Rate My Swing: ma33a1

“Frank, you look like you strike the ball really well despite the backswing being a little flat. The backswing in golf influences the downswing, however, I often remind many of my students that you don’t hit the ball with your backswing and are judged by the quality of your downswing.

“Many top pros have unorthodox moves then compensate and deliver the club correctly. So ask yourself, does it cause an errant shot pattern? Am I changing for aesthetic reasons or function?

“You can try various drills to capture the feeling of a more ‘on plane’ backswing. One old one is form your set up with your heels about 1ft from a hedge or wall and make a backswing without the clubhead striking the wall.

“Alternatively, using a cane or old shaft, stick it in the ground mirroring the shaft angle about 3ft back along the target line, cover it with some polyfoam pipe insulation so it wont damage your club if clipped, then shuffle a few inches forward and rehearse the swing.

“Using a 9 iron, ‘overdo’ the feeling of steepness by putting a tee peg in the end of the club, then put a golf ball in line with your right toe line and 2ft back.

“Make some swings so the shaft almost feels vertical with the tee peg pointing down towards the ball when your hands reach chest height.

“Hope all these help. Good luck.”