Different swing planes for different body types?

[utztech]

I am 6'4" and 265 lbs.  While I am not going to lie and say its all muscle, I am not just a fatty either, I have broad shoulders and a 50 inch chest.   So now that you know more than you ever wanted to about me, I'll get to my question.

Since I started taking golf seriously 2 years ago, and trying to improve my swing, I have always had a hard time swinging from the inside.  I had a slice as a result.  So over the last 6-9 months I started taking the club away to the inside and swinging below plane as a result.  That did 'fix' the slice, but it introduced some bad pulls or blocks to the right if my timing was not perfect.  As a result my game was very inconsistent.

I finally decided to take some lessons and the first thing the instructor did was get me to start more on plane in the backswing.  I have really committed to the changes and I have seen great results, even breaking 80 for the first time.  I am taking the club back on plane now and to me it feels like it is really high in the air.

Now on Friday I went to Hot Stix for a driver fitting and found out my main problem with the driver is my attack angle is -7 degrees, so I am hitting down on the ball way too much for driver and getting too much spin as a result.  I have actually been taking huge divots with all my clubs since I started getting my swing on plane and so the info about the driver made sense.  I think I am coming in too steep with all the clubs

The driver fitting turned into a lesson with the guy tweaking my set-up and encouraging me to swing below plane so I could attack the ball at a better angle.  He said my chest is to big and there is just not enough room if I swing on plane.  He said big guys need to swing on a different plane.

So now I am a bit confused.  I would have just dismissed the Hot Stix guy out of hand, but I have always sort of felt that my shoulders and chest get in the way when I am trying to come from the inside so it put some doubt in my mind about the swing plane.

I am really enjoying the results from my instructor and I have only had two lessons with him.  He has only seen me hit pitching wedge and 8 iron at this point so I am going to keep going to him.  Maybe he will tweak my driver set-up when we get there, or maybe there are other things he will have me do that will improve my attack angle, we just have not gotten there yet.

So does anyone out there think there should be different swing planes for different body types?  Will I eventually get there if I just keep the faith?

[LankyLefty]

Golf instruction is an odd mix of art, science and therapy... If you have an instructor who is saying stuff the makes sense and is getting you lower scores out on the course stick with it. Id take that little nugget of information from your fitting and ask your instructor what to do with it.

In my non expert opinion I would say that hitting down on the ball too much is a problem many of us wish we had.

Another thing to consider is that while spin saps distance it improves accuracy. So if you feel like your hitting it long enough to be in a good spot for your next shot, having some extra spin isn't always a bad thing. Spin reduces the effects of wind and any draw or fade you might put on the ball, it also however creates lift which is why your ball is going so high and probably shorter then It could.

[Topper]

I feel your pain.  I'm 6'4" 275 pounds and wear a 56" suit jacket.  On top of that I have lower back issues from years of wear-and-tear (basketball, skiing, running, weightlifting, boxing, etc.).  I've said it before on this form, but many PGA instructors struggle when you fall outside physical "norms" and can't be shoe-horned into a specific set of swing mechanics (which may vary depending on the flavor of the month).  Even though I'm not sure that I understand exactly what your instructor is saying, I still like the sound of his advice.  At least he's acknowledging your physiology and adapting swing instruction to accommodate you instead of vice-versa.  That's a good sign in my opinion.

There are basic fundamentals of a good swing that apply to about everyone, but beyond that, let your body and the golf ball be your guide.  I'm a high handicapper so my suggestions don't represent "expert" golf advice but rather someone is who also on the larger size going through the same learning curve.  The following are some pointers that have helped me and may help you:

1.  Swing only in a manner and only to the extent where you can stay relaxed or you'll lose your posture.  We're not built like "golfers" so don't expect to do a full body coil on your back swing.  Take a shorter back swing and focus on staying centered and bringing your left shoulder down to the ball and then clearing it back of the way.  Feel like you're taking a half swing because in reality you're probably taking a fuller swing than you realize.

2.  When I feel my bicept lightly press against my chest on the back swing then I know that I'm on the correct swing path (whatever it is) because the ball flight is usually good.  Don't force anything.

