Takeaway: Don’t Forget the Shoulders, Golf (Video) - by Pete Styles
Takeaway: Don’t Forget the Shoulders, Golf (Video) - by Pete Styles

Once you’ve established yourself into a really good address position behind the golf ball, one of the biggest things and one of the first things that really needs to move to set a good rhythm to your golf swing, and that is to be getting your shoulders turning. I see a lot of people from this position, they get a bit too confused and a bit too sort of focused in on what the club head is doing and then moving the head here or the moving the hands here or the moving their arms, but then not actually turning the shoulders. I’m a real big fan of getting the body turning early under the golf swing, set the rhythm, set the momentum, set the power coming from the shoulders. So in the good address position, as I turn my shoulders back, if I turn my turn my left shoulder, my hands and arms are guided into a really good position on the backswing.

Once I have wound my shoulders up to a good position at the top, around about a 90 degree turn, and if you got decent levels flexibility, a 90 degree shoulder turn, is good for you in the back swing, then you can unwind your shoulders on the downswing, that’s the best way to create a nice powerful golf swing.

Couple of check points for you really here, if we just look at you from down the line, you take your good address position here and then work the shoulders nicely into the backswing, you should get to a position where the left arm is staying straight, the shaft of the golf club is parallel to the ground and parallel to the target, as the club gets the hit level. So at hit level we stop, we have a look, we make sure the shoulders are working and the clubs are in a good position. You’d also see the toe end of the golf club, up to the vertical position are slightly toed in, just slightly not forwards and that would tell me that my club is working nicely.

If I’m using my wrist too much, I might be outside the line, picking the club up as we would call that or maybe rotating the forearms too much and opening it up behind me. But on both of those swings, you will see my shoulders aren’t involved as far as much hands and arms. If I am utilizing my shoulders correctly, I will get to a good position here. Keep winding to a 90 degree shoulder position at the top and then releasing the shoulders, hands and arms quickly for your down swing. So if you want a good consistent, powerful swing, make sure the shoulders are controlling your take away, until the top of your backswing.

 2012-08-06

Once you’ve established yourself into a really good address position behind the golf ball, one of the biggest things and one of the first things that really needs to move to set a good rhythm to your golf swing, and that is to be getting your shoulders turning. I see a lot of people from this position, they get a bit too confused and a bit too sort of focused in on what the club head is doing and then moving the head here or the moving the hands here or the moving their arms, but then not actually turning the shoulders. I’m a real big fan of getting the body turning early under the golf swing, set the rhythm, set the momentum, set the power coming from the shoulders. So in the good address position, as I turn my shoulders back, if I turn my turn my left shoulder, my hands and arms are guided into a really good position on the backswing.

Once I have wound my shoulders up to a good position at the top, around about a 90 degree turn, and if you got decent levels flexibility, a 90 degree shoulder turn, is good for you in the back swing, then you can unwind your shoulders on the downswing, that’s the best way to create a nice powerful golf swing.

Couple of check points for you really here, if we just look at you from down the line, you take your good address position here and then work the shoulders nicely into the backswing, you should get to a position where the left arm is staying straight, the shaft of the golf club is parallel to the ground and parallel to the target, as the club gets the hit level. So at hit level we stop, we have a look, we make sure the shoulders are working and the clubs are in a good position. You’d also see the toe end of the golf club, up to the vertical position are slightly toed in, just slightly not forwards and that would tell me that my club is working nicely.

If I’m using my wrist too much, I might be outside the line, picking the club up as we would call that or maybe rotating the forearms too much and opening it up behind me. But on both of those swings, you will see my shoulders aren’t involved as far as much hands and arms. If I am utilizing my shoulders correctly, I will get to a good position here. Keep winding to a 90 degree shoulder position at the top and then releasing the shoulders, hands and arms quickly for your down swing. So if you want a good consistent, powerful swing, make sure the shoulders are controlling your take away, until the top of your backswing.