Backswing Issues!!!
 

Hello All,

I am new to this forum and very intrigued by its contents and very helpful golf information. I just viewed all of the Tomasello video's and thought that they were just GREAT!!! I am new to TGM and its principles and those videos just made it look simple and easily applicable. I have several questions though pretaining my swing.

1. I am a swinger by nature and after viewing the video on arms and pivot I now understand what really should be happening throughout the entire swing. My problem though is that flat sort of Hogan swing plane. I really like a more upright swing where the elbow gets higher at the top. WHY? It allows me to focus on returning that elbow/forearm back to the side causing my hips to move foward as a result - instead of moving my hips consciously. I never understood or had success with moving my hips myself.

My question is simply: is it Okay to be upright ala Davis Love with a swinger style swing on the backswing?

I feel like if the right elbow barely seperates from my side (flatter swing plane) on the backswing than there is nowhere for it to return to in order to make my hips go foward. Remember, I really don't feel comforatable moving my hips forward natrually on the downswing as I have a tendency to slide WAY TO MUCH THEN. When I try to keep it close to my side like in the Tomasello video (arms) I get really shallow on the downswing and sometimes top the ball. Im assuming its because since my elbow/forearm has no down motion at the start of the downswing then the hips dont move foward as a result of that drop and my weight hangs back.

I may be way off here and just looking for some advice on how to move forward and establish a more repeatable swing WITHOUT having to consciously pay attention to hip movement.

Golf Your Way
 

Hi gmazz800 and welcome to the wonderful world of LynnBlakeGolf...

It is okay to be upright like Davis Love if you are still on plane.

What does being on plane mean?

1) The shaft of the club lies continuously on the face of the inclined plane

or;

2) The end of the club closest to your target line always points at it and when the club is parallel to the ground, it must be parallel to the target line.

However, keep in mind that the "many different" swings you see is a result of different physical dimensions more than mechanics.

Play golf your way, not someone else's.

Great advice....you need to find your own way. I've tried to immitate people and have slowly drifted away because other things worked better....and believe me.....it's not because I've given up- I'm a very persistent guy.

Hogan AND Moe both have said similar things:

Moe- "Everyone has their own blueprint."
Hogan (paraphrased)- "People spend way too much time trying to swing like someone else....they need to learn to swing like themselves."

Not to say that you can't look at Hogan and Moe's swings and pick arart all the great things they did (and their swings actually have a lot of similarities).....obviously there are physics and geometry and great mechanics in general at work there.....the laws of the universe that apply to EVERYONE....

But then again...there are 24 Components....and however many Variations within those Components....some are better than others, work together better than others, etc.....but there is more than one SINGLE way.

...BTW....gmazz.....welcome to the forum.

And I read your first post- Hogan was flat.....but his swing was short too with lots of wristcock....so it looks long.....and also looks flattER. Just to let you know....so you can take it into account.

Good swing, good "lower body action" w/o consciously doing it with the lower body....

Try hitting down on the inside-back of the ball.....without moving your head forward.