swing plane?

[westcoast941]

You guys/gals who haven't felt the frustration of fat shots or topping the ball in years. Has your swing developed so you're always in the same plane? The club leveling out at the same distance off the ground each time no matter what club your using because of your swing?

I've taken 3 1/2 hr lessons. The first 2 by the same person, she's an older former LPGA female, who I felt she being more my height of 5' 5" could give me better understanding and confidence than a 6ft 100+mph guy?

We worked on 3 things. Weak, nuetral, and strong grip, stance and take away.

A couple of weeks after I felt comfortable and natural with the hip rotation and club take away I went back. She fine tuned my stance, arms and cocking of wrists. I was feeling pretty confident and making good contact with the ball and sending them straight. I might note all this on a practice mat.

The 3rd lesson from an assitant golf pro who I just got the feeling he had other things on his mind than teaching that day also on a practice mat. I didn't want any other lesson other than my swing so it was kind of the same stuff the first 2 lessons were on.

Here's where this is going.

On the mats I had hit them straight. To a point I'm becoming capable of my individual distance I'm getting with each club. In real surroundings (playing) on grass I'm hitting fat or over correcting and topping the ball too much. Even at the range on grass. My 4-7 iron out of 100 balls I caught maybe 20. My drives still under 200 yrds often slicing, and many topped where I get an 80 mph ball racing 12 inches off the ground for 100 yards then roll another 50. No they don't climb



More lessons I'll get, but I want to fine tune this problem and ask in the forum before asking the instructor so I feel she/he knows what I want and not deviate from it?

thanks

[iacas]

I don't want to undermine what you're being instructed, so that's the reason I have to say this thing first. I have three points, but the first is most important:

1. Listen to your instructors. I don't think there's much advice we can give you here that will help you at this stage of your game. Is 20 out of 100 better than you could have done on your own? You're building a swing right now. The shots will come when you can repeat your swing.

2. It's easy to hit the ball "fat" off a mat and still have the shot look like a good shot. The mat will just let the club slide past and through.

3. Ditch the guy if you feel he's not giving you his full attention. Who wants that?

[westcoast941]

Thanks Erik

Totaly understand what you're saying. Guess what I was wondering as well as asking. Do many of you better golfers remember when you were doing this and when came the point where muscle memory came without thinking?

While doing some reading I came across this, as quoted by Tom Ward, Professional Golf Instructor

something I'll keep notice of


"To have a good angle the left leg passes the ball first, hands second, and club head last. This motion automatically moves the club head in the descending angle of approach. Having the club head passing the hands prior to impact creates an ascending angle of approach. Most of the time with this action the club head will hit the ground behind the ball (Chill dipping) or the swing bottoms out early and the ball is struck on the upswing, topping it."

the consequences sounds familiar to me