What's a 'swing rebuild'?

[Monty_Brown]

Quite a few guys on here refer to swing rebuilds and I'm just curious what they mean by that and what triggers such a seemingly drastic course of action.

Is it a case of going right back to square one, with grip, posture, 1/2 swing etc etc all being re-learned? Do you go to a pro and ask him to treat you a a beginner? It sounds difficult, given the effects of muscle memory, but I'm interested to know what results people have achieved.

BTW I'm not planning anything myself... happy with my continued evolution, just curious.

 

[User 105]

What's a 'swing rebuild'?

Something that ruins your game for a year. I KNOW

Usually is some kind of major overhaul of your swing. i.e. Trying to change a 'home grown' swing into a more conventional one.

Typically change grip, posture, setup, swing plane, tempo etc

It's hugely frustrating as you're changing from something that is usually ingrained and it's hard to stop yourself from slipping back to you're old swing.

 

[slugger]

What's a 'swing rebuild'?

Ask Homer... he's done 346 of the things

 

[chris661]

Something that ruins your game for a year. I KNOW

Usually is some kind of major overhaul of your swing. i.e. Trying to change a 'home grown' swing into a more conventional one.

Typically change grip, posture, setup, swing plane, tempo etc

It's hugely frustrating as you're changing from something that is usually ingrained and it's hard to stop yourself from slipping back to you're old swing.

A year how come so quick

 

[rickg]

Mine was trying to change from an out to in swing and eliminate throwing my whole body into the swing.
It's a hard process when you've been swinging that way for 20 odd years!

It's one thing knowing the theory and knowing what you're supposed to do, but an entirely different matter trying to put it into practice, especially during competition.

 

[User 105]

Something that ruins your game for a year. I KNOW

Usually is some kind of major overhaul of your swing. i.e. Trying to change a 'home grown' swing into a more conventional one.

Typically change grip, posture, setup, swing plane, tempo etc

It's hugely frustrating as you're changing from something that is usually ingrained and it's hard to stop yourself from slipping back to you're old swing.

A year how come so quick

The clocks still ticking !!! A year and counting

 

[bladeplayer]

Mine was trying to change from an out to in swing and eliminate throwing my whole body into the swing.
It's a hard process when you've been swinging that way for 20 odd years!

Just curious , I see your an 8 H'cap now , did the swing change get you down to that or what were you before the changes ? why im askin is if say u were a 9 handicaper or so, is there any point in changing your swing , would you not be better working on what you have rather than total change ? i can understand if you were 16 or up say & were stuck at that & not geting down any further , but if you get down to single would there be much point in a swing change ?

 

[mattcross1977]

Just changing my posture, backswing and grip as we speak. I thought I was playing well until my lesson the other day!

Can't believe how different I am hitting the ball - it is a little inconsistent still, but boy when I make contact it's a world apart from my previous swing.

I have been working on coiling up during the backswing and really does feel an awful lot more powerful.

If I persist for the next 7 - 8 weeks I think it will show in my game dramatically but trust me, it's very difficult to change once your swing is ingrained.

 

[chris661]

Just changing my posture, backswing and grip as we speak. I thought I was playing well until my lesson the other day!

Can't believe how different I am hitting the ball - it is a little inconsistent still, but boy when I make contact it's a world apart from my previous swing.

I have been working on coiling up during the backswing and really does feel an awful lot more powerful.

If I persist for the next 7 - 8 weeks I think it will show in my game dramatically but trust me, it's very difficult to change once your swing is ingrained.

Thanks Matt

Is Matt your pro?

It is quite difficult when you have been the "wrong" thing for a couple of years!

 

[rickg]

[/QUOTE] Just curious , I see your an 8 H'cap now , did the swing change get you down to that or what were you before the changes ?

[/QUOTE]

Started at my new club in May 2008 on 13..... Quickly went to 14, then came down to 7 pretty much without any lessons after about a year.

Decided at that point that if I was going to get to CAT 1 my existing swing would hamper me. I think I could have got there with it, but it wouldn't have been sustainable and i don't think I could have gone lower than 5.

With my new swing ( working on it for around a year now), I went from 6.6 to 9.4, then back down to 7.0 and now back up to 8.3. (there have been joy and tears in equal amounts in this time)

I will still get to CAT 1, but not only that, I reckon I could go as low as 4 eventually because I understand the mechanics of my swing so much better.

I'm hoping to finish this year back on 7, hopefully 6 point something and then down to 5 next year and then review it from there.

I'm pleased I've had the lessons even though my handicap has gone up......after all, the goal was long term sustainability and not just a fleeting foray into CAT 1 territory.

I've had a scratch round in a medal and hit 5 birdies in a round twice and I'vea had around 8 eagles at my current course so I know I can go low......it's just a matter of time now

 

[timchump]

something that happens when you go to have a lesson with a pro and he tells you your swing is xxxx, and he's amazed you can play to a handicap of xx with such xxxx swing.

a year later you realise he was right


according to my friend ....

