Sequencing the Swing Elite Video (written in first person so you can read it like you are talking about yourself)
A poor backswing puts a lot of unnecessary pressure on my impact position.
Some coaches say the backswing doesn’t matter; it’s all about the impact position, to me that’s like saying that warming up before you do exercise doesn’t matter. Yes some people can just start exercising without the worry of pulling a muscle, but they’re the exception not the rule. For the rest of us, if we don’t warm up properly we risk or increase the chance of something bad happening a bit like if I forget about making a good back swing I again risk or increase the chance of something bad happening.
Of course there are exceptions to this rule but here’s an interesting statistic, only 3 winners out of 43 who won on the 2009 PGA Tour were using what would be considered as an unorthodox back swings, Kenny Perry, Ryan Moore and Matt Kuchar, that’s less than 7%, so that means the other 93% of wins went to players with more technically correct back swings. Now I’m not saying that unorthodox back swing cant work because quite clearly they do, I’m just saying that if given the choice its better to have a technically sound backswing like Mcilroy, Michelle Wie, Ishikawa or Tiger.
Getting this move right will help me in the sequencing of my swing and will help me to swing the golf club just like the pro’s mentioned above.
Connection is the key to the golf swing
Start the swing with my left shoulder not my hands and arms
Let my left shoulder drive my golf swing, this will help me to increase the opportunity to swing the club on a good line and plain
Swinging the club independently with just my hands and arms increases the chance to get the club across the line or alternatively lay off as I reach the top of my back swing
Maintaining connection on my back swing will dramatically help me to coil the top half of my body against my lower half of my body
If I have the right set up position (Power set up) it allows me to only try to swing the club ¾ length on my back swing. This will generate more than enough power. Even with a driver I should be trying to stay short of parallel at the top of my swing.
Remember anytime I get the club into a poor position at the top of my backswing, timing is going to play a huge part in squaring up the club at impact, timing is something that comes and goes, not something that I want to rely on in my golf swing.
The downswing starts from the ground up, if I have turned correctly to the top of my swing, my legs and hips should be perfectly coiled and ready and waiting to be unleashed.
The sequence all players and in particular elite players and professionals should be experiencing is as followers…..
My first move should be with the hips. The hips should begin to uncoil with a lateral move or shift towards the intended target, that’s followed by a drive with the inside of my right leg, if these 2 keys are executed correctly I will have created a great space for my hands and arms to very naturally fall or drop into.
The lateral shift and rotation movements together is what ultimately creates the torque, it also creates an increased chance of allowing my swing path to slightly shallow giving me most chance for my swing to be on a conventional or orthodox plane.
As I power through the ball, I try to maintain my height and let the club extend and turn down the line of my target. It’s often overlooked and not made clear enough, to hit the ball with a consistent flight, control distance and improve accuracy my left arm and club shaft should be in a straight line through the impact position.
Remember if I want power I need to build torque on the back swing and then unload it as late as possible on the downswing.
I need to think about lastminute.com power.
As my club passes through impact I try to maintain my height and let the club extend and turn down the line of my target. Now depending on how hard I’m trying to hit the shot and exactly what club I am using will greatly impact the level at which my right heel lifts off the ground through the golf shot.
If I’m using a driver, a long club or just trying to hit it really hard, my right heel will and should be released much earlier than if I was hitting a smooth shot or a wedge, important point to recognise.
I maintain the connection right through and up into my balanced follow through position, trying to resist the tendency to let my arms get outside the body, i.e. disconnected.
Notice how the butt of the club matches back to my mid drift and stays pointing right through impact and only leaves once my hands start to swing above belt buckle.
End it right. It’s still amazing that in 2010 so many of the worlds top players have average to poor balance at the end of their swing especially on the weeks they play indifferently.
I have worked hard to become a big believer in holding my finish until the ball stops moving, if I practice like this it gives me amazing feedback and then at least on the course if I cant always hold it at the top, even if I have a little recoil I will still be well balanced in this half way position.
I can hold my balanced follow through for at least 30 seconds, the discipline I have will greatly affect the speed at which I can improve.
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