The importance of flattening your downswing
In my last article I discussed “sidearm” golf, and I made a reference to Ben Hogan’s image in his book Five Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf. Some readers interpreted the article as some kind of homage to Hogan. It was not. I used the reference he made, and I displayed his image as one of several ways to illustrate my point, which was that the golf swing has a horizontal component. Only that and nothing more.
Any sport played where the object to be struck is placed to the side of the player cannot be facilitated an by an up-and-down motion exclusively. Once again, if the golf ball was played between our feet, there would be no side motion to the swing at all. Up and down would be all that is required. Croquet comes to mind. So I’ll use some space and time here to highlight the main point of the last article.
Of the 35,000+ people I have worked with over the years, probably 95 percent of them suffer from too vertical of a motion, or one that is too steep. Put a different way, the golf club becomes several degrees more upright in the downswing than it was at address. I’ll take this observation a step further: I have almost NEVER (that’s right, never) seen a player come into the golf ball flatter, or more horizontal than they were at address. The better one is at the game, as the video illustrates, the more likely they are to LOWER the golf club into a position from which they can strike the ball.
Sasho Mackenzie is one of my favorite golf scientist researchers, and one of the best minds studying our game. He makes the point quite clearly, and I’m paraphrasing him here: “When a player can get the center of mass of the golf club UNDER the hand path, they are able to achieve a more “passive” squaring of the face of the club.”
Stated another way, Sasho is saying that the more vertical the golf club gets, the more active the hands have to be to square the face. There is one simple reason for this dynamic in my opinion: one’s ability to pronate and supinate is enhanced when the motion is horizontal and diminished when the motion is vertical. That’s why hooks are hit from flat and slices are hit from steep, path be damned.
One has to realize this about my teaching and writing: I do not theorize, hypothesize or idolize. I am a pragmatic, realistic golf instructor. Just because Hogan or Nicklaus or anybody believes something means nothing to me until I have seen it work up close and personal time after time. Lowering the shaft onto a plane from which one can strike the golf ball more consistently works or else I would never suggest it. If you’re too steep, Find a side-hill lie, and you’ll probably improve your swing.
I have an online swing analysis program that many GolfWRXers have tried and enjoyed. If you’d like a diagnosis an explanation of exactly what you’re doing, click here for more info, or contact me on Facebook.
The LPGA Tour is kicking off its 2026 season this week at Lake Nona Golf and Country Club in Orlando, and the pros are dealing with something most Florida golfers rarely face: freezing temperatures.
“It’s colder here than in the UK at the minute, which is a first,” said England’s Charley Hull during Wednesday’s media day at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions.
Even Lydia Ko, who lives at Lake Nona, seemed surprised by the cold snap. “We’re pretty much getting to below zero in celsius here, which maybe in other parts of the country they would be thankful, but when you’re in Florida it is a little bit of a surprise,” she said.
If the world’s best players are adjusting their games for cold weather, recreational golfers should, too. Here’s how to play smart when the mercury drops.
Understand What Cold Does to Your Game
Before you change anything, you need to know what you’re fighting against. Cold air is denser than warm air, which means your ball won’t fly as far. Period.
Hull noticed this immediately during practice rounds at Lake Nona. She mentioned hitting a gap wedge into the 18th hole during a previous win but needing a 4-iron during Tuesday’s practice round. That’s a difference of four or five clubs for the same shot.
Action item: Expect to lose 5-10 yards on every club in your bag when temperatures dip below 50 degrees. Plan accordingly and don’t be stubborn about club selection.
Layer Up Without Restricting Your Swing
Hull admitted she wore three pairs of pants during practice. While that might be extreme for most of us, staying warm is critical to playing well in cold conditions.
Your muscles need warmth to function properly. When you’re cold, your body tightens up and your swing gets shorter and faster. Neither of those things help you hit good golf shots.
Action item: Wear multiple thin layers instead of one bulky jacket. Look for golf-specific cold weather gear that stretches with your swing. Keep hand warmers in your pockets between shots. And don’t forget a good hat because you lose significant body heat through your head.
Take More Club Than You Think You Need
This is where ego gets in the way of good scores. When it’s cold, the ball doesn’t compress as well off the clubface. Combined with denser air, you’re looking at serious distance loss.
The pros at Lake Nona are dealing with a course that measures 6,642 yards but plays much longer this week. If they’re adjusting, you should too.
Action item: Take at least one extra club on every approach shot. In temperatures below 40 degrees, consider taking two extra clubs. It’s better to fly the ball to the back of the green than to come up short in a bunker.
