Is a flat swing a bad thing?

[One Planer]

I swing on a flat plane:

Is it really that bad swinging on a flat plane?

I've been reading up on the subject over the past few weeks and got to thinking, why is a flat swing considered not quite right?

Hogan had a flat swing, so does Matt Kuchar. On the flip side Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods have steep(er) swings.

Does the fact two of the greatest players ever of the game influence what is considered right and wrong?

Does being too steep (Jim Furyk being an extreme example) cause more problems than being too flat?

Anyone have any thoughts?

 

[chris661]

With a flatter swing there is a chance that you "come around" yourself more which can lead to massive hooks. I can vouch for this theory as this is what I have spent most of the summer working on changing

 

[TonyN]

Hi Gareth,

your quite right, Hogan did have a flat swing. I noticed how simialr it looked to my own when trawlling through the net.

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I wouldn't say its necessarily a bad thing, if it works, it works.

I found personally that my bad shot was a hook. To much of the club was 'around' the body IMO. I hope I have rectified this problem with a few tiny tweeks, but have yet to look at my self on cam since I have adjusted.

What is your bad shot, out of interest? What is your usual shot shape?

 

[One Planer]

With a flatter swing there is a chance that you "come around" yourself more which can lead to massive hooks. I can vouch for this theory as this is what I have spent most of the summer working on changing

I read this Chris and, apparently, can cause a push right (which I can vouch for ).

It was something I over-heard in the clubhouse a few weeks back and it got me thinking about swing plane(s).

 

[One Planer]

What is your bad shot, out of interest? What is your usual shot shape?

With my irons straight, with my bad shot a push right.

With Woods it's a fade, with my bad shot being a slice.

I think the issue with my woods is down to how I'm releasing the club head (a little late), but I only slice when I try and muller the ball.

I would also like to say, this thread isn't about me, more a discusson about swing planes in general.

 

[patricks148]

had a very flat swing which when it worked, it worked well but when it was even slightly off caused all sorts of problems a sh*nk being one.
I’m now much steeper and have started imparting spin on the ball and now get the odd one to spin back or normally just stop.

In saying that last year I got down from 12 to 8 in a couple of months and managed to play to eight most of last year, swing changes have cost me distance off the tee but the iron play is so much better.

 

[DaveM]

I have a flatish swing. But then I am only 5'6" tall with long arms and standard length clubs. So flat is online for me. I do agree I have to take great care on the ball position in my stance. To prevent a push or hook. Look how flat Woosnam's swing was?

 

[Alex1975]

I had a flat swing plane in the past, of late I have been having real swing problems, way too many mechanical thoughts so I have cut it out and again the swing plane feels flat. I do not intend to work on it for now as I have been over thinking again. The push right is so minor I can work with it and rather like the ball at least coming out right rather than my bottlers fade. I dont really hook it is more like a push left of about the same or maybe a little worse than the push right on bad ones.

The bottom line is that I feel it is a swing I can go our and not be scared of and that is what I am looking for right now. It seems very affective with woods and hybrids for sure.

 

[Bratty]

To my mind, the swing plane being flat or steep is only part of the equation.

From what I understand, it's also about getting the club back on a "good" plane on the downswing, and at impact, the face is 100% at the target and the ball in the middle of the face.

A great many professionals are able to achieve the latter with great variation in the former. The difference is consistency and also distance.

I need to work on creating a steeper backswing and a shallower downswing apparently.

 

[Alex1975]

The difference is consistency and also distance.

Does a flat swing cost one yardage?

 

[CMAC]

in answer to the OP's question.......NO!

there are loads on tour, always have been, theres only one correct impact position though, how you swing is irrelevent as long as the strike is square and powerful

 

[USER1999]

Tony, you are never going to look much like hogan til you buy a hat.

Piss poor impersonation in my view.

 

[Piece]

Q. Flat swing a bad thing?

A. Not really. Can lead to a loopy over the top plane or a hook-style shot, depending on how the club is at impact (and that is the key). If you want the polar opposite, have a look at Bubba Watson's super steep swing!!!

Your swing is a touch flat, but nothing to get twitchy about. I would lay the club off a bit and don't over-rotate (see Hogan). Note in your still pic the club is going right of target and this can sometimes mean the ball gets pushed right....just a thought...!

 

[TonyN]

Tony, you are never going to look much like hogan til you buy a hat.

Piss poor impersonation in my view.

Hogan needs a Bald cap like mine you mean!

 

[sev112]

1Flat back swing or flat down swing ?

 

[timchump]

from personal experience i found with a flat swing its easier to achieve an in to out swing path, and not getting dreaded over the top motion.

with a steeper swing i achieved better distance and arguably ball striking due to the leverage, i also felt more powerful at the top, if that makes sense.

 

[sev112]

Funnily, Ben Hogan changed to his flat swing to get rid of a pull, - he said his swing allowed him to play a guaranteed fade

 

[JustOne]

Can't say there's anything wrong with a flat (or one plane) swing other than you need to know what to do on the way down to make the swing work. Many players feel they are going to get stuck so cast the club early (fat shots) or come waaaay out-to-in on the way down and hit slices all day long.

Your swing position at the top very much resembles that of stack and tilt whereby your head is over the ball and your weight looks like it favours the left side (not posted over your right leg at all), perhaps you might consider looking into it as it'll show you what to do on the way down and hit nice 'draws' all day long.

Hope that helps.

 

[Tommo21]

Funnily, Ben Hogan changed to his flat swing to get rid of a pull, - he said his swing allowed him to play a guaranteed fade

Hogan was exceptional and I cant see anyone coming along with a swing like his. Back in his early days his swing was flat even then. We will always find the exception to the rule but a certain amount of natural talent, even if it looks wrong, gets these guys through. Trevino had a weird swing also but trying to get repeatability with a flat swing is not easy.

 

[RGDave]

There's a fascinating picture (it's somewhere on one of my computers) showing 9 great players on the way "up" and on the way "down". Then, someone technical person has measured the angle of the club and the difference between the two.
With a one-plane swing (or close to) the difference is very small, only a few degrees....think Vijay....with others, quite a surprising amount.
Matt Kuchar doesn't appear on this picture, which is no surprise since his positions on the backswing are not exactly orthodox, and it's an old picture.

To a certain extent, it's only about setting yourself good at the top to come down.

http://www.golfdigest.com/golf-instruction/full-swing/2007-09/breakingintro_0907