Flat shoulder turn describes the plane of the shoulders as the student turns to the top of their backswing. At address the spine is tilted due to the forward bend of the hips to allow you to get into the correct setup position. In the ideal world the shoulders would move perpendicular to the tilt of the spine on the backswing. A flat shoulder plane is when the shoulders turn on a more horizontal plane than the axis of the original spine angle. This movement will also cause a change to the swing planes and original spine angle, both of which will reduce the efficiency of the swing.

Causes-
1. Range of motion in Shoulders and Lats- If the ROM is poor, they can loose their posture and their shoulders will turn on a flatter than normal plane in order to try to get width and a full turn in the backswing.

2. Lack of forward tilt at address- This will put a player in a position that forces their arms to move away from their body on the backswing and causes the flat shoulder turn. This can be caused by a lack of mobility in the Thoracic spine or poor technique.

3. X-Factor- A limited X-factor (The ability to separate upper body from your lower body) can force the player to stand up versus rotating their upper body around their lower.

Now, as with Early Extension and Loss of posture, Flat Shoulder Plane is related to loosing your posture! Listen, if you want to be better at golf or any other sport for that matter, then you need to get a solid foundation established through your posture!

If you need, Tyler or I can create for you a “killer” posture program that will come to you in video format and will change your game forever!