Adjust Your Expectations on the Greens
Cold weather affects putting in ways most golfers don’t consider. The ball is harder and doesn’t roll as smoothly. Your hands are cold, making it harder to feel the putter. And if there’s any moisture on the greens, they’ll be slower than normal.
Ko mentioned that she still sometimes reads the greens wrong at Lake Nona despite being a member for years. Cold weather makes that challenge even tougher.
Action item: Hit putts more firmly than usual. The ball needs extra speed to hold its line on cold greens. Take a few extra practice strokes to get a feel for the speed before you putt.
Embrace the Mental Challenge
Hull said something interesting about cold weather golf: “I like the mental toughness of it.”
That’s the right attitude. Everyone on the course is dealing with the same conditions. The player who stays patient and doesn’t get frustrated by the extra difficulty will come out ahead.
Action item: Lower your expectations by a few strokes. If you normally shoot 85, accept that 90 might be a good score in 40-degree weather. Focus on solid contact and smart decisions rather than perfect shots.
Warm Up Longer and Smarter
This might be the most important tip of all. Cold muscles are tight muscles, and tight muscles get injured easily.
World No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul revealed she’s been protecting a wrist injury that bothered her late last season. Cold weather makes those kinds of injuries more likely if you don’t prepare properly.
Action item: Spend at least 20 minutes warming up before your round. Start with stretching, then hit easy wedge shots before working up to your driver. Keep moving between shots on the course to maintain body heat and flexibility.
The pros at Lake Nona this week will adapt and compete at the highest level despite the cold. You can do the same at your local course by following these tips and keeping a positive attitude.
PGA Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer. You can check out his writing work and learn more about him by visiting BEAGOLFER.golf and OneMoreRollGolf.com. Also, check out “Playing Through” now on R.org, RG.org’s partner site, each Monday.
Editor’s note: Brendon shares his nearly 30 years of experience in the game with GolfWRX readers through his ongoing tip series. He looks forward to providing valuable insights and advice to help golfers improve their game. Stay tuned for more tips!
Brooks Koepka is back on the PGA Tour, and whether you love him or hate him, the guy knows how to win when it matters. After his LIV Golf stint, the five-time major champion returns this week at the Farmers Insurance Open.
What makes Koepka fascinating? He doesn’t fit the mold. His swing isn’t textbook. He doesn’t obsess over mechanics. Yet he’s won three PGA Championships and two U.S. Opens, regularly making it look easier than guys with prettier swings.
So, what can average golfers learn from someone who treats the game so differently? Quite a bit.
Stop Overthinking Every Shot
Koepka describes his approach as “reactionary” rather than mechanical. While most tour pros grind over swing thoughts, Brooks sees the target and hits it. No mental checklist.
This might be the most valuable lesson for weekend golfers who’ve watched too many YouTube swing videos.
How to actually do this:
On the range, hit five balls where you stare at the target for three seconds prior to addressing the ball. Don’t think about grip or stance. Just burn that target into your brain. You’ll be shocked at how pure you hit it when your brain focuses on where the ball is going instead of how you’re swinging.
Next time you play, give yourself a rule: Once you pull the club, you’ve got 15 seconds to hit. Koepka is one of the fastest players on tour because he doesn’t give his brain time to sabotage him.
If you feel tension in your hands at address, you’re trying to control too much. Koepka’s grip pressure is famously light. Loosen up until the club almost feels like it might slip, then add just enough pressure to hold on. That’s your swing thought: soft hands, see the target.
This approach works better under pressure. When you’re standing over that shot with water left and OB right, the last thing you need is a mental checklist. See it, feel it, hit it.
Play to Your Strengths (Even If They’re Not Pretty)
Koepka uses a strong grip that wouldn’t pass muster in some teaching circles. But he’s built his game around what works for him, elite driving distance and recovery skills. He doesn’t try to be someone he’s not.
Here’s how to build your game like Brooks:
Look at your last five rounds and figure out where you’re actually gaining strokes. Bombing it off the tee, but can’t hit greens? Lean into it. Play courses where distance matters more than precision. On tight holes, grip down on your 3-wood instead of trying to thread a driver through a keyhole you’ll miss seven times out of ten.
Koepka knows he can scramble, so he’s not afraid to miss greens. If you’re deadly from 50 to 75 yards, start leaving yourself those distances on the par 5’s instead of going for them in two every time.
Know when to take your medicine. Koepka in the trees at the PGA? He’s punching out to 100 yards, not trying to bend a 6-iron around three oaks. You’re in the rough with a flyer lie and water short? Hit your 8-iron to the middle and move on. That’s not playing scared, that’s playing smart.
