Swing change tips?

[vvrinne]

It's full blown winter here in Finland and now that the season is over I've decided to undergo a swing change during the winter. I'm posting this hoping to hear from anybody who has undergone a drastic swing change.

I begun playing golf this year, started early May. I took a two day course to start with just to get a feeling for the basics but have been working alone after that. I played about 80 rounds this year and have calculated that I've probably struck about 12 000 full swing shots. By the end of the year I got quite comfortable with my "homemade" swing and am now down to a 23 index. Even though I was steadily making progress I felt that I would probably reach a plateau with my swing and felt that unless I change it I would have a very difficult time in the future to improve further.

I've now taken my first two lessons and have been working on my new swing for a couple of weeks. My swing has pretty much been totally rebooted and I am up to a point now where I cannot turn back as I can't really use my old style anymore.

So if you want, please describe how your swing change went. Some interesting things would be:

- How often did you take lessons? I am currently taking one lesson per week and am willing to keep this up for the whole winter season (about 4-5 months) if I have to.

- How fast would you say that you progressed? How long would you estimate that it took for your new swing to feel like you could do it in your sleep? This probably varies depending on how big of a change you've undergone. Personally I feel like I am almost beginning from scratch.

- How often did you practice between sessions with your instructor? So far I have been practicing every day and I feel like it's almost too much. The muscles in my lower back especially are very stiff. It's nothing I can't live with but I am wondering if it will have an adverse effect on my development.

- How did you start your practice regime? I am wondering if I should be hitting like half-shots with a wedge for a month or what would be the most effective style of practicing the basics of my new swing. My current issue at the moment is to be able to use my hand less and be able to move the club by rotating around the spine. My old two plane swing required me to manipulate the club head with my wrists and in the new swing the arms need to be passive which is a big change.

Any thoughts on this are appreciated. This is a hugely frustrating time for me and it would be nice to hear some swing change survival stories to be able to stay in a positive mood :)

[Flopshot]

Hello there.

I might not have enough information for you as yet but i can share with you what ive done so far..


First of all, I havent played half the amount of golf you have this year because for me its been a busy year for work plus i moved house etc.. My game has improved this year still. My long game and my swing Have been ok so i left them alone and just played golf . havent been to the range really much. The only thing i have practiced all year is chipping and some putting.

i have only been able to play nine hole sessions after work in summer i have gone form shooting 47s 48's 50's to shooting 39's t0 43's Remember i have not even blinked at my long game i just went out on the course and swung the club.

Later on in the season from late september to now I decided to start working on my long game as i were struggling a bit on the driver and eventually through the range of clubs i hit a few shots short/right slicey etc. Now was the time i needed Proper lessons. I been playing golf for nearly three years i had a few lessons not many. I went to this guy who trains at the National Training academy at the Belfry. He has a local range near me. He hooked me up on this thing called the k vest and believe you me its absolutely amazin. It tought me that i was leaning towards the target on my backswing and away from it on my downs swing amongst other things i mention later. Hence my open club face and high shots reducing power and consistency So i have to learn now to keep my body and weight in the right places during the swing. Like you mentioned I cant even go back to my old swing...

(This is going to be the first winter that i train and practice to improve my golf so im sticking at it )

I went away and practised for a few times in the week . I recommend that you practise three times and play once or twice a week that works for me any way . You should get some rest in the schedule as you cant go on forever trust me.
i returned to my pro he hooked me up on the K vest again I had improved in the small time i had on the body position. now he was trying to get my hips to turn LESS in the back swing and turn my hips torso then hands on the down swing .. This for me is more difficult. By now i totally havent got a clue how i used to swing the club .. I have played 3 times since these changes and i must say I have been totally useless....

... BIG Swing changes take a lot of time to perfect and practice till you can hit the ball with confidence i have had a few shorter lessons to adjust bits and pieces but i still cant say ok par 3 168 yards Thats a 7 iron .ok im swinging the club a lot slower until im comfortable with my swing then i can swing faster. Like i mention my club selection is all over the place im still hitting inconsistent shots but hey I was swinging the club one way for two and a half years now my body has to get used to the changes. I will hope to cut my handicap on a personal level down to about 11 next year. I know i am capable I see it as a realistic target. I have also had a putting lesson but this was less off a problem because i needed less adjustment I will continue to train in all areas in the winter but prefebly the swing . When the spring summer comes(I will play more golf next season) I will probably do the same again and concentrate on chipping and putting etc and let my swing be. By then hopefully i will be comfortable with my long game changes, have some consistency and accuracy.

