Pete Finch – PGA Teaching Pro
When people are looking to increase the amounts of rotation within their backswing it can really boil down to two points, shoulders and then hips. What a lot of people don’t seem to realize and I think this is probably by looking at plays like Tiger Woods who is exceptionally flexible is that during the backswing technique you want your hips to rotate. You do not want them to stay absolutely static and absolutely still. If you can make a full backswing turn while keeping your hips very, very still you are not only a golfer you are probably a gymnast in the Moscow state circus. So we need to allow those hips to turn if you do not have the flexibility to do so, this is so many people at the practise range trying to turn their shoulders as much as they can whilst they keeping their hips as still as possible.
If you watch the majority of great players when they turn their shoulders are rotating, they get to about 90? in relation to the target; in relation to turning away from that ball but their right hip also rotate around. The key difference here is as that right hip rotates around it doesn’t lift upwards. If the right hip lifts upwards then you will start to tilt down towards your target which will cause problems during the downswing. So if you wish to increase your backswing rotation, turn your shoulders as much as you can and then also allow that right hip to also rotate around. Do not get stuck in the mind-set that your hip needs to stay a still as possible, the only caveat to this sis with your right knee and your right leg trying to keep that held inwards. If you keep that right knee held inwards then you won’t be swaying away too much, the right knee is in, shoulders turned, hip turns by 90? in the hips probably about half that much. If you half turn then rotation focus on those two aspects and you should be able to get that little bit more turn within your backswing. 2016-10-06When people are looking to increase the amounts of rotation within their backswing it can really boil down to two points, shoulders and then hips. What a lot of people don’t seem to realize and I think this is probably by looking at plays like Tiger Woods who is exceptionally flexible is that during the backswing technique you want your hips to rotate. You do not want them to stay absolutely static and absolutely still. If you can make a full backswing turn while keeping your hips very, very still you are not only a golfer you are probably a gymnast in the Moscow state circus. So we need to allow those hips to turn if you do not have the flexibility to do so, this is so many people at the practise range trying to turn their shoulders as much as they can whilst they keeping their hips as still as possible.
If you watch the majority of great players when they turn their shoulders are rotating, they get to about 90? in relation to the target; in relation to turning away from that ball but their right hip also rotate around. The key difference here is as that right hip rotates around it doesn’t lift upwards. If the right hip lifts upwards then you will start to tilt down towards your target which will cause problems during the downswing. So if you wish to increase your backswing rotation, turn your shoulders as much as you can and then also allow that right hip to also rotate around. Do not get stuck in the mind-set that your hip needs to stay a still as possible, the only caveat to this sis with your right knee and your right leg trying to keep that held inwards.
If you keep that right knee held inwards then you won’t be swaying away too much, the right knee is in, shoulders turned, hip turns by 90? in the hips probably about half that much. If you half turn then rotation focus on those two aspects and you should be able to get that little bit more turn within your backswing.
