 

[Oddsocks]

Re: Flexibility & Frustration

Westy is sounds like you have a copy of my swing. Swinging too flat with to much body movement to get back into the correct position at impact. When I used to have a string grip it was ok but I did experience the odd big hook/draw. Over the last 6 weeks I've got my grip spot on apparently bug this now means loads of body movement below to get to the correct impact position.

Like you I'm now working on a steeper backswing with a flatter follow through to get a consistent through plane. This is going to be a slug but tonight alone things are now clicking stick with it you should benifit longterm

 

[User 105]

Re: Flexibility & Frustration

Westy is sounds like you have a copy of my swing. Swinging too flat with to much body movement to get back into the correct position at impact. When I used to have a string grip it was ok but I did experience the odd big hook/draw. Over the last 6 weeks I've got my grip spot on apparently bug this now means loads of body movement below to get to the correct impact position.

Like you I'm now working on a steeper backswing with a flatter follow through to get a consistent through plane. This is going to be a slug but tonight alone things are now clicking stick with it you should benifit longterm

Sounds exactly like my swing. My bad one is usually a huge pull\hook as well, usually because I've over-rotated my lower body too much on the downswing before the club gets back to the ball. And that's what the pro wants to alleviate because the result is hugely destructive, especialy with driver in hand .

 

[Oddsocks]

Re: Flexibility & Frustration

Exactly I feel your pain, good days can be amazing with sigle figure rounds but bad days are suicide with many a ball lost and card ruined

 

[Whereditgo]

Re: Flexibility & Frustration

I had a major overhaul of the swing with a nedw pro about 6 weeks ago, it's only just this week starting to feel natural with more consistant ball striking and shot shape and I've been to the range 2 or 3 times a week every week since.

I guess its bound to feel awkward at first and it could be more to do with unfamiliarity than a physical restriction?

As a previous poster has pointed out, he aint doing too bad if hes got you down that many strokes in such a short time!

 

[JustOne]

Re: Flexibility & Frustration

I'd tell the pro that you are interested in hitting a ONE PLANE swing and not a two plane swing. There's nothing wrong with not getting your arms above shoulder height. The guy sounds like a knob. Take the club on the outside??? what a knob.


EDIT: Got this pic of me at the top of my backswing and I hit it just fine.... well, on a good day

 

[User 105]

Re: Flexibility & Frustration

Justone, that's pretty much what my swing looks like, but probably with my belt buckle facing a bit further back.

I think if I can get a bit more flexibility in the lower back I won't rotate my hips so much which I think where a lot of the problem is coming from.

 

[Oddsocks]

Re: Flexibility & Frustration

Justone, that must have been a shocking tee shot if thats where your playing your second from, maybe you should see westy's pro too!

 

[JustOne]

Re: Flexibility & Frustration

Justone, that's pretty much what my swing looks like, but probably with my belt buckle facing a bit further back.

I think if I can get a bit more flexibility in the lower back I won't rotate my hips so much which I think where a lot of the problem is coming from.

The camera position was a bit low in that pic which makes my hands look a bit higher than they actually are. My hips are at 45° and my shoulders at 90°. What is important is to get a good spine angle at set up and retain it during the swing (head doesn't come up).

 

[User 105]

Re: Flexibility & Frustration

And that's the other problem I'm having. Forcing my hands high is lifting up my body and head causing fats and thins as I try to get back down to the ball.

It's one thing I picked up when I looked at the video from my phone when I got back home.

I'm going to work on that at lunctime if I can get out for a bit.

It's amazing how just changing one thing in you're swing can have a huge knock on effect on other areas.

 

[jeardley]

Re: Flexibility & Frustration

Have you got sky TV mate?

I know this may sound a bit gay but it works wonders...

Get in front of the TV every morning for 6am, stick channel 275 on. Do an hour or half an hour of the yoga or pilates workout that they have on. summat different every day.

If you are dedicated this will be brilliant for your flexibility.... and some of the birds on there are fit too, which is a bonus.