Save Your Best for When It Counts
Here’s a wild stat: Koepka’s putting average in majors is often more than a full stroke better per round than in regular events. He elevates when pressure is highest.
How does an amateur tap into that gear? It’s not about trying harder, it’s about caring differently.
Here’s what actually works:
Decide which rounds matter to you. Club championship? Member-guest? That annual trip with college buddies? Circle those dates and treat them differently. Koepka doesn’t care much about regular tour events, but majors? That’s when he locks in.
Two weeks before your big round, change your practice. Stop beating balls mindlessly. Play nine holes in which every shot has consequences. Miss the fairway? Hit from the rough on the next hole too. Three-putt? Twenty push-ups. Koepka’s practice intensity ramps up before majors because he’s rehearsing pressure, not just swings.
Develop a between-shot routine that resets your brain. Koepka is famous for his blank expression after bad shots. Try this: After any shot, take three deep breaths while walking, then find something specific to notice, a tree, a cloud, someone’s shirt. That’s your reset button. By the time you reach your ball, the last shot is gone.
The Bottom Line
Brooks Koepka’s return reminds us there’s no single path to success in golf. His “substance over style” approach proves that results matter more than looking good.
You don’t need a perfect swing; you need a reliable one that holds up under pressure. You don’t need to hit every shot in the book; you need the shots you can count on. And you don’t need to play great every time; you need to play great when it matters.
Welcome back, Brooks. Thanks for the reminder that golf is ultimately about getting the ball in the hole, not winning style points.
PGA Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer. You can check out his writing work and learn more about him by visiting BEAGOLFER.golf and OneMoreRollGolf.com. Also, check out “Playing Through” now on R.org, RG.org’s partner site, each Monday.
Editor’s note: Brendon shares his nearly 30 years of experience in the game with GolfWRX readers through his ongoing tip series. He looks forward to providing valuable insights and advice to help golfers improve their game. Stay tuned for more tips!
Blades Brown made a big impression last week in the California desert, and not just because he’s only 18. He put up numbers that would catch any weekend golfer’s attention. Most of us won’t hit 317-yard drives or find 86% of our greens in regulation, but there’s a lot to learn from how Brown managed his game at The American Express.
Here are three practical lessons from his performance that you can use on your own course this weekend.
Step 1: Give Priority to Accuracy Over Distance Off The Tee
Brown’s driving stats are impressive. He averaged almost 318 yards off the tee, ranking 12th in the field. More importantly, he hit 76.79% of his fairways, tying for fourth place in the tournament.
Think about that ratio for a second. Brown could have swung harder, chased more distance and tried to overpower the course. Instead, he played smart golf and kept his ball in play.
Your Action Item: Next time you’re on the tee box, ask yourself a simple question before pulling the driver. Do you need maximum distance here, or do you need to be in the fairway? If there’s trouble lurking or the hole doesn’t demand every yard you can muster, take something off your swing. Grip down an inch. Make a three-quarter swing. Do whatever it takes to find the short grass. Brown’s approach illustrates that fairways lead to greens, and greens lead to birdies. He made 22 of them last week, along with an eagle.
The math is simple. When you’re hitting three out of every four fairways like Brown did, you’re giving yourself legitimate looks at the green with your approach shots. That’s when scoring happens.
Step 2: Commit To Hitting More Greens
This is where Brown really separated himself. He hit 62 of 72 greens in regulation, an 86.11% clip that tied for first in the entire field. Read that again. An 18-year-old kid tied for the lead in one of the most important ball-striking statistics in professional golf.
How did he do it? By keeping his ball in the fairway (see Step 1) and giving himself clean looks with mid-irons and wedges.
Your Action Item: Start tracking your greens in regulation. You don’t need a fancy app or a statistics degree. Just mark down whether you hit the green in the regulation number of strokes. Par 3s in one shot. Par 4s in two shots. Par 5s in three shots.
Once you know your baseline, set a goal to improve it by 10%. If you’re currently hitting five greens per round, aim for six. The beauty of this approach is that it forces you to think strategically about club selection and shot shape. Brown’s strokes gained approach number was positive (0.179), meaning he was better than the field average. You don’t need to be perfect. You just need to be on the dance floor more often.
When you hit more greens, you eliminate the need for heroic short game shots. Brown only had to scramble 10 times all week, and he got up and down 70% of the time. That’s solid, but the real story is that he rarely put himself in scrambling situations to begin with.
Step 3: Minimize Mistakes And Stay Patient
Here’s the stat that jumps off the page: Brown made only three bogeys all week. Three. In four rounds of professional golf against the best players in the world.
He also made just one double bogey. That kind of clean card doesn’t happen by accident. It happens when you play within yourself, avoid the big miss and trust that pars are never bad scores.
