Today's tip stems from a question I recently received from Bruce Brown, a.k.a. ParBruce. As you'll see, Bruce has had some really good success with the Peak Performance Golf Swing but from time to time he finds himself slipping back into his old rotational swing habits.
"I have been a one plane swinger for thirty years and could never really improve. I've been using your swing and have dropped 8 strokes on my handicap even though I am 65. My problem is when I hit a bad shot it usually is a solid pull hook up to 40 yards left of the target. I can feel that I finish low over my left [forward] shoulder like I did with my old swing. What drill should I use to finish in the T-position?"
Bruce, what you are experiencing is not uncommon since nearly everyone who picks up the Peak Performance Golf Swing is a rotational swinger. I like to describe my limited turn, 3/4 vertical swing as a one plane swing even though we drop under that plane for a split second prior to and just after impact. (Basically from the rear catcher's mitt to the forward catcher's mitt). However, the maximum vertical incline plane we swing on is very different than that followed by a flatter rotational swing. At address, our plane line extends from the ball up to the base of the neck, almost as if the plane is resting on your shoulders. Once you get the club into the catcher's mitt toe up, you'll be lifting along that plane line to the top of your backswing and then down the same line, dropping underneath as you swing the club head along the aiming line. By the time the club head gets to the forward mitt, you are back on-plane and you ride that plane until your forward arm is over and parallel to the toe line.
There are several great drills to help you "find your place in space" that I have covered in my 14 Drills To A Better Swing video [$6.95 in Surge's Shop] as well as in a number of past blog posts. A couple of good ones are the Cactus Drill and the Skipping Rocks Drill. And today, I describe a new one (well, practically new) that I call the Ricochet Drill. In this one, use any thin rod that you can plant along the forward toe line at a point where it would hit about midway between the club head and your grip. Then carefully swing so that you lightly ricochet off the pole and lift vertically to your T-Finish. This really doesn't need to be a full-speed swing in order for you to groove the feeling of coming up the side of the pole. In fact, if you swing too hard you might snap the pole or injure yourself in some way so take it easy!
Use these drills to find exactly where your hands and club should be at every point in the BUS and FUS and you will soon be dropping even more stokes, Bruce.
Keep it vertical!
The Surge
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