Stand And Deliver

Friday night was lesson night and it was back to the Downshire in Wokingham for the next dose of tuition from Rhys ap Iolo. So far I've had four lessons on the one plane swing since going to Rhys for lessons which is part of the Plane Truth methodology (http://www.planetruthgolf.com/)

It has revolutionised the way I've played in 2012 and I am without doubt hitting it much better and on a more regular basis than I have done for a long time and even when the game isn't quite firing on all cylinders I've managed to generally find a way of getting it round.

As per normal, we had a chat about my recent performance, including the Camberley debacle, and about how I've been playing. I hit a few shots as Rhys watched and filmed my attempts. I hit it solidly and the tracking software showed the flight, distance, direction and a host of technical data including launch angle and spin rates. I thought I was doing well but Rhys highlighted something in the address position he wasn't happy with and which was causing problems.

In essence the hands at address are too close to the body and there isn't sufficient room to make the swing and get the club exiting properly. I was getting too tight and cramped for space. The solution was simply to stand further away and get the arms hanging down more. To ensure I was standing the correct distance away Rhys wanted me to take the club in my right hand, let my left arm hang down into its natural position and then put the club into the left hand in that position and re-position the right hand to form the grip.

It really felt as though I was reaching miles for the ball and very uncomfortable. The problems weren't over, and Rhys was unhappy with the position of the club in the backswing. I've been working very hard on making a flatter turn to try and stop the club pointing across the line at the top of the swing. On the video, it was still there, but compared to the last lesson in early May, I've managed to get it better and moved it at least 6-8 inches backtowards a more neutral position. It still goes across slightly, hence Rhys being unhappy with the backswing but there is definite progress.

The upshot is that I still need to try and get the club more offset on the back swing. The new address position will give me more room to go back and through although the results in the lesson were not encouraging. Whether it was trying to think of too many things at once, trying too hard or just not being able to adjust, I was having real trouble finding the bottom of the ball. Shot after shot was thin. Straight but low. I couldn't get it into the air.

With a roll up game on Saturday and the monthly medal on Sunday I wasn't going to try and make any changes to a swing which had served me successfully in the Volvo matchplay earlier in the week. The hard work will start on Monday. I'll hit the practise ground at Royal Ascot, weather permitting, and start with the new and improved address position and try and work on the takeaway. To be honest I'm not overly fussed about the contact, direction or distance. This is where the mistakes can be made as I learn to stand better over the ball.

The problem I will have is the change will make the swing shallower. As this is something Rhys and I have been working to change since we began our lessons, this is a double whammy but the takeaway into a more offset position is the building block on which the rest of the swing changes will be built on. I need to fathom out a way to get back to the bottom of the ball and turn onto it.

As always I see the logic in the change. I need to give myself room to move especially in the hit zone to deliver the club correctly and powefully.The set-up as it is means that I am having to make compensations all the time to hit the ball. It is all about stripping the swing down into as simple a motion as I can which I can repeat again and again. It is about being able to stand and deliver.