Your Action Item: Before your next round, decide that you’re going to play boring golf. No hero shots over water. No driver on tight holes just because you can. No aggressive pins when there’s a safe side of the green.
Brown’s performance shows us that consistency beats flash every single time. He didn’t lead the field in any single strokes gained category, but he was solid across the board. That’s how you post numbers and cash checks.
Give these three steps a try. Your scorecard will thank you.
PGA Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer. You can check out his writing work and learn more about him by visiting BEAGOLFER.golf and OneMoreRollGolf.com. Also, check out “The Starter” now on R.org, RG.org’s partner site, each Monday.
Editor’s note: Brendon shares his nearly 30 years of experience in the game with GolfWRX readers through his ongoing tip series. He looks forward to providing valuable insights and advice to help golfers improve their game. Stay tuned for more tips!
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Manuel Martinez
Aug 28, 2016 at 1:58 pm
There are other instructors who feel that when a better player gets too steep going back, they will always attempt to flatten it on the way down. And once the club is in motion, it will continue to stay in motion and at some point become too flat or under the plane. At this point, the player is stuck and has no choice but to back up away from the ball in order to make room for the club to get back out in front. This backing up motion also steepens the shaft above the original shaft plane. I have experienced this in my own swing and better players I know. This would be the opposite of coming down too steep and then backing up to shallow the club back out towards the ball, but the impact looks similar on video since the shaft is still above its original plane. I feel as though the key here might be that pros shallow the club immediately from the top. I noticed that in my swing, the club tracks down the parallel plane for a few frames and then starts to shallow. This late flattening of the club brings the club under the plane and results in my backing up to make room for the club. Had I shallowed the club immediately from the top I may get it on plane sooner and get the hand path moving in the right manner. Please advise.
Dennis Clark
Aug 28, 2016 at 3:01 pm
Yea I know what you mean. I’m doing a piece on “getting stuck” soon. Thx.
Dennis Clark
Aug 28, 2016 at 10:29 am
Don’t take an golf pro’s word for it: take it from one of the leading golf researchers in the world. How could anyone see it otherwise?
https://youtu.be/iuJaSM7Kexw
Bruce
Aug 28, 2016 at 9:30 am
I interpret Sasho’s comment different from Mr Clark. The club center of mass is the balance point which is along the shaft near the club head. A more vertical swing places this center of mass below the hands. Passive squaring of the club face means no hand action. Hence vertical swings automatically square the face and more horizontal swings require hand action.
Manuel Martinez
Aug 28, 2016 at 2:40 pm
From the down the line view of the player, the center mass of the club would be above the plane of the hand path in a steep swing, not below it. You need to view the swing from dtl, put a line on the original shaft plane. Now as the club tracks downward, you need to connect the dots on the movement of the hand path. For a right handed player, the plane the clubhead or center mass of club is tracking on needs to be to the left of the plane the hands are on very early in the down swing. Like during the transition phase. The reason this squares the face is because the shallowing of the shaft initially sends the handpath out towards the target line. Once this happens, there is a torque applied to the shaft at the center of mass that wants to realign itself with the handle of the club. This torque sends the clubhead out towards the ball. This is the passive squaring Sasho is referring to. When the club transitions too steep, the handpath is too down the line. From here, the center mass of club will also need to realign with the grip end. This same torque now sends the clubhead away from the target, not out towards the target line. Now the player is in recovery mode to get the club to the ball with little to no time to make consistent contact. DC is 100% correct with his interpretation.
Manuel Martinez
Aug 28, 2016 at 2:48 pm
You obviously didn’t watch the first 12 minutes of Sasho’s video. You may disagree with Dr. McKenzie’s research but DC’s interpretation is spot on.
Dennis Clark
Aug 28, 2016 at 2:57 pm
you interpret that differently?
CLF
Aug 27, 2016 at 11:34 pm
Mr. Clark,
Thanks for the series of articles on the this subject. Being self-taught, I recently thought about this idea (horizontal) as a way to get more square at impact instead of hitting a high slice most of the time LOL. I was messing around with a bowed right wrist (I’m LH) and noticed the club wanted to “go flatter,” all of which made it easier to be square at impact for me.
Seeing you emphasize this point is extremely helpful for me… it gives me the confidence to try this idea out in practice. One problem I noticed I’m having when I try to flatten out my swing is getting the correct feeling in my left arm during the backswing/transition/downswing. Would love to hear you expand on this “side-arm” idea…. I’m trying to use this idea to find the correct feeling for my left hand.
