Is my swing too flat ??

[ThePuttKing]

I'm struggling at the moment with my ball striking and every round seems to be a scrambling one. My ball flight is :

Either : Starts straight drifts to the right
or : Starts right and stays there
or : Starts right and goes further right.

I noticed my swing seems very flat. At the top of the backswing my hands are level with my shoulders. I used to have a very upright swing but I made an effort to change it because I thought it was too upright. I'm only 5 foot 7 tall as well. Looking at Tiger's swing, I noticed his hands are above his head at the top.

Any idea's ??

Thanks !!

I've tried grip changes and allignment. Neither worked.

[ubizmo]

Re: Is my swing too flat ??

I noticed my swing seems very flat. At the top of the backswing my hands are level with my shoulders. I used to have a very upright swing but I made an effort to change it because I thought it was too upright. I'm only 5 foot 7 tall as well. Looking at Tiger's swing, I noticed his hands are above his head at the top.

Out of curiosity, what made you think your swing was "too upright"? Were you pushing everything to the right with that swing? I just wonder what led you to make a fundamental change to your swing.

[ThePuttKing]

Re: Is my swing too flat ??

Hi Ubizmo

I've always pushed the ball to the right. Around 6 years ago I had my swing captured on video tape and I could see my hands were really high and I had this flying elbow. So I did make an effort to change it. But I didn't realize how flat my swing had become.

My pushing the ball to the right is like a curse. I sometimes try something and I hit the ball great for a few rounds (I had a gross 65 the other week !) but then all I have to do is one push and started pushing the ball all the time. It's very frustrating because I think I could be a scratch player if I could cure this. I play off 5 at the moment.

[pinyo8]

Re: Is my swing too flat ??

Gross of 65 ? Was it a par 70 or 72 course? Either way, that is an extremely good score. My best score is only 2 under par and I used to play off 3 (about 5 now if I have a handicap)...

[ubizmo]

Re: Is my swing too flat ??

My pushing the ball to the right is like a curse. I sometimes try something and I hit the ball great for a few rounds (I had a gross 65 the other week !) but then all I have to do is one push and started pushing the ball all the time. It's very frustrating because I think I could be a scratch player if I could cure this. I play off 5 at the moment.

I don't play anywhere near your level, but I have to agree that the push is like a curse...or an infection. Just as you said, it seems that once I hit one push, it quickly infects all my shots, and it's absolutely maddening.

In my case, it often appears when I'm using the wedges. I get off the tee okay, and hit a nice fairway ball, and there I am maybe 60 yds out. I take out the sand wedge, thinking I'm in pretty good shape, and BANG, off it goes 60* to the right, and my next shot might be just as bad, so I end up missing the green *twice* from 60 yds. A nightmare.

One time, a couple of weeks ago, when this happened, I looked at my divot, and it was lined up straight at the flag, so I knew my swing path was pretty good. That meant, of course, that my club face was opening way up. What I figured out, by examing my club after the shot, was that I wasn't soling the club properly in my setup. I was holding it too vertically, with the toe down. When I'd swing, the toe would catch the turf first and wrench the face open, and the grass marks on the sole near the toe were there to prove it. I'm not sure *why* I do this, but I think after hitting a couple of decent shots with longer clubs I wasn't adjusting my posture for the wedge (too bad they don't make them all the same length--ah, never mind, that's another thread).

This may not have anything to do with why you're pushing, but it's easy enough to check.

[ThePuttKing]

Re: Is my swing too flat ??

Hi Pinyo8

The gross 65 was a shock. It was 5 under par, my best score ever in a competition and a course record. Unfortunately it was in a better ball so it didn't count.

However my next few scores were : 80, 77,76, 77, 72, 74, 74

So my 65 was a freak score.

I think if could solve my pushing I could score in the 60's more often because my short game is pretty good.

[ThePuttKing]

Re: Is my swing too flat ??

My divots are always aiming at the target as well. I push the ball because the clubface is open at impact. I know this but it's tough trying to stop this happening.

[Simon Woo]

Re: Is my swing too flat ??

I hate to bring this up, but if you have changed from a 2-plane swing to a 1-plane swing (because you felt your swing was too upright), then no your swing is not too flat (because it is supposed to be flat for 1-plane). Arms at shoulder height? Because you are not doing a full swing?

[pinyo8]

Re: Is my swing too flat ??

