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Swing your swing?

ShotScope
SouthernShred

SouthernShred

'16 Grandaddy Champ - Team Unity
Joined
Jun 9, 2013
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Location
Highlands Ranch, CO
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"Philosophical" question...

We all try to improve our game via lessons, grinding on the range, etc. There are thousands of training devices, more YouTube instructional videos than you can possibly watch in a lifetime and a plethora of swing coaches to study with.

With the assumption you have a swing that works for you but may have a flaw according to a "model swing" or "fundamentally correct swing". Do you correct or rebuild the swing to fix flaw, assuming it will make you a better golfer or do you roll with what you have, knowing it works?
 
Swing your swing?

I think it depends on how severe the swing flaw is.

If the player is slicing or hooking the ball out of play with each swing, then I think more serious issues need to be addressed.

If the player is playing well, but just a little inconsistent, then i would just find a pro who can fix minor flaw without rebuilding the swing.

At the end of the day we aren’t on tour or playing for money, but we want to enjoy the game. A good repeatable swing, no matter how unconventional it looks, is all we need imo.
 
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mikeg_74 said:
I think it depends on how severe the swing flaw is.

If the player is diving or hooking the ball out of play with each swing, then I think more serious issues need to be addressed.

If the player is playing well, but just a little inconsistent, then i would just find a pro who can fix minor flaw without rebuilding the swing.

At the end of the day we aren’t on tour or playing for money, but we want to enjoy the game. A good repeatable swing, no matter how unconventional it looks, is all we need imo.
Click to expand...

Need not say more. Very well put.
 
I don't have the patience to work through a swing change so roll with what I have that works pretty well most of the time. If all of this information and access to video instruction was available 20 years ago when I was in my early 30's as opposed to early 50's, I would possbily feel different knowing the number of years ahead of me in my prime golfing life.
 
I try to fix my swing flaws with the knowledge that long-term it will pay off. Now I generally do it during the winter, and just roll with what I have during our golf season. It has made a big difference for me. While I could still shoot good scores with my previous flaws, they were less common. Consistency was the biggest thing I gained from it.
 
Depends how good you want to be... I think some swing flaws will definitely limit your upside, and you might be ok with that if you enjoy playing the game at your present ability +/- a couple of strokes. The closer you get to scratch, you have to be very fundamentally sound to improve or stay at that level. That type of effort isn't worth it to everyone. I think it's important to know what you want out of the game.
 
I've always viewed a "swing your swing" philosophy as meaning more to embrace your own style rather that meticulously attempting to emulate another's or some perspective of a "proper" swing template.

As for flaws, as stated above, those of the catastrophic variety need to be addressed. Minor flaws can certainly be worked around and that work-around can be ingrained (ie: Jim Furyk).

For me, I spent years trying to shorten my swing with driver and 4W. Was only an issue with the longer clubs, vastly worse with driver.

I'd routinely bounce the shaft off the back of my neck on the backswing. Too much turn but even worse and more applicable to the issue, my arms would break down.

Whatever the mental or physical trigger, I just couldn't effectively address it. I found myself fixated through practice but worse, during play too.

Finally, after years and so exhausted at the thought and unwilling to expend anymore energy toward it, I just gave up. I played the hand I was dealt, without concern nor fear. And once I did, my anxiety level subsided pretty quickly and my scores dropped a respectable amount.

Eventually, Father Time would provide for me what my stubborn noggin couldn't. A loss in flexibility shortened my swing all on it's own. I've since lost distance but I've gained accuracy and the scores have tumbled once again.
 
Lions81 said:
I try to fix my swing flaws with the knowledge that long-term it will pay off. Now I generally do it during the winter, and just roll with what I have during our golf season. It has made a big difference for me. While I could still shoot good scores with my previous flaws, they were less common. Consistency was the biggest thing I gained from it.
Click to expand...

Good point - the question also depends on the context. Do you go with your present swing over the course of a round, a month, a season, whatever? I definitely won't attempt changes during a round, but maybe during a season depending on how bad I'm hitting it. Definitely will work on things during the offseason. I don't think I'll ever accept that my swing won't get better.
 
mikeg_74 said:
I think it depends on how severe the swing flaw is.