Best,
CLF
Ramrod
Aug 26, 2016 at 1:43 pm
Dennis,
At 1:38 you highlight the plane lowering to a point where Garcia can just rotate and hit the ball. With this being the case, why not just have a shortened swing whereby the backswing only goes to that point? That’s what I would call a true single plane swing.
What is the benefit in lifting the arms? To me it just creates a problem on the way back down, that as this article suggests, is very hard to fix.
Ben
Aug 26, 2016 at 2:23 pm
it’s not just lifting the arms, he continues making a shoulder turn. the bigger the turn the more energy you can release into the ball. if he stopped his backswing there, he would probably hit it just as solid but not as far.
Dennis Clark
Aug 26, 2016 at 4:13 pm
I agree, those who are too steep would benefit from shorter and more “laid off”. Some would argue that the wrist leverage will add power…
David Ciccoritti
Aug 26, 2016 at 12:23 pm
You can not flatten a club. It flattens due to “weight shift” before the swing starts. The swing does not start at the top. It starts late after the weight shift. Biggest instructional mistakes are not understanding the true fundamental moves that cause positions to be more naturally ideal. The club flattening or falling is due to the combination of weight shift before the actual “arm swing” happens. That’s why good golfers and pros don’t “cast”. It’s because they don’t start the swing from the top. It’s a late start, therefore a late cast. Truth be told, everyone casts. This video is very good because it shows a natural good position due to a fundamental move. However the fundamental move is not mentioned. Many seem to point out fundamental positions, but rarely do people point out fundamental moves and how it creates fundamental positions naturally and effortlessly. Thanks Dennis – Enjoyed the video 🙂
Dennis Clark
Aug 26, 2016 at 4:26 pm
This is another fundamental misunderstanding that the biomechanists and “scientists” preach that misleads golfers. There is no amount of ground up sequence that will, IN AND OF ITSELF, change the inclined angle of the golf club. Yes it may lower the arms as the swing starts from below as great players prove, but it will NOT flatten the shaft onto a hitting pane simply by starting from the ground. I have a lot of students who have very good bodi trak traces, and yet start down too steeply
with the GOLF CLUB. Getting the club on a good re-entry angle involves the right elbow moving forward, right wrist dorsiflex (cup) and left wrist flattening to join the sequence. My lower body cannot change the golf club simply because it isn’t holding the golf club. Thx.
David Ciccoritti
Aug 26, 2016 at 8:30 pm
I wouldn’t call it starting from the ground up at all. What I found accidentally is because I’ve been working with my son’s pitching and batting for the last 3 years. Batting is a lot more similar to the golf swing than most will have you believe. The key is, if the body begins the weight shift/rotation but the arms “do not start to release”, the elbow and wrist naturally fall into the positions you mentioned. Because the swing (release) is delayed, the weight shift and body rotation cause the front shoulder to go up and the back shoulder to go down. When that happens, the plane of the club will drop because it has to. I believe the secret to this whole move is what I call the “delayed swing/release”. You take it back, start the weight shift/forward rotation, the arms are delayed and hanging back. Then the release happens when arms knows it’s now or never. When I began to do this, I had great lag without even thinking about it and my ball flight rose to the clouds without even thinking about it. A batter drives forward and begins body rotation while leaving the bat behind him/her. Front shoulder goes up, back elbow comes down and the bat naturally finds itself close to level (flattened). At this point in time, I believe this is the true key to having a very good swing. There is also one more key that has to do with the wrists in the back swing but that’s another discussion. Again, your video demonstrates a result that should happen but I would suggest that it happens naturally due to a “delayed swing/release”.
Dennis Clark
Aug 27, 2016 at 2:43 pm
Teach golf for 35 years, you’ll find out nothing happens naturally. Theory and reality clash in the 1.5 seconds of swinging. Or hitting. Yes when the hit is “delayed” by the movement of the lower body and the upper body remains on its axis, you will lower the arms. But the flattening I’m describing must be programmed and the arms and hands need to feel the proper torque in sequence. You can hold the arms back but it does not flatten the club in and of itself The bat is flat largely because baseball is a one-plane game with bat and ball BOTH in the air. Thx for your interest.
Jim
Aug 26, 2016 at 11:50 pm
I’ve been at a few very fine private venues. Few members were truly scratch but even the pretty decent 9-12 hcp folks were fighting the top (especially the top right side) coming into the downswing before the weight shift gave the hips the chance to lead the body derotation before the ‘hitting muscles” jump in and overpower what the hips should produce: centrifugal force, by leading the downswing. I’ve taught lessons
indoors in a couple of high tech venues as well.