I am not expecting to play very well immediately i appreciate the time it will take . I can Say im enjoying it and thats the main thing Im enjoying the challenge.

Good Luck Rebuilding your swing

[Guest]

It's full blown winter here in Finland and now that the season is over I've decided to undergo a swing change during the winter. I'm posting this hoping to hear from anybody who has undergone a drastic swing change.

After reading your post, I can understand the "crossroads" type of feeling you're experiencing now. I myself have been an avid "swing-changer" until as of late (and the many frustrations they involve). My early swing change has been from a Jim-Furyk type of swing to a currently more level and on-plane swing. Some of the changes I underwent were under the supervision of an instructor, while others were not (which used to occur because I got too "smart" for my own good after reading a few swing tip articles from golf magazines ). To keep it short, I was never happy with my swing and constantly wanted to make it more perfect -that is, until last month. But to answer your questions, here are my answers based on my short (1.5 years) golfing experience: -I've been taking lessons 5 times a week everyday after work (I only do this because the range where I practice at has a special monthly program where you pay once and can get lessons as many times as you want for 1 whole month). -To change a swing flaw that I used to have, it would take me roughly 1~3 weeks. However, this is with me hitting around 400 balls per day (200 short-game, 200 long game), and even when I go home from the driving range, I repetitiously practice ingraining the proper feeling/mechanics at home with the help of a mirror. The key for me was to focus on fixing that flaw and be persistent with it. -Just like you, I go to the range 6 days a week. Even on days that I play, I will still return to the range after the round to practice some more (yes, I'm that crazy when it comes to golf ) -My daily practice routine consists of putting, then on to short game chipping, pitching (for 200 balls), and only then will I move to the long game/full swing (another 200 balls). It might be easier for me to change my swing flaws because I've been playing for only 1.5 years. From what I've read in the forums, the longer you've been playing, the harder (and longer) it is to change an "ingrained" swing flaw. As I've said, I've finally reached a point where I'm really comfortable with my swing (so much so that instructions on golf magazines fail to intrigue me). This first occured when I first realized (after a round with my instructors) that they are able to save par even though they don't hit perfect shots (no one hits perfect shots all the time). That's where I finally realized that it's not about how good your swing and shots are, but it's how you play (and try to save par) with your bad shots! But of course, to reach this point, it took me so much hard work and sweat (and frustrations along the way). But stick with it, endure the bad shots (which mostly are due to your body not getting used to the new swing yet) and slowly, (I'm sure) your swing will improve over time. But you might want to check your posture/balance/mechanics regarding your back pain (I've found that my best swings will feel really relaxed and do not take any painful tolls on my body. They're "comfortable" despite hitting around 400 balls per day). I will leave with some words that my instructor have told me countless times: "Golf has a biorhythm. It has it's ups and downs, but as you practice and improve, the ups will be significantly higher than the downs." All the best for your swinging and golfing endeavours!

[g-funk13]

First of all, good for you! Change isn't easy, but the only way to improvement.

Took my first lessons this summer (present from wife!). I wanted to lower my ballflight, and that involved changes in stance, grip, posture, and takeaway.

Keeping a journal of practice sessions helps. Its really easy to forget what you are doing to groove that new swing, and writing it down helps.

I find that intense periods of work (say a month) followed by a week or so off is good. Subconscious mind at work, body at rest.

Best of luck to you . . . to both of us!

[vvrinne]

I've been hammering away at my new swing for about three weeks now. Right now I am starting to see results but the new swing doesn't really feel like my own. So mechanically I can do what I want to and I'm seeing results with it but I still have to force it. Obviously it will probably take all winter for my muscle memory to adapt to the new state of things.

