Comfort or Technique?

Okay, I will try to make a long story short, but apoligize if the explanation to the actual question is kind of long...

My old swing was always causing a slice or a fade, I lived with it for many years, but could never fix it. A few months ago I was just swinging my clubs and felt that groove that felt very comfortable to me, I went to the range and started to practice with this swing and when I wasn't over swinging or starting the down swing with my upper body, I was making solid contact and had a nice straight ball flight, and was scoring the best I ever have.

Now, flash forward to this week, I played in a fourman best ball tourny last Saturday, and was hitting most of my shots pretty solid, but one of the guys commented on my "new" swing, not understanding why I was doing certain things in it since it really goes against some of the techniques, I explained to him that it was the only way that I have found to give me an inside to out swing.

But of course these comments got me thinking, so I watched some of the video instructions referenced on this site, took my notes and hit the driving range for 7 hours on Wed/Thur and started practing with my old swing and incorperated all of the notes. Let me say now that I hate going to the range because I always end up changing something in my swing, I can never stay consistant. I actually took some video of my swing yesterday and came to the same conclusion I had a few months ago, for some reason with this swing I cannot find that "bump" to start my hip rotation, just physically cannot turn my hips first, and my right shoulder/elbow always causes my swing to go out to in.

My new swing, I start my backswing by cocking my wrists forward a little, which allows me to bring the club back very natural (comfortable) for me, but the club takes a very inside path, but once I initiate my down swing, it feels very natural and my hips rotate allowing me to keep my elbow in and have a nice inside out path producing a nice straight shot, and the most comfortable finish I have had. Now this is the case when I am not overswinging or starting my downswing with my upper body, which usually results in a pull for me, but theses things I can work on and correct, and when it is all done right I have the best contact and distance ever.

So now to the question, if my new swing feels comfortable and I am getting better results, but do not meet the recommended swing techniques, do I continue to practice/play with it and fine tune the areas I need to, or do I go back to my old swing that meets most of the recommended techniques, but frustrates the hell out of me because I can't seem to correct the things I am doing wrong, and trust me, I have been trying to correct them for a long time.

Appreciate any comments on this topic, and sorry again for the length. Hopefully in the next few weeks I can get some video of my new swing and post it with my old swing for more detailed comments (don't know why I didn't think of it yesterday at the range). Thanks!

Sounds like a no-brainer to me;
Stick with what feels natural and plays the ball relatively long and straight, or try and confuse myself with "mainstream" swing theories that I can't figure out? I'll have the natural feeling, results producing swing any day.

Each golf swing is unique, individual to the golfer. So some guy in your group thought your swing looked odd, let him think.

If you still think you'd like to have a more conventional swing, get a lesson and talk to an instructor and get his opinion on the matter. Let him/her have a look and see what needs to be done.

Dont worry what other people say about your swing, as long as your comfortable and more importantly your getting the results you want. I say use your new swing and dont get frustrated! lol

I agree with the other responders. If it feels good and works good for you, then you should definately stick with it. There's always plenty of room for fine tuning and improving your personal style once you get a solid swing foundation you can consistantly reproduce.

I've watched & seen a lot of instructional videos and tips over many years, some I've been able to gain some info from and fuse them into 'my style' and my game. Others have been in total opposition to the way I swing and play. If one swing and one technique fit everyone then there would be a lot of instructors and marketing people out of work very quickly.

Thanks for the comments, and I do agree with continuing to use my new swing, I don't mind having an unconvential swing, just wanted to hear everyone's opinion on the topic.

My question is techniques according to who? The person who questioned you changes may, or may not have a good understanding of how the golf swing works? Whose techniques did he say your swing was going against? What makes you so sure that you had sound technique before? (Being a 20+ handicapper your old technique probably wasn't/isn't as good as you thought/think).

Use the method that gives you the best ball contact.

I've gone throught the same thing. I'm sure every golfer has. The answer to your question is actually another question. How much better do you want to get? If you want to shoot in the low 70's, there's little choice but to perform the correct motion even though it's "uncomfortable" but will eventually result in an efficient, repeatable swing.

The only reason a motion is uncomfortable is because you're not used to it, your muscles aren't used to it. However, if it's comfortable but unorthodoxed and works, by all means do it (Arnold Palmer).

If you brush your teeth with your right hand and switch to left tomorrow, it will be uncomfrotable, but won't be wrong and also doesn't mean you won't get used to it and do it efficiently in time.

Something comfortable unorthodoxed move could get out of wack in a moment and because it's unorthodoxed, a fix will not be easy. If you have a simple, efficient, repeatable swing, flaws will be easier to identify and repair systematically.

Believe in one method and stick with it. Give it a chance even if you can't play for a while. Make sure you have a good coach you trust while going through the change.

I went through the same problem where I had an unconventional swing that worked for me for several years. I always felt that in the back of my mind that I still wanted the conventional swing.

My new swing is conventional and works better than my past swings. Infact I have several golf swing that I may use.

Why not have the same. Try your new golf swing, the unconventional and later on you will learn a new swing that may be conventional later on.

More importantly is that you are enjoying the game with you new unconventional swing for now as long as it is not causing you any pain with swing.

Can't argue with your logic, and wasn't being compared to anyone specific, and of course the comments came from someone who is a decent player, but not a professional. The comments were only based on the fact that I shift my hands/wrists forward a little to initiate my backswing and my swing path is a little more inside then "normal".

I am not sure if my old technique was any good or not, I know it didn't work for me, and the video that I recorded showed how bad it really was, but it matched up better with the "normal" swing path recommendations/tips. I played 3 rounds Friday and Saturday, on Friday I went back to my old swing as mentioned in my first post and shot a horrible 92, all of my shots went right, the two rounds I played on Saturday I concentrated on my new swing and shot two 79's. The majority of my shots had great contact and were straight, and the ones that were not, I know that I was over swinging which caused my out to in swing path. I agree with you to use the one that provides the best contact, and will continue to fine tune it.

I do perform the correct motion with my swing, but again, how I initiate my backswing and the swing path is just a little different than "normal" (how the professionals suggest the take away/swing path should be).

Unorthodoxed may not be the write word for my swing, maybe just a little off of normal. My new swing is simple, efficient, and is very natural for my muscle memory to remember, and when I don't hit it straight, I know exactly what I did wrong, with my old swing, I knew it was wrong because of the ball flight, but could never fix it.

Thanks, I believe that I have a conventional swing, except for the two parts I mentioned, and adopting my new swing has provided solid contact, straighter shots, and a proper finish, which I never had with my old swing. My ball flight was all over the place (mostly slices), I would hit 2 inches behind the ball, and where my feet/body ended after my finish was always very wrong.

The next time I go to the range I will record my swings (new and old) and post it for comments, maybe my new swing isn't as unconventional or to far from normal as some have led me to believe. Thanks again for the comments!