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Only one thing I really want to work on this winter and that is shortening the backswing and retaining the spine angle. Get that mastered and I'd die a happy man especially if you've seen how much I come out of the shot on the way down in videos of my swing. Not sure how far we'll get as its so totally ingrained and uniquely mine that it may be a case of just lessening rather than removing. Anything that has as few moving parts as possible is the way to go. Keep it simple.

 

[Piece]

I am currently 4 months in my swing rebuild. And it is a rebuild. This means doing a new takeaway, new swing to top, new hands position and new strike. I've had three lessons and lots of practice and I can say it's really hard work, but there are occasional flashes when it comes together and it's so much more controlled and purer.

The reason is two fold for me. Best h/c I reached was playing to 4 but could never get lower. It then moved to 8 and stuck there for a while. Swing has gradually got worse and a recent video of my swing revealed a man swinging a club like a octopus falling out of a window. Just embarrassing!

I have eureka moments on the range but doing drills and hitting on the range is so different to course play. I'm around 15 to 20 h/c now but that's because I'm persisting with the changes. I have total confidence in what I am doing but I wont lie it gets very frustrating.

This winter will be hard work and am looking forward to shooting better next year. I hope to be shooting very low scores in about 18 months. If I don't, then at least I will have tried!

 

[JustOne]

There are lots of players out there who want to get low h/caps, the problem is that they're hardly likely to do it with the swings they currently have... that's when it's time to either bite the bullet and start doing things properly or admit that you're always going to be sh*t

Most people don't even understand the golf swing, they change something in their swing every 4th day and it gradually gets worse and worse until they can't even remember what they were working on 30 minutes ago.

 

[Monty_Brown]

I am currently 4 months in my swing rebuild. And it is a rebuild. This means doing a new takeaway, new swing to top, new hands position and new strike. I've had three lessons and lots of practice and I can say it's really hard work, but there are occasional flashes when it comes together and it's so much more controlled and purer.

The reason is two fold for me. Best h/c I reached was playing to 4 but could never get lower. It then moved to 8 and stuck there for a while. Swing has gradually got worse and a recent video of my swing revealed a man swinging a club like a octopus falling out of a window. Just embarrassing!

I have eureka moments on the range but doing drills and hitting on the range is so different to course play. I'm around 15 to 20 h/c now but that's because I'm persisting with the changes. I have total confidence in what I am doing but I wont lie it gets very frustrating.

This winter will be hard work and am looking forward to shooting better next year. I hope to be shooting very low scores in about 18 months. If I don't, then at least I will have tried!

Wow, going from 4 hcp to a 15-20 is pretty severe. I admire your resolve for sticking with it, I really do. I guess you've come so far down the road you can't turn back?

Good luck with it.

 

[Smiffy]

The first part of my swing rebuild will be taking place at about 7.30 this evening.
It's likely to be finished by about 7.35

 

[User 105]

I went from an improving 13, I was consistently shooting low 80's at the end of last year, to shooting high 90's and even a couple of rounds back in to 100's.

It can be absolutely soul destroying at times and once you've started it's almost impossible to go back, you just have to go with it.

But my goal was to get into at least low single figures and my swing at the time wasn't going to cut it.

I know many people who have just quit the game as a result of a swing rebuild they couldn't see it through. I know I have come close a number of times this year.

 

[Piece]

Wow, going from 4 hcp to a 15-20 is pretty severe. I admire your resolve for sticking with it, I really do. I guess you've come so far down the road you can't turn back?

Good luck with it.

Cheers.

I wanted to do a last serious attempt to get a decent swing that should serve me well in the later years. I'll give it my best shot and will work hard over the next 18 months and see what happens!

 

[Monty_Brown]

Wow, going from 4 hcp to a 15-20 is pretty severe. I admire your resolve for sticking with it, I really do. I guess you've come so far down the road you can't turn back?

Good luck with it.

Cheers.

I wanted to do a last serious attempt to get a decent swing that should serve me well in the later years. I'll give it my best shot and will work hard over the next 18 months and see what happens!

Keep us posted how you get on

IMO this would be an interesting subject to explore in the magazine... following people through extensive changes, as well as quick hints and tips.

 

[Piece]

Wow, going from 4 hcp to a 15-20 is pretty severe. I admire your resolve for sticking with it, I really do. I guess you've come so far down the road you can't turn back?

Good luck with it.

Cheers.

I wanted to do a last serious attempt to get a decent swing that should serve me well in the later years. I'll give it my best shot and will work hard over the next 18 months and see what happens!

Keep us posted how you get on

IMO this would be an interesting subject to explore in the magazine... following people through extensive changes, as well as quick hints and tips.

If you do a search in 'Ask the Experts' for "Swing Rebuild 1" and "Swing Rebuild 2", that'll give you the brief story so far.