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There are a number of different ways a golfer can think about body movements during the back swing. One such way is how the chest rotates.

Focusing on the chest centre, the sternum, is a great way to simplify many essential back swing movements. Follow this guide for how the chest should rotate throughout the swing.

• When addressing the ball the sternum should be pointing forward and slightly downward (because of spine tilt), at right angles to the target line
• As the hands begin to take the club away the sternum should begin to rotate away from the ball also
• The chest should continue to rotate as the hands rise upward until it points away from the target. This movement will bring the left shoulder underneath the chin and complete the back swing turn
• From the top of the back swing the hips should begin to turn towards the target and the chest should lag slightly behind. A nice way to think about this is that the belt buckle just outpaces the sternum during the down swing
• As the club approaches impact the sternum should be pointing forward again or slightly left of the ball. This will help keep the body in sync and help deliver more consistent golf shots
• After impact the chest should continue to turn and rotate with the rest of the body until it points towards the target
• When holding the finish position, players should see the sternum and belt buckle have lined up once again and are pointing at the target

Thinking about the chest movements during the golf swing should help eliminate many of the more confusing aspects of golfing technique.

Many people believe that to increase the consistency of their golf shots the chest should remain as still as possible throughout the swing. If a player manages to accomplish this the result will be a very hand and arm dominated swing with none of the major core muscles playing a significant role. Rotating the chest will help with more consistent and powerful shots.

Although keeping the chest still is not a feasible option, rotating it excessively could also cause problems. If the sternum, for example, turned too far during the back swing it could cause a large over swing.

The chest should stay tilted over the ball throughout the swing until after impact. Once the ball has been hit then it can move upward as the spine angle straightens out. If the chest lifts up before impact golfers could hit a thin or topped golf shot.