It wasn’t until I arrived at my current facility in 2006 that I saw the WIDEST possible variety of golfers doing those same swing flaws – at the same time. While there was an unbelievable variety of atrocities occuring, two or three variations all ended up causing the same bad impacts and finishes – the finish being a ‘side effect’ of what happened on the way there.
My current venue has over 100 hitting bays. We’re 20 minutes north of NYC and the only 300 yard covered/heated facility in the area. Saturdays look like a UN outing.There’s at least 6 or 7 Taxi’s from the city – waiting for their clients as well as a half dozen Diplomatic license plates on cars in the lot.
While I’ve seen and ‘corrected’ these most common flaws for years, and figuring most
Americans usually swung a bat before a golf club, I assumed the cupped wrist – other than people with smaller or ‘weaker’ wrists and forearms or with women was due to how we were taught to hold the bat or waggle it at the plate..
It wasn’t until I saw all these ‘humans’ – from all over the world doing it wrong at the same time that I realized it was ‘universal’ – a HUMAN thing. Since the dawn of time people have hit things with sticks – usually in anger, fear or defense. There’s an inate ‘human hitting instinct’ – millions of years ago when critters were trting to eat us, the smart ones learned to pick up sticks and whack them in the head; the dumb ones got ate. We’re decedents of the smart ones…
seriously. The body doesn’t know what ‘golf’ is. All your body knows is tou have a stick, and you’re trying to whack someting – HARD! In other sports, the balls travelling at you – try returning a serve from Venus Williams without holding on tight and creating a solid, leveraged stance that stays behind the racket and it’ll get ripped out of your hand.
Most students arrive as “hitters” none are ever ‘flat’….you don’t instinctively ‘hit’ something hard or even in anger – as the case may be from ‘flat’. Understanding WHY the body does what it ‘thinks’ is ‘helping you answers why so many people are defeating the lower body by ‘hitting’ instead of swinging first – and THEN hitting the pellet
Dennis Clark
Aug 27, 2016 at 2:51 pm
The uniqueness of our game is we’re trying to hit an object aside us AND on the ground, AND get it airborne. It is counter-intuitive to hit the golf ball the way it should be hit. And that illogic defines the majority of mistakes I’ve seen over many many years. Ice hockey comes close to golf BUT…instinctively they know the puck will be hit along the ice., not 90-100 feet in the air. Teaching the design of the golf club itself helps juniors immensely. All the juniors Ive worked with who have gone to collegiate golf and beyond, got on to this idea early. Thx for your feedback.
Jim
Aug 27, 2016 at 6:43 pm
Agreed! That’s the biggest thing to conquer…’unconscious,’ instictive ‘hitting’…
Always enjoy your work 🙂
Dennis Clark
Aug 28, 2016 at 9:18 am
Thx Jim
Tony Payne
Aug 27, 2016 at 7:12 am
Dennis, very good video. Would you advocate starting the downswing as described in the last paragraph of your reply to David’s post. I sense the conscious move is to push the trail arm elbow in front of the body and the rest follows. Easy to do on a practice swing but more difficult when hitting the ball.
David
Aug 25, 2016 at 2:10 pm
Great information!! One question: Why not just flatten the backswing to begin with and swing down on the same path?
Dennis Clark
Aug 25, 2016 at 4:06 pm
you can for sure…the single plane motion does NOT need flattening as it it a good position to hit the ball already
David
Aug 25, 2016 at 4:23 pm
Thanks. I have found that keeping my right tricep pinned to my rib cage/side has improved my ball striking. I’m now realizing that this is likely b/c it has forced a flatter swing.
Fok
Aug 25, 2016 at 12:27 am
Jim Furyk? Please?
Chris
Aug 25, 2016 at 8:31 am
Furyk has a very steep backswing but actually comes into the ball flatter than most players.
cgasucks
Aug 25, 2016 at 9:33 am
True dat…
Dennis Clark
Aug 25, 2016 at 10:47 am
Correct epitomizing what Im describing see the Ryan Moore video in the comments section. That swing has won him 70 million playing golf and shot 58 and 59…zeros out Trackman more than anyone!
Dennis clark
Aug 26, 2016 at 12:33 pm
Yep. And if you look how open his body is at impact, its to avoid getting too under and flat. You’d never guess that where he is at the top. But we don’t hit the ball with the backswing do we.
Willow
Aug 25, 2016 at 12:06 am
I only watched to levy swing because I thought wow is anyone buying this. The best players don’t flatten out when they get to the top they start to use there body to create force through rotation. They don’t just throw it over the top! Wow
Jim
Aug 26, 2016 at 7:01 pm
OR – ‘ROLL’ THE RIGHT CHEST / SHOULDER Arms or Hands ‘forward’ toward that ball to shoulder ‘boundry’ line.
