Should you consider a sweeping swing?

Many golfers prefer to sweep the ball off the ground rather then hit down and take a divot. Curtis Strange is one of many great golfers who used a sweeping swing with a lot of success.

Advantages of a sweeping swing:

• The club head comes into the ball on a flatter swing plane, enlarging the contact zone at the bottom of your swing arc. You will be less likely to come down too early and steep, digging into the ground (fat shot).

• When you do happen to hit the ground before the ball, a sweeping path will be more forgiving because the club head will be more likely to slide over the ground and into the ball. This gives you a much better chance for a decent shot even when you contact the ground early.

• With this greatly reduced ground contact, there will be much less strain and ware on body parts, like the hands, elbows, and shoulders.

• Since you use a sweeping swing with your driver, there are consistency advantages when you use a similar swing style throughout your set of clubs.


Equipment type will also play a factor in utilizing a sweeping swing:

• You can use a sweeping swing with standard irons, but they are the most difficult because of their narrow sole.

• Hybrid irons have a larger wider sole, and greatly improve the success of using a sweeping style swing.

• Standard and high-lofted fairway woods have the largest sole, offering the most forgiveness for a sweeping swing.