Hi ThePuttKing,

It does seem that your are average around the 5 over par mark. It definitely makes such a difference if you can tidy up those 2 or 3 shots on the course that really gets you into trouble. This is the case for me too where if I just tidy those shots up, I feel like I can shoot a lot more under par rounds. I guess that is the difference between a scratch player and someone who plays off low single digit handicaps.....

As for your push, do you notice that as the round progress you tend to hit them? If so, maybe its just a matter of timing. What about your grip? Are they strong or weak? It seems that your natural shot is a fade?

Its hard to tell without keeping watching the actual video but if you could describe more of your swing it would be good to see what may be the cause of it.

[ThePuttKing]

Re: Is my swing too flat ??

Hi Pinyo8

One thing I did read was an open club face could be a setup problem. So I checked my setup and saw that the toe of the club was in the air a bit. I wondered what would happen if I placed the iron (or wood) completely on the ground. I tried this and I noticed a few things different. My cupped left hand was gone. Also my takeaway is very wristy. Basically the first action of my hands is to twist them. I tried to stop this but find it impossible. This is the obvious reason why I push the ball because I'm opening the clubface straight away.

So with the iron completely on the ground I can take my hands away without this twist. My Dad has always noticed this twist and pointed it out a number of times. I feel my takeaway is more piece. I can't wait to try this out !

[cct]

Re: Is my swing too flat ??

I am currently struggling with too flat a swing, and as a result my shots are either pushes or hooks.

Too flat a swing may cause an in to out swing and as a result a divot pointing to the right of the target. Your problem doesn't sound like a result of too flat a swing.

If you look at Ian woosnams swing or even miguel angel jimenez, their swings are flatter than tigers.

Here are a few ideas of your problem:

1) check that you are releasing your hands. feel as if your right hand is chasing the ball down the target line.

2) your hips may be coming through much faster than your hands. Focus on your right elbow coming through with your right hip bone through impact.

These are assuming you are right handed.

also have you had your clubs custom made for you??? If the toe of your club is off the ground you may need the club adjusted more flat for you. I'm 6ft 1 so my clubs are more upright than standard by 1*. You can get this done at your local pro or american golf outlet. I got mine done at the manafacturer and it only cost £1.50 a club.

hope this helps

let me know how you get on

[ThePuttKing]

Re: Is my swing too flat ??

Played today and my driving was really poor. Majority went to the right. My new setup didn't work, infact it made things worse !

On the last 5 holes I tried a lighter grip and I did hook my last iron shot to the left which made a change. Frustrating thing is I still shot a 74 (4 over) basically due to how good my putting was. If I could have find a way of hitting the ball straight then I'm sure my scores will come down.

[MJE77]

Re: Is my swing too flat ??

The biggest mistake a golfer makes is trying to put the clubface too close to the ball at address.

Oops, if that's true then I've been doing that. Is that because you want the clubface to be already slightly closed at impact and not square? So you set the clubface an inch or so back at address? How far back should you setup to the ball with the clubface then?

[hmackichan]

Re: Is my swing too flat ??

Occasionally I have a similar problem, I am the same height and have a flat swing, do not see that as a problem.

I suggest that you may be a biy quick from the top and not turning back through the ball, concentrate on getting the right shoulder under your chin at impact and turning through to get your belt buckle pointing to the target.

Hope this helps

[Sipes]

Re: Is my swing too flat ??

Hey PuttKing,

I wish I had your short game, sounds like you can really get serious once you sort those pushes out. What is your Fairways hit % on average?

I wouldn't think that your flatter swing is not the cause of you pushing the ball. It just sounds like your club face is open relative to your swing path. The fact that you say you start opening your clubface first thing in your take away suggests that your hands aren't in a natural position on your grip.

I know you said that you tried working on your grip and alignment, but maybe you could just try something my late Granpa taught me when I started swinging a club. It's the first thing I do when the swing goes south.

Because you are naturally fading the ball, I prosume that you have a reasonably strong grip to try and compensate. This causes your right han to be set under the grip. This is why you struggle to get the club turned over at impact.

At address, turn your right hand anti-clockwise until it presses against your left hand. It should feel like you're turning both hands into each other on-top of your grip.

This move will encourage your right hand to return to a more closed position at impact. It will feel weird at first, but like with any grip change, a few swings will get you used to it.

Let me know how it goes, as it might only solve halve your problem. I believe that the second part of your swing is because you are over-compensating. But try the grip first and then I can explain the rest to you if you still strugling.

Good luck!

Sipes