3.  I know I've made an OK back swing when I've done #1 and #2 and I feel more weight on the inside of my rear (right) foot.  It's probably not a lot more...but more.  We're bigger guys so it's easy to sway but if you feel pressure only on the inside of your rear foot, there is no issue with swaying.

4.  Watch your grip pressure....especially in your right hand (if you're right handed).  This is a killer for me and contributes to my flipping.

5.  Watch your stance width!  This is a relatively new revelation with me.  We have broad shoulders and may have a tendency to take a stance that may be too wide. I found that taking shoulder width stance when driving kept me extremely stable but I could not get my weight forward on the follow through.  I narrowed my stance and immediately made more consistent contact and it was easier to "kiss the knees" and get my rear heel pointed up.  Take the narrowest stance you can that still maintains stability.  This goes for all clubs but especially the longer clubs (driver, woods, and hybrids).

6.  Don't rush the take away or it will throw off the rest of your swing.  This is certainly not unique to bigger guys but tempo issues might be magnified when your "wing span" exceeds 6 feet.

From one XXL guy to another, good luck and enjoy the game.

[MiniBlueDragon]

Without a shadow of doubt different body types have different ways to swing the club.

Your best bet is to video your swing and take a look at it yourself to check your plane/s and possibly post it on here for people to give you some ideas on what they see as being wrong. Feel is never real so although you may feel like you're taking it away too much to the inside or under plane etc it may be spot on.

There's also a possibility that you're setting up and swinging in a 2-plane swing but that your body needs a 1-plane swing to function at it's best. For example I started off being instructed in a 2-plane swing and got nowhere until I looked into Stack & Tilt which brought with it a wealth of information and fitted my stocky body shape much better (5'7" tall, 44" chest, 34" waist, 5'7" wing span and an excessive lower back 'lordosis' curvature). As my skill level improved I tried a lot of tweaks to the swing which I felt suited me more and I'm now the happy owner of a nice one-plane swing.

I'd also suggest some reading material:

- The Stack & Tilt Swing

- Jim Hardy's Plane Truth

- Andrew Rice's It's All About Impact

[rustyredcab]

Single plane swing or single axis swing may be for you. I'm talking about your shaft at address being on the same plane as your shaft at impact. To do this, you stand a little farther from the ball and instead of arms hanging down at address, you reach out to the ball. Instead of spinning hips and clearing to be on plane, you bring the club back on plane with your shoulders more square at impact and hips turned but much less.

This is how Moe Norman swung the club. He was one of the best ball-strikers ever. I have been modeling my swing after his since 2005. I'm not as big as you (6'0" and 200-260), but this swing works for big guys and flat bellies too. One of the reasons I switched was that this swing is much easier on my lower back. Graves Golf are my teachers and they teach the Moe Norman swing. I was an 18.0 index when I started trying to swing like Moe. I'm a 8.1 today and have been as low as a 7.2 last year. When I start putting well, look out.

Check Moe out :

http://moenormangolf.com/moe-norman/

[CuppedTin]

I think it's hard to argue with straight back and straight through. At your size you obviously don't need the extra power taught with Angular Motion or whatever the word is...

[CuppedTin]

Originally Posted by rustyredcab

Single plane swing or single axis swing may be for you. I'm talking about your shaft at address being on the same plane as your shaft at impact. To do this, you stand a little farther from the ball and instead of arms hanging down at address, you reach out to the ball. Instead of spinning hips and clearing to be on plane, you bring the club back on plane with your shoulders more square at impact and hips turned but much less.

This is how Moe Norman swung the club. He was one of the best ball-strikers ever. I have been modeling my swing after his since 2005. I'm not as big as you (6'0" and 200-260), but this swing works for big guys and flat bellies too. One of the reasons I switched was that this swing is much easier on my lower back. Graves Golf are my teachers and they teach the Moe Norman swing. I was an 18.0 index when I started trying to swing like Moe. I'm a 8.1 today and have been as low as a 7.2 last year. When I start putting well, look out.

Check Moe out :

http://moenormangolf.com/moe-norman/

The numbers tell the tale: With 17 holes in one, three scores of 59, four scores of 61, and more than 30 course records during his career, Moe Norman dominated Canadian golf through the mid 20th century. - from the website, pretty cool stuff.