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Before (left), Tom was so flat, it was nearly impossible to get back to the ball in a good position. The improvement on the right is dramatic!

How to Fix That Flat Backswing

Once we had the core movements of the Takeaway down like you can learn in the "5 Minutes to the Perfect Takeaway" video, we simply had to continue with the core movements (REF - Rotation, Elevation, Flexion) to make big improvements in his backswing.

In doing so, Tom's club is in such a better position it's hard to put into words!

His club was so flat in the "before" position (on the left) that bringing the club back to a solid impact position from there was almost impossible.

Now (on the right), his hands are more in front of his chest, the club is more on plane and his hips have rotated far less.

Tom had also developed a tendency to want to shift onto the ball of his right foot from the club going so far behind him (a natural counter-balance maneuver) that we had to teach him to rotate his upper torso separate from his lower torso and to then push his right ankle into the ground.

Now, his lower body is less rotated and rock-solid.

Tom learned to rotate from the proper muscles and stabilized his lower body as well.

At the top, we're not quite perfect, but we're certainly going to have a really good shot at bringing the club back down on plane from here compared to before! (Hey, it's only been 4 minutes at this point, remember?!)

Now let's take a look from face on.

Tom used to inefficiently "push" with his left arm (left). Now, he "pulls" properly with his right side muscles. His left shoulder position indicates this change.

For More Width & Rotation, Pull, Don't Push

There's no question where Tom's force of movement was coming from before. Note the hiked up left shoulder and rotated left arm—an obvious "push" move (learn more about pushing vs. pulling in the golf swing).

Because of this, there was need for his body to rotate during the takeaway, and that's what led to all the horrible positions you saw above from down the line.

Now, Tom looks like Tiger Woods (well, the old Tiger anyway) with width and extension like Davis Love III...only better ;-).

Tom is much more coiled now, with a lot fewer moving parts.

As you saw in the down-the-line view, Tom's club was so flat that it was pointing miles outside the target line. Now, Tom has a great, coiled turn and a backswing with FAR FEWER MOVING PARTS than before and fewer moving parts means more consistency.

As I mentioned before, we can't perfect everything in 4 minutes, but we came darn close!

More turn, greater loading into the rear glute, and a club more on plane—not bad for 4 minutes of work!

4 Minutes of "Hard Work" = Better Power & Plane

At the top, he's loaded up behind the ball, coiled over his right glute and his arms are in front of his body with the club more on plane. It's also clear to see how much more of a turn Tom has made in the picture on the right.

Tom complained he had lost power over the last year, and these changes will have him hitting longer shots in no time.

When I see Tom next, we'll work on the downswing. For now, his homework is 100 reps per day on the backswing mechanics we worked on. This is necessary for him (or anyone) to master these new movement patterns.

If you'd like to start seeing these types of changes in your swing, then you need to sign up for a premium membership and watch the "5 Minutes to the Perfect Takeaway" and "5 Minutes to the Perfect Backswing" videos.

Then YOU can be the one making these changes in 4 minutes!