Load Wrists for Lag

Search here and you'll find several posts that refer to the wrists in the full golf swing; there's even a previous post on wrist action at the top of the swing, and I wanted to expand on that fundamental quite a bit in this post.

First, it's important to make a few concepts clear. Many wanna-be golf instructors (and some legitimate ones) tend to use "hinge" and "cock" interchangeably when referring to the wrist action in the golf swing. The wrists actually cock up and down in the golf swing (more correctly called radial and ulner deviation), and the right wrist also hinges backwards or dorsiflexes on the backswing. The wrists should up-cock on the backswing (radial deviation) and down-cock on the downswing (ulner deviation); the right wrist should delay straightening from its hinged position; and the left wrist should NEVER dorsiflex or hinge backwards during the downswing (also known as a flip).

It's important to allow the weight of the golf club to cock the wrists vertically at the top of the backswing; this explains why so many golf professionals say that you should learn to feel the club head and use light grip pressure with soft wrists. Doing this effectively sets or cocks the wrists (especially the left wrist) at the top naturally. The feeling of the left wrist setting or loading at the top (due to the weight of the club head) should be felt at the base of the left thumb and the side of the wrist (as the left thumb somewhat supports the shaft) and felt in certain forearm muscles. TGM circles call this using Power Accumulator #2. This feeling of loading the wrists (sometimes called float loading) can be used as a trigger to begin the downswing weight shift; doing it this way will serve to keep the lag well into the downswing and helps provide that whip-like feel at the bottom. When one gets to the top, there's a sense of everything collecting, as the club should be the last thing moving before and during the transition. No conscious effort to hold lag is needed, because you'll be delivering the lag you loaded at the top. Finally, it's not necessary to rush down when you feel that load in the wrists; you should transition smoothly using the lower body to start down.

I feel you can still float load the wrists at the top while setting the wrists earlier in the backswing. You should experiment to find what feels and works best for you.

If your grip pressure is about a 3 on a scale from 1-10, the club head will eventually pass “Top Dead Center”, fall on its own and automatically hinge your wrists correctly. What it looks like, is a flat to bowed out front wrist (a la Paul Azinger, Dustin Johnson, Trevino, or Hogan’s supination just before impact). Now we’re talking. This wrist hinge has the club face square to the plane. You will know it is right if the toe of the club looks about 45 degrees to the plane not in line with it. This correct passive wrist hinge ALLOWS THE BODY TO TURN AS HARD, FAST OR SLOW THROUGH TO THE FINISH without any need for manipulation. There is no need to stop and throw the club head at the ball. In fact that messes everything up.

DUPLESSISGOLF » Active Hinging vs. Passive Hinging of the Wrists

In a word, if there's no "give" at the top of your backswing, you start losing your wrist cock almost immediately. If you have some "give," the club doesn't react immediately. Instead, it absorbs the energy at the change of direction and holds it for a few microseconds while you start down, then gives you a bounce that adds power to your downswing. That "give" comes from several areas, like your overall flexibility, but there are primarily two sources that concern us.

Ruthless Golf: Why Holding Your Wrist Cock Doesn't Work

Shaping Shots Consistently

I must have a ga-ja-billion posts on shaping shots (i.e., coaxing fades and draws), and that's because I'm always in search of the best way to do it. The best way is the way that is consistent and reliable for you to perform on the course (i.e., 90% of the time the ball bends as you intended). Click on the tags or keywords at the end of this post and you'll discover the numerous ways it's possible to influence the ball's starting line and follow-on ball flight.

I think this method--along with Jack's method--may be the easiest.

To fade the ball, tee up the ball LOW (even with the top of the driver) and on the right side of the tee box. Aim the club face towards the left side of the fairway (pick a tree or other target on the left); this represents the starting line. Place the club down aligned with this starting line. Make the address stance slightly open to the starting line; this means the hips, knees, feet, and shoulders should be aligned to the left. The upper body should still be tilted away from the target, and one must still shift the weight correctly and stay behind the ball for this power fade (sort of a push-fade, as you're still hitting inside-out ala Lee Trevino). Position the ball off the inside of the left instep (or roughly with the left shoulder). The further forward the ball position, the further left the ball should start on line before curving. Experiment with tee heights and ball position to get the right mix for the shot shape you want. Hit through the ball as if hitting four balls in a row on the starting line. Finally, use your normal grip, as most amateurs and high-handicappers hit with a slightly open club face even when trying to close it. Done correctly you should impart a nice, narrow fade on the ball.

To draw the ball, tee up the ball HIGH (one quarter to half the ball above the driver) and on the left side of the tee box. Pick a target on the left side of the fairway and place the club on that starting line. Make the address stance slightly closed to the starting line (pull the right foot back and align the shoulders and knees to the feet). Position the ball back in the stance (a few inches to the right of where it would be for the fade); the ball should be inside the left heel or roughly even with your shirt logo. Finally, rotate the club face slightly closed compared to the stance and then take your normal grip (most amateur golfers have trouble closing the club face enough for a push-draw, so manipulating the club