Flat like Hogan or Upright like Nicklaus?

[chaptowngolfteam]

Had almost the exact same experience. Hank Haney consistently emphasizes that too vertical a swing is a major cause of slices and unwanted fading. A more horizontal swing has (almost) eliminated these problems for me. I also hit many fewer fat shots.

For me, my vertical swing was causing a major hook. I would even try to come over the top, and try to slice it, but that would just reduce the hook, but not get rid of it. Once I went flat, I don't want to go back.

[Brakkus]

There's less of a weight shift, but I think virtually every teacher in the world would disagree with you about the drive. The hip in particular still drives forward - it keeps going forward (and eventually rotating) right up through impact.

Ok hips yes I don't think you can stop all lateral movement,that's impossible because as we support our swing with the left leg and start to post up then there has to be a move across,but the modern swing leans towards rotation and the leg drive isn't a main component of the swing anymore,they are tighter and stay under the hips and support the uncoiling process,even Tiger who seems to almost try to bury his left foot into the turf does not drive forward with his legs infact he has to raise himself out of his dip to stay behind the ball or he would digging for potatoes.

[iacas]

Ok hips yes I don't think you can stop all lateral movement,that's impossible because as we support our swing with the left leg and start to post up then there has to be a move across,but the modern swing leans towards rotation and the leg drive isn't a main component of the swing anymore,they are tighter and stay under the hips and support the uncoiling process,even Tiger who seems to almost try to bury his left foot into the turf does not drive forward with his legs infact he has to raise himself out of his dip to stay behind the ball or he would digging for potatoes.

I think you're off base here. It's not like the pros of yester-year went further ahead. You can only go to the outside of your front foot. Modern pros get there. Pros from the 1950s and 1960s got there.

The "reverse C" isn't quite still around, but that's a nearly entirely different discussion. Things look different, but that doesn't mean something as basic as the hip drive forward is minimized (or increased) nowadays. Beyond that, I think this is a bit off of the original topic, so I'll bow out now.

[ugottabjoshinme]

I used to have more of an upright swing when i first started playing and I had a severe case of hitting the ball out to in and creating a slice. I ended up getting a lesson from a local PGA pro who gave me a drill to train my swing to hit the ball from the inside. Slices fixed.

Can you tell me what the drill was to get you to hit from the inside?

[chspeed]

Zach Johnson has a pretty flat swing. I've heard commentators saying his swing looked a lot like Hogan's.

[wannabe]

Zach Johnson has a pretty flat swing. I've heard commentators saying his swing looked a lot like Hogan's.

That would be me, my swing has my left arm way below my right shoulder at the top of my swing. I recently changed my swing to this and noticed a greater increase in consistency, higher ball flight, and much more control over the direction of my ball. It has been working so far, and I will keep it until something goes wrong. I typically change my swing at least 1-3 times per month. But this swing has lasted about 2 months.

this is me, or at least what it feels like to me.

[verse214]

Can you tell me what the drill was to get you to hit from the inside?

Definitely.. i've posted this before and will post it again; it has drastically helped me improve my swing and consistency within 3-4 months or practicing about 3-4 times a week at the range in 2 hour sessions and I've been playing since Sept '08

If you get a rectangular impact bag or a shoebox (fill it with bricks so it won't fly away) and line it up parallel to the target line on the other side of the ball. make sure you keep the impact bag within 2 ball widths from the ball itself. square up and hit the ball. if you come over the top you'll hit the bag or box (hopefully not the bricks =). It forces you to hit the ball from the inside. Before I did this drill I was always focusing on hitting the ball, but now i can just swing and hit the ball without even looking at it. It may be different for you, but my main problem was not keeping my right elbow close to my body. Good luck! you may feel silly at first if people look at you at the range but I didn't care because it got me that much better...

[verse214]

Zach Johnson has a pretty flat swing. I've heard commentators saying his swing looked a lot like Hogan's.

I was actually about to write something about this..

I got the most recent Golf Digest and i am no long concerned with swinging flat after seeing Zach Johnson's frame by frame in their swing section. The plane he takes his driver back on is the exact same plane that i swing on so i feel MUCH better now (call me crazy, but i'm sure a lot of you are the same way about your swings). I definitely take the club too far inside sometimes on my backswing though but i'm going to keep working on that. They even had an article about swinging too steep and too flat and what to do to strive towards a neutral swing. Thank you all for your input!

[Brakkus]

I think you're off base here. It's not like the pros of yester-year went further ahead. You can only go to the outside of your front foot. Modern pros get there. Pros from the 1950s and 1960s got there.

No problem I did deviate a little there.