The reverse pivot golf swing is something many left handed players struggle to overcome.
A reverse pivot sees the left leg straighten at the top of the back swing with the spine leaning towards the target. This also throws the hips away from the target and forces most of the body weight on to the front foot.
The reverse pivot is so problematic because it makes the transition into the down swing so difficult. During the down swing, players need to rotate the hips towards the target, keeping the body weight level with or slightly ahead of the ball. If the back swing reaches the reverse pivot position this becomes infinitely harder to achieve and normally results in the left handed golfer throwing their weight backward through impact and scooping the ball upward.
There are a number of ways players can try to cure a reverse pivot, here are a few for left handed golfers to try.
Turn Behind The Ball
The classic reverse pivot sees the hips move away from the target and the spine to tilt towards it. Use this drill to help stop this from happening.
1. Find an object such as a cardboard box which is hip high. Whatever the object is it should be strong enough to stand up on its own but soft enough not to cause any damage if struck with a club.
2. On a practice range, place the object just outside the left hip, only about five inches.
3. To complete the drill successfully, players need to practice turning away from the ball and feel they move the upper body behind it as they turn. This turn behind the ball should move a little bit more weight on to the left knee at the top of the swing and stop it from straightening out.
4. If the left handed golfer has successfully turned behind the ball and a little bit more weight has turned on to the left knee, the last piece of the jigsaw is to keep the hips stable.
5. This can be checked by ensuring the left hip does not touch the box. If it doesn't, the player will have successfully turned away.
6. From this position at the top of the swing, left handed golfers need to feel they are turning into the ball with the hips and striking down and through the ball with irons and sweeping the ball away with the woods.
A reverse pivot will cause a number of problems in both the backswing and through swing. Left handed golfers can use this drill and advice to ensure they have the best chance of turning through the ball successfully and hitting solid golf shots.