Travis
Aug 24, 2016 at 9:44 pm
To get flatter…I tend to think more fluid motion in my swing. When I get to rigid or mechanical I yank the handle, get steep and god only knows what comes next! Stay loose!
Chris
Aug 24, 2016 at 6:11 pm
Hello Dennis, I have actually been working this for awhile now, used to struggle with OTT. I am a huge Ben Hogan fan even though he died when I was 7, I also like to look at dufner’s swing, but my all time favorite swing to look at is Peter thomson. I feel Thomson’s swing is very similar to Hogan’s but is simpler because no one is athletic enough to copy Hogan’s swing exactly. When I feel like I swing correctly (or somewhat lol) I hit a nice baby draw. I will be playing well and all the sudden a push fade will come into play and turn my +2 round to an 80. I feel like I am coming from the inside because the ball starts left and lightly falls even more left (I’m left handed), when I hit my draw it starts basically on the same line as the push but falls to the middle instead of left. My question is when working in this would you see ur students having issues like me? Or would you normally see hooks? It’s frustrating because most of the time I hit the draw.. I worked on getting rid of my Hogan type wrist at the top and make it flatter and my alignment to no avail.
This is a link to my swing , I know you can’t be looking at strangers swings all day on the internet but thought I’d throw it up anyway just in case. I am playing to a 5 handicap
http://youtu.be/HHX1yHMgaYM
Denni clark
Aug 24, 2016 at 9:29 pm
You can fade/slice from inside for the very reason I’m discussing in the article. I have an online video service. If interested I’ll explain how to use. Thx
Sometimes a Smizzle
Aug 26, 2016 at 11:51 pm
During my last round of golf i swung from what felt like the inside amd with a square face. But kept pushing it. Got on a flightscope a few hours later and it said i swing 3-4 degrees from the inside. With a face 3-4 degrees open to target. Oops. Good thing my short game was fine and i 2 putt the whole way.
Dennis Clark
Aug 27, 2016 at 2:32 pm
exactly; that’s a slice technically from inside the golf ball but with face open to path…happens a lot for better players. Higher caps come over it.
Dennis Clark
Aug 24, 2016 at 5:02 pm
Flipping is the result of too steep, therefore too open, trying to square it.
Dennis Clark
Aug 24, 2016 at 5:52 pm
Under plane is hook is almost always…and those who hook tend to hold on…slicers coming in steeply over it tend to more to flip to square the face. In fact, the ONLY way you can keep turning through is by laying the club down because you don’t have to back up and flip…When you see tour pros so able to “get through it” its because they’re on plane or even a little under coming down.
Jim
Aug 26, 2016 at 7:35 pm
….it’s due to incorrect use of the hands – I don’t know if there’s a Webster’s Video Dictionary, but I show folks ‘flipping’ is like trying to lift a hockey puck – a wrist shotn and what the lead hand needs to do is assist with supination – or risk getting ‘flipped’ and pushed out of the way by the strong hand…The lead hand should ‘Flick’ INTO rotation – kinda like the the back of the hand is flat perpendicular to the ground and tossing a frisbee 20 feet – level to the ground…
Flipping is also caused when a fine swing – all the ‘moves’ are there – BUT the person’s wrist break was too cupped and they either let the
hands and arms follow the body (properly) and
‘drop the club’ But unless they flatten the wrist in the first tenth of a second after the drop, THE
LEAD HAND ends up anatomically superior (on
TOP) of the right hand – now just above the belt line z where it should now be starting to initiate ‘the hitting rotation….A ‘Sergio’ style wicked pulling down & in with the strong side elbow also contibutes to this ANATOMICALLY COMPROMISED POSITION….If your body/arms & hands are moving at speed, it’s impossible to
CONSISTANTLY release the club head (and with the driver ‘continue to make speed 4 feet after the ball) if the back of the lead hand is facing up in the air at this point without some strong hand flip….
This is NOT a ‘skill level’ issue. It’s a functional anatomy issue….
Nolanski
Aug 24, 2016 at 4:54 pm
I like to think like I’m hitting a midget with a right hook during the swing.
Really helps me shallow out.
Marnix
Aug 24, 2016 at 3:45 pm
Nice demonstration of this essential swing characteristic. Now that we know the ‘what’ (flattening the plane at transition), can you comment on the ‘how’, as in: how does one actually accomplish this? Is it forearm rotation, rotating the hips or upper body, flattening the left wrist, etc.
