Taking the direct route
Analysis by Butch Harmon
When I compare Steve Flesch's swing today to his swing from two years ago, I almost can't believe this is the same player.
Steve's head used to drop on his backswing, and he would come through underneath his original swing plane--a serious loss of spine angle. All that movement made him an inconsistent ball-striker. Steve's his own toughest critic, so he was determined to improve.
It all starts with a good setup. Steve's address position is much improved--his chin is up, and his posture is nice and straight, instead of slumped over. He used to have a long, loose swing, with the clubshaft going past parallel at the top. Now, the shaft gets to parallel with the clubhead square. The club doesn't come down under the plane anymore, either--it used to be on his left forearm in the fifth picture on the bottom row here--and he's generating a lot more effortless power these days instead of power with effort.
The improvement in Steve's ball-striking has been dramatic. After being outside the top 100 in driving accuracy in 2003, he's about 50th this year, and the confidence that generates has spread through his game. Steve won his first PGA Tour event, in New Orleans last year, and won the Colonial this spring. He just missed making this year's Ryder Cup team, but with his improved swing, he'll certainly be a serious threat to make the next one.
Swing sequence: Downline
