Beforehand, I took you thru the ins and outs of a flat golf swing that will help you make use of it in your sport. Nonetheless, on this information, I give attention to the professionals and cons of a flat golf swing. The aim right here is that will help you decide if that is the proper swing on your sport.
Along with outlining the benefits and drawbacks of this swing, I may even clarify what causes a flat golf swing. Plus, I element methods to spice up it if it hampers your efficiency.
A flat golf swing can produce excellent clubhead velocity for a most coefficient of restitution (COR). Nonetheless, your mechanics higher be nicely oiled because the slightest mistake can result in catastrophe.
Causes of a Flat Golf Swing
A flat golf swing is often brought on by your palms working round your physique. In different phrases, you are taking your clubhead round till it finishes behind your lead shoulder. That is the alternative of a steep swing. That airplane sees you are taking your palms up, with the clubhead coming to relaxation above your lead shoulder.
Matt Kuchar takes his clubhead again and up earlier than shallowing the shaft. Then, he generally maximizes his rotation and sends the clubhead hurtling in direction of the ball. This is called a two-plane swing and was even employed by Ben Hogan:
One other instance of such a participant is Sergio Garcia. This PGA Tour video offers a transparent demonstration of how the Masters Champion approaches every shot:
You could possibly be rotating your hips and shoulders extensively on the backswing to provide a flat swing airplane. That results in your palms taking the golf membership across the physique.
Moreover, while you drop your path shoulder on the high of your backswing, it may decrease the membership to a shallow angle. It’s typically brought on by golfers with extra weight on their path foot, inflicting you to lean again in your shot.
Due to this fact there are two causes of a flat golf swing. The primary is your palms working round your physique on the backswing. Secondly, dropping your membership right into a shallow place on the high of your downswing additionally flattens your airplane.
Execs of a Flat Golf Swing
Decrease Physique And Shoulder Flip
Many amateurs fail to optimize their hip and shoulder flip throughout their swing. This causes gamers to lose distance and accuracy. If you study to function with a flat backswing and downswing, you perceive the significance of rotation.
In the event you fail to generate ample hip and shoulder rotation in your downswing, it causes you to hook or slice pictures. Swinging from inside out with an open clubface causes you to push your ball. Conversely, it’s possible you’ll discover that you just shut the clubface at impression and hook your shot.
Moreover, extreme decrease physique and shoulder rotation too early in your swing could encourage your palms to carry the clubhead round your physique. The truth is perfect flip is critical, whereas an excessive amount of can result in issues.
Clubhead Pace
Golfers with a flatter swing airplane trigger the clubhead to journey additional than in the event that they tailored a steeper wind up.
The momentum you generate from added journey distance in your downswing prompts fast clubhead velocity. Consequently, it enhances your capacity to maximise your COR and induce explosive ball velocity.
Optimum COR and explosive ball velocity ship added mid and lengthy sport distance.
Coefficient Of Restitution (COR)
To optimize your ball velocity, you want a excessive COR consequence. COR describes the amount of power transferred out of your clubface onto the ball at impression. The extra energy you go on, the sooner your ball velocity is more likely to be. Due to this fact you enhance your probability of accelerating your yardage.
Nonetheless, you should strike your golf ball out of the middle for superior outcomes. Any mishits will cut back your COR and ball velocity, inflicting you to lose yardage. Clearly, forgiving golf equipment will mitigate this harm. Nonetheless, you continue to stand to lose a couple of yards.
Ball Pace
The tempo of your ball is set by your clubhead velocity and subsequent COR. If you exactly execute a flat golf swing, the added clubhead velocity and excessive COR immediate enhance the tempo of your ball.
Distance
The space you achieve from a flat golf swing stems from a cocktail of clubhead and ball velocity and COR. When these components align, your ball travels excessive and lengthy for optimum distance.
Cons of a Flat Golf Swing
Mechanics
The largest draw back of a flat swing path is the assorted components of your mechanics that must gel. Your rhythm must kick in from takeaway by impression for constant outcomes. On high of rhythm, you want optimum hip and shoulder flip for superior weight transition.
Consistency is the problem with such a swing, as there are quite a few components to grasp. That’s the reason I don’t encourage the typical golfer to make use of it.
Rotation
Though rotation kinds a part of the swing mechanics I touched on earlier than, it’s a potential hazard on a flat golf swing.
It’s a handicap to the typical golfer since you both rotate too early, producing extra flip. However greater than probably, you don’t rotate sufficient.
Naturally, imperfect rotation impacts the accuracy and distance of any golf swing. However, it’s particularly detrimental for a flat golf swing.