Denni clark
Aug 24, 2016 at 4:30 pm
That’s the eternal question I get more often than maybe any…it deserves a longer answer but here’s the short version. To change this in your golf swing requires a new orientation to swinging the club. I generally put students on a side hill lie with the ball above their feet but it’s not something you can change quickly. Personally I hit hit balls on this lie for a full year every time I practiced. Hope this helps
Marnix
Aug 24, 2016 at 6:51 pm
Well, yes, to some extent. Still, the mechanics should be easy to explain – and probably hard to execute …
Denni clark
Aug 24, 2016 at 9:35 pm
On the contrary I would say it’s the hardest thing to do n golf but still the one that separates the wheat from the chaffe…mechanically the rear elbow move out, the lead wrist flattens, the trail wrist dorsiflexes, and the arms lower. That’s actually what happens but again it requires a new mindset, a whole different paradigm in ones conception of a swing. I.E. Horizontal. Thx. .
Double Mocha Man
Aug 24, 2016 at 10:33 pm
Smizzle… ya gotta knock it off with faking who you are. We catch on. You were even me once before.
christian
Aug 24, 2016 at 11:46 pm
Push your right elbow into the side of your body in the beginning of the downswing. Done.
christian
Aug 24, 2016 at 11:51 pm
It’s also what happens in the video, from having the right elbow clearly free from the body, he is pushing the elbow into the side of his body and thus flatten the plane. It’s the one thing most players should do, push the elbow into your right side at the beginning of the downswing
Nolanski
Aug 24, 2016 at 2:56 pm
Great stuff. Doing it is another story but I’ll keep working on it. And I love the Hogan material.
Dennis Clark
Aug 24, 2016 at 2:14 pm
Here’s an EXTREME example of what I mean…
https://youtu.be/Ws32g97tC2A
B Hock
Aug 24, 2016 at 2:14 pm
What’s an easy and good drill to help counteract the over-the-top move and to promote laying it flat to start the downswing? Thanks and Great Article!
Dennis Clark
Aug 24, 2016 at 2:20 pm
Well what I have seen most effective is a side hill lie with the ball well above your feet. Set the club up on the back swing and try hitting balls. You’ll soon be able to tell if your laying it down coming down.
Dennis Clark
Aug 24, 2016 at 2:00 pm
Adam, when you say “under plane” what do you mean? Have you had Trackman or FS eval with very low vertical plane? Inside maybe but I’m guessing club is still more vertical?
Adam Cahill
Aug 24, 2016 at 2:44 pm
Denis,
I fight having an open club face at the top so I back up and flip the club under plane.
cgasucks
Aug 24, 2016 at 1:55 pm
“The flatter I get the fatter my wallet gets.”
Claude Harmon Sr. (Butch’s Dad)
Justin
Aug 24, 2016 at 1:33 pm
EVERYONE needs to watch this video! The number one problem I see with the average amateur golfer is the “over the top” move, which is the result of not flattening the downswing. Do you know how many more people would play golf more often (or even at all) if they knew they could hit something other than a pull slice off the tee? This isn’t new info, but a great reminder and great video. The only comment I have is that you should have chosen other players besides the ones who are the “extreme” example (Sergio, Rahm).
Leavy
Aug 24, 2016 at 1:54 pm
Yep! It took me a while to quiet down my overactive right shoulder in the downswing. This video shows how good the pros do it.
What’s also interesting is how close the right arm is to your thigh at impact instead of flying out from your body. Zach Allen has a good drill for that on YouTube “The Magic of the Right Arm”. Good stuff!
Adam Cahill
Aug 24, 2016 at 1:15 pm
Dennis,
My main swing fault is coming in very under plane on the downswing, which I assume would be steep?Would you suggest working on a flatter backswing and maintain more of that horizontal plane on the down swing?
Justin
Aug 24, 2016 at 1:40 pm
Look at the second swing that Dennis analyzes here (Rahm). Notice that the club seems to be “falling” (movign vertically) at one point while the rest of his body is moving horizontally. You need to achieve that feeling of the club “falling” out of your set position at the top. Far too many players increase their grip pressure from the top of the swing down and this often results in a weak move that is not on plane. A good drill you can do is to take the club back to the set position at the top and drop the club to the ground right before you start the downswing (complete the rest of the swing without the club in your hand). This will give you the feeling of a “lighter” overall downswing (which will help with grip pressure) and in turn help you to let the club naturally fall from the top like the pros do.
The best instructional video (quick tip) that I’ve seen is from PGA teacher Zach Allen. You can find it on youtube or on his website.
Leavy
Aug 24, 2016 at 1:59 pm
Hah! I see you’re a Zach Allen fan too Justin! Zach’s just one of those teachers that gives concise instruction.