CHECKLIST
1. Initial backward movement of the clubhead should be close to the ground.
2. Immediately after the clubhead begins movement the shoulders rotate to the rear to continue backward and upward movement of the club.
3. Arms rotate so that back of hand faces front (left arm turns inward, right arm turns outward).
4. Wrist cock takes place as hands approach hips/waist (club raised until there is a right angle formed by the arms and club shaft).
5. The shoulders continue to rotate and the arms are raised until the top position is reached.
At TOP OF BACKSWING
A. Hands are level with or above the head
B. Club shaft is parallel to the ground (driver) Club shaft is at an angle to the horizontal (irons)
C. Wrists relatively relaxed. Fingers may be slightly open.
D. Shoulders are rotated a full 90 degrees so that the back of shoulders face the target.
E. Hips rotated somewhat to the rear (amount depends on midsection flexibility).
F. Left arm relatively close to chest.
G. Arms slightly bent.
BACK VIEW
A. Straight line from head to hips.
B. Knees slightly bent
C. Full chest should be visible
D. Hips rotated 10-45 degrees to the rear, (portion of front of hips visible).
E. Hands head high or above.
CORRECTIONS
1. & 2. Hold head and upper body in place as you move the hands and then rotate the shoulders to the rear. Do not shift hips or shoulders to the rear.
3. Keep arms straight and rotate to the outside (left arm inward, right arm outward). Learn to feel rotation in the shoulder joint not in the forearms and wrists.
4. Raise club with wrist action only. Note, before you can cock the wrist the arms must be rotated. Raise the club with only the hands (the range of motion will not be great). Raise and lower several times to get the feel of the action.
5. Concentrate on rotating the shoulders to the rear sand raising the arms until the top position is REACHED. Be sure to maintain a stable body position.
EXERCISES
1. & 2. Back raise with shoulder rotation, to duplicate shoulder movement to the rear.
3. Medial and lateral rotation with the strength bar holding the arm in front of the body.
4. Wrist cock with strength bar.
5. Reverse trunk twist and back raises with a twist to increase mid section flexibility. Also, arm across the body shoulder stretch.
THE DOWNSWING
CHECKLIST
1. Hips (remain level) and slide forward to initiate swing (remain level).
2. Hips rotate forward around front leg up to 90 degrees
3. As hips stop turning shoulder rotation begins. NOTE: when shoulder rotation takes place the arms and club will moving downward, this initial movement is a consequence of the shoulder turn, not a separate action.
4. As shoulders return to the address position arms begin their down and across the body movement.
5. (The “wrist break”) When the hands approach the hips they uncock, i.e., from the 90 degree angle formed by arms and club, the club moves in line with arms to form basically a straight lever from the shoulder to the clubhead,
6. As the wrist break concludes, arms rotate inward so that the thumbs are visible in front view, (left arm turns outward, right arm turns inward).
CORRECTIONS
7. From the backswing position push hips forward toward the target. Keep hips level and concentrate on contracting the muscles on the sides of the outside hip. Get the feel of only the hips moving forward, there should not be any hip or shoulder rotation at this time.
8. After you master the feel of sliding the hips forward, rotate the hips forward as the body weight moves onto the forward leg, i.e., drive the hips forward and then rotate them. Keep the shoulders and head in place. There should be no shoulder rotation as you practice these actions.
9. After sliding and rotating the hips forward begin shoulder rotation. Rotate shoulders back to address position or slightly beyond. Keep arms and hands in front of body. Do not use them as in the golf swing at this time.
Note: numbers 1,2 and 3 can also be practiced with a medicine ball individually and as an integrated movement.
10. Execute the hip slide, hip rotation and shoulder rotation after taking a backswing (no club). As the hip and shoulder actions are ending pull the arms down and across the body. Note that at this time shoulder rotation is back to the address position so that the arms go down and across the body. The arms are already started with the shoulder rotation so concentrate on continuing the action with more emphasis on the down and across movement when the arms are about chest high.
11. While holding the club in the cocked position to the side of the body, uncock the wrists as the arms move downward. Concentrate on keeping the hands in line with the forearms so that the little finger sides of the hands move down and forward (this action is also learned well with the Impact Builder which gives a click sound at the moment the club head gains maximum speed).
12. Add an arm roll immediately after the wrist break. In essence concentrate on rotation the left arm outward and the right arm inward immediately after the wrists are uncocked. Practice the movement so that the arms are almost directly in front of the body as the wrist break is concluded and the arm roll takes place.
EXERCISES
1. A. Hip abduction with ankle weights.
B. Hip slide with resistance from rubber tubing.
2. A. Hip rotation against the resistance of rubber tubing.
B. Hip rotation pull with rubber tubing to experience the forward hip moment together with hip rotation.
3. A. Reverse trunk twist
B. Russian twist.
4. A. Left arm abduction (pull arm down and across body with rubber tubing.
B. Pull right arm down and across with rubber tubing (right arm abduction)
5. The wrist break with a strength bar (ulna flexion).
6. Arm rotation with strength bar (left arm lateral rotation right arm medial rotation)
FOLLOW THROUGH
CHECK LIST
1. The arms and golf club continue moving forward and then upward.
2. Head remains down as the hips and arms continue forward rotation.
3. The hips continue to slide and rotate forward until the front facing position (to the target) is reached.
4. Initially there is increased side bend so that it is possible to see the reverse letter C (formed by the side of the body) when viewed from the front.
5. At the end of the follow through (after all rotation has ceased) the reverse letter C is seen depicted by the back of the body. (Front of the body faces target).
6. The arms are bent at the elbow in the finish position.
CORRECTIONS
Note: Most follow-through movements are dictated by what occurs in the downswing. In essence, the follow-through is a continuation of the actions seen in the downswing. Thus to get the feel of the follow through movements combine them with some of the down swing movements.
1. Continue moving the arms across the body and upward.
2. Continue the forward movement of the hips together with hip rotation until you end up in the reverse C curve with the front of the body facing the target.
3. Bend the arms at the elbow at the top position.
EXERCISES
1. Throw a medicine ball toward a target from the address position (down and across the body).
2. Allow the arms to follow through as far as possible.
3. Hip abduction or the hip slide against rubber tubing together with hip rotation.
4. Side bends with a dumbbell in one hand.
5. Back raises to duplicate the final position
6. Yessis Back Machine sit-ups.
BALL PLACEMENT
1. Ball should be placed equally between the feet or in the middle of the hips when using the short irons.
2. For the mid irons (includes the 4.,5,6 irons) the ball should be slightly forward of center i.e., closer to the left leg for right handed hitter.
3. For the long irons(1,2,3) the ball is placed in line with the inside of the left heel or slightly to the right of it.
For the driver, the ball should be played off the inside of the left heel when in the address position. For the higher numbered woods the ball can be played slightly more toward the center of the hips.