If the player is slicing or hooking the ball out of play with each swing, then I think more serious issues need to be addressed.

If the player is playing well, but just a little inconsistent, then i would just find a pro who can fix minor flaw without rebuilding the swing.

At the end of the day we aren’t on tour or playing for money, but we want to enjoy the game. A good repeatable swing, no matter how unconventional it looks, is all we need imo.
Click to expand...
Perfect response and thought imo.

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I’m in the rebuilding stages of my swing. Luckily my instructor didn’t have to adjust me too much to get better results.


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bubba watson jim furyk

it's not a swing fault if you know how it affects the result
 
Some swing flaws will limit your ceiling.

Jim Furyk and Bubba Watson don't wipe across the ball and hit a weak 45-degree slice (unless they're trying to). Big difference between a weird-looking swing that delivers the club squarely and a weird-looking swing that almost never does.
 
I just swing whatever feels comfortable to be honest.
 
I have played with a couple of older guys at local munis who flat rocked out a little fade/slice. They just aimed left and it landed in the middle/left of the fairway off the tee and near the green on approach. Both had good short games and cleaned up their misses neatly. One guy shot an 80 and one guy shot an 82.
 
I've been rolling with what works for me since 1978. I've had only a handful of lessons in my life and I would guess that certainly, I would have had more struggles or bad periods of play had I tried to make big changes or had several instructors. There is a sense of pride and confidence that comes from building your swing without help and I'm proud of the fact that my index hasn't been any higher than a 1.8 since 1981. For a decade or more I tried to fix my bent left arm at the top but I finally decided to just leave it be and play my swing.
 
From what I see at the course, and guys I play with, I'd say <5% o guys stick with one or two things to work on....work them to conclusion...fix the flaws. Their instructor will ask them to work on something like half-swing shots with a SW to solve some issue, maybe get the feel of rotation. The guy hits maybe 5 SWs...then...off to the races with driver swings and nothing is fixed. Same thing happens with piano, guitar, or other activities that require patience and step-by-step learning progression.
 
SouthernShred said:
"Philosophical" question...

We all try to improve our game via lessons, grinding on the range, etc. There are thousands of training devices, more YouTube instructional videos than you can possibly watch in a lifetime and a plethora of swing coaches to study with.

With the assumption you have a swing that works for you but may have a flaw according to a "model swing" or "fundamentally correct swing". Do you correct or rebuild the swing to fix flaw, assuming it will make you a better golfer or do you roll with what you have, knowing it works?
Click to expand...


I have a couple physical aliments that have really exposed my swing flaws. These issues may impact my ability to implement an adjustment to the most obviou flaw that I have battled for a while. I probably was able to overcome somewhat in the past when I was more healthy, but now its time to adjust

I received some great advice from some terrific golfers including LittleRat, chefkritter, PKorf, ChristopherKee, MasterYags, j_fizzle (formerly known as ... sizzle ), Tadashi70 to name a few. (Yeah, I tried to absorb as much as I could and am grateful for their time...) I'm committed to implementing two specific changes, one building on the other, to hopefully make me a more consistent player.
 
If everyone could move like Adam Scott we’d all be on tour. Of course we have to swing our swings. But within that construct I think we will be happier if we can get to some number of correct positions and if our swing repeats.


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#1 - Let's get real. Most of us have way more than one minor swing flaw.
#2 - Most of us don't have the time or ability to correct all our swing flaws. Some don't even care to try. That's okay, it's a game and meant to be fun.
#3 - Given the limitations of #2, most of us who want to improve would be well served to determine which swing flaws are impacting us the most and work on that one. Trying to solve world hunger rarely works, especially with little time and resources.

I've also seen this phrase "Swing your swing" used to excuse or justify some really horrible swings that produce really poor results. I don't think that's what Arnold Palmer had in mind. There are some fundamentals that all good swings share such as certain positions at impact. There is lots of room for individuality to achieve specific results. But there are some absolutes that, like the laws of physics, we mere mortals don't get to change.
 
mikeg_74 said:
I think it depends on how severe the swing flaw is.