I am now swinging (or at least trying to) on a single plane and using my core muscles to move the club and drive the rotation of the torso. As a result I am now clearly seeing how weak those muscles actually are. So I definitely need some work strengthening my abs and lower back.

Things have taken a pretty big leap forward this week as I have now begun to see real results. The first two weeks were pretty tough because after my swing "reboot" I was hitting the ball a lot worse than when I started my swing change. So for me it seems like two weeks of hitting the range (or the dome in my case) was enough to start seeing actual results. My day average was about 150 balls per day I think. Since I am putting strain on muscles I haven't been actively using before it probably would have been smarter to have a few rest days as well. I'm doing a daily stretching routine but that hasn't stopped my lower back from stiffening up. So from now on I will probably only hit the dome 5 times per week.

[Flopshot]

Hey after about 3 or 4 weeks for me my swing is improving slowly.

I went out today played 9 holes(IN BAD WIND AND LIGHT RAIN) shot 43 which is cool. i could of scored better. check this out i hit 2FIR 2 GIR i got back 2back pars on 6(4) and 7(3)
20 of my 43 shots were putts (that is poor) i scored 18 stableford points.

So needless to say i was a bit more consistent and comfortable with my swing today, My chipping was close too. give it another 3 or 4 weeks then i should be comfortable enough to swing at full speed again when im happy im gonna get fitted for some titleist irons and perhaps some vokey wedges.

thing is i know for a fact i could of saved 4 putts today then "hey im in the 30's". on the 5th hole i left a s/wedge short took to much ground and hit the chip long then three putted .... If.. sorry... IF i hit a better wedge your looking at birdie or par. i actually dbl bogeed so hey theres another 2 shots i definately should of saved $$$. Really i should of shot a 37 other than that i can say im happy with what i achieved having changed my swing and stuff, i look forward to going out again.


Good Luck Guys

[vvrinne]

I've actually been meaning to get fitted as well as I'm still swinging the stock Wilson's I bought with out ever touching a golf club before. Been wondering whether I should get fitted right away or wait till my new swing has stabilized. It kind of makes sense to get fitted right away since I'm changing my swing anyways but I'm not really sure :)

[skyou]

I'll wait until I finish(well, it should be a relative term, obviously) the swing change, if I were you. When you feel good about the change, when your body go through the swing automatically with minimal intervention from your head, pulling out the brand spanking new club fitted to your swing on your favorite course, not the range should be great.

I'm kind of your boat right now. Trying to stick to OPS, using more core muscle, whole body. I played 3 rouds and hit the range ball for 11 consecutive days in a row, first time in my 1 year golfing experience. Some reason, I have no problem with my back, or any other parts, but my fingers, especially my two pinkys. I don't know why but my left pinky is hurting more. Can understand my right pinky is hurting, since I use interlocking grip, my right pinky gets stressed quite a lot, but why left pinky.

[sbgolfin_06]

I've actually been meaning to get fitted as well as I'm still swinging the stock Wilson's I bought with out ever touching a golf club before. Been wondering whether I should get fitted right away or wait till my new swing has stabilized. It kind of makes sense to get fitted right away since I'm changing my swing anyways but I'm not really sure :)

when considering getting fitted you have to take a few things into account. the first being your goals. are you trying to get down to a single digit handicap or are you just trying to enjoy your game more now? if you are in the first scenario, then i would say wait until

you feel comfortable with your swing. its not something that anyone else can accurately tell you. its that day when you play a round and you can look back to a majority of your shots that were well struck and they way you intended. at 23.5, that means you are playing in the mid-nineties on average(not sure if thats correct)? but if it is, thats about the time i got fitted for my cobra carbon cb irons, reg steel shafts. even though my scores were high, i was making really solid shots. my putting was the issue, as i strongly dislike it and almost hate it. i think putting is just too lucky as it relys less on skill and luck comes into play far too often. and i refused to practice it for the longest time. the clubs helped my swing and game progress a lot because my other clubs were way too long(2in too long) and had too much offset. they were an older set of callaway big bertha x-14s, reg flex. anyhow, i think it all comes down to how you feel about your game and your confidence in your swing.

[Platnumn]

Good luck with your swing changes!!! I am still on my first swing, hoping it works out