The best problem novice golfers endure is prompting ample hip and shoulder flip. It causes you to depart the clubface open at impression and push your pictures. Conversely, it’s also possible to shut the membership at impression and ship it hooking.
Hooks
If you end up in a shallow place on the high of your swing, it’s possible you’ll really feel that the clubhead is in a clumsy place. Due to this fact, it’s possible you’ll forged the membership out and down as a substitute of following a one-plane swing. That causes the clubface to journey alongside an outside-to-inside line remaining closed at impression.
When the clubface is on this place, it generates extreme right-to-left sidespin inflicting a hooked shot. Golf teacher Mark Crossfield demonstrates this problem on this video:
Slices
Slices are the most typical shot error that amateurs induce. That is still true with a flat swing. The draw back of this setup is {that a} lack of rotation prevents you from getting your membership on airplane when your shaft is parallel to the bottom.
Subsequently, that causes your clubface to stay open at impression, producing right-to-left sidespin. A flat golf swing is temperamental, and with out adequate rotation and a constant tempo, you’ll expertise erratic outcomes.
Topped Photographs
A flat place on the high of your swing could make you’re feeling like your flexibility is restricted. What amateurs do is drop their path shoulder and tense their muscle groups. That prompts them to lean again and are available up on their shot, propelling the clubhead into the turf.
In the event you resolve to play with a flat golf swing, you should decide to the method. Which means producing optimum hip and shoulder rotation and preserving your membership on one airplane. Leaning again and never transferring weight will trigger you to return up earlier than impression and high your pictures.
So, Can a Flat Swing Be Good?
Sure, there isn’t a doubt {that a} flat swing will be good. It prompts superior rotation and may enhance clubhead velocity. As well as, it will increase your possibilities of a excessive COR for added ball velocity and distance.
Nonetheless, it’s tough to execute this swing contemplating the rotation, weight distribution, and swing airplane necessities.
Methods to Repair a Flat Swing
Takeaway
In case you are pleased with a flat swing however want to refine it, I recommend working in your shoulder rotation and controlling your palms.
Dropping your left arm throughout your backswing will enable your proper arm to take over and drag the membership round your physique. Extreme extension across the physique will limit your capacity to rotate and shift your weight again in direction of your entrance on the downswing.
Nonetheless, should you want to shake a flat swing, focus in your arms guiding the clubhead up and over. A extra upright swing will place the clubhead above your left shoulder on the high of your swing. Subsequent, swing down and thru.
Clearly, I’m not saying eradicate hip and torso rotation. My level is {that a} decreased flip doesn’t ship the identical devastating penalties as on a flat golf swing.
Management Your Arms
It is best to use the momentum from the entrance to again weight distribution to get your clubhead to the highest of your swing. Nonetheless, while you really feel like your palms are wrapping round your physique and taking management of the membership, you want to alter your backswing.
Work on taking the membership again and up as a substitute of round your physique. A better place on the high of your swing will present elevated freedom to free the arms in your downswing.
Don’t Shallow The Membership
In case your swing is much like Rory Mcilroy, the place you are taking the membership again excessive and shallow, it’s possible you’ll need to eradicate this step out of your sport. It actually assists the previous World no 1, however it’s tough for informal golfers to execute.
Don’t drop your shoulder to flatten the membership on the high of your swing. As a substitute, preserve it on one airplane, which is able to make it simple to swing down and thru. Consequently, you’ll produce superior accuracy.
Shallowing your membership from this place may cause you to drop your shoulder and fall again in your shot. That both results in an open clubface at impression or a topped shot.
Influence
Making these tweaks will both exterminate your flat swing or optimize it. It doesn’t matter what swing you go for, the purpose is to get your clubface sq. or barely closed at impression.
A flat golf swing will preserve you lengthy and straight in case your tempo is on level. Nonetheless, should you battle with the flat swing, provoke an upright approach to make life simpler for your self.
Flat Golf Swing FAQs
Is It Unhealthy To Have A Flat Golf Swing?
No, it’s not unhealthy to have a flat golf swing. There are a number of positives, together with elevated clubhead velocity, COR, ball velocity, and distance. The draw back of a flat swing is that it requires exact rotation and mechanics to execute. That’s the reason it’s tough for the typical golfer to grasp.
Is A Shallow Or Steep Swing Higher?
They each have professionals and cons, which swimsuit completely different golfers. Nonetheless, after dabbling with numerous swings in my profession, I can safely say a steep swing is less complicated for the typical golfer. Your punishment is much less extreme when you don’t produce adequate rotation.