If the player is slicing or hooking the ball out of play with each swing, then I think more serious issues need to be addressed.

If the player is playing well, but just a little inconsistent, then i would just find a pro who can fix minor flaw without rebuilding the swing.

At the end of the day we aren’t on tour or playing for money, but we want to enjoy the game. A good repeatable swing, no matter how unconventional it looks, is all we need imo.
Click to expand...

+2 for me
 
This is an interesting question and the answer is probably different for each person depending on their available time and swing fault.

The basics of posture, grip and balance are always worth addressing, trying to be in certain positions throughout the swing I am not so sure about.

I went around in circles for 3 yrs trying to be in certain positions throughout my swing. Handicap went the wrong way and I had less and less enjoyment from playing golf.

Finally decided no more lessons and I would go with what I had. Practiced short game to full swing 90/10. Handicap halved and enjoyment doubled.

Learning to swing freely without swing thoughts other than the target is also something I work on. Some days it easier than others though.
 
To the OP, you likely already know my opinions but I’ll share them.

“Swing your swing” I believe is just a saying to imply that there are tons of great swings out there and many different ways to be successful but ultimately the better players will have certain important things in common (face at impact, in-to-out path, hands in front club at impact, etc)

There’s plenty of instructors out there who will want to overhaul every students swing to emulate what they think is “the ideal swing.” But there are also plenty of guys who are willing to work to fine tune what you have. Major or minor flaws might need to be fixed with either but find a pro who wants to maximize your swing without starting from scratch.

Shannon, with your swing/lag, Sergio comes to mind.


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Zbuechner4 said:
To the OP, you likely already know my opinions but I’ll share them.

“Swing your swing” I believe is just a saying to imply that there are tons of great swings out there and many different ways to be successful but ultimately the better players will have certain important things in common (face at impact, in-to-out path, hands in front club at impact, etc)

There’s plenty of instructors out there who will want to overhaul every students swing to emulate what they think is “the ideal swing.” But there are also plenty of guys who are willing to work to fine tune what you have. Major or minor flaws might need to be fixed with either but find a pro who wants to maximize your swing without starting from scratch.

Shannon, with your swing/lag, Sergio comes to mind.


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Click to expand...

This is kind of what I was thinking.
A swing flaw by whose definition?
Vertical swings, Flat swings, One Plane Swings, Two Plane swings, open stance, closed stance, neutral stance, swings that use weak grips, swing that use strong grips, swings with your weight left, swing with setup heavy right, stand tall, bend over, keep your left arm straight, let your left arm bend, keep your head still, let your head move, swing with your arms/hands, swing using your body and passive hands....and on and on.
I could find good legitimate instructors that use and are ok with any of the above.
So it's a matter of finding what works for you and fine tuning it.
Or, commit to an instructor and do everything he says (method swing).
Lots of ways to skin a cat.....
 
BigE said:
This is kind of what I was thinking.
A swing flaw by whose definition?
Vertical swings, Flat swings, One Plane Swings, Two Plane swings, open stance, closed stance, neutral stance, swings that use weak grips, swing that use strong grips, swings with your weight left, swing with setup heavy right, stand tall, bend over, keep your left arm straight, let your left arm bend, keep your head still, let your head move, swing with your arms/hands, swing using your body and passive hands....and on and on.
I could find good legitimate instructors that use and are ok with any of the above.
So it's a matter of finding what works for you and fine tuning it.
Or, commit to an instructor and do everything he says (method swing).
Lots of ways to skin a cat.....
Click to expand...

Agreed with a lot of what you said here. But my non-expert opinion thinks that a “swing flaw” really comes from the wrong combination of what you’ve listed above. Example: A player has problems with slicing the golf ball and has a weak grip, OTT move and an open stance at address.


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Good thoughts, so far. I would also add that it depends on what you want to do with golf... I play golf as a hobby and to have fun, but I also like the competitive aspect of it, whether that's a tournament, league, or me versus the course. I know I can shoot in the low 80s regularly (if not consistently) and occasionally go sub-80 with the swing I have, but have reached somewhat of a plateau... If I want to be able to push that scoring ability/consistency a bit lower, then I need to decide how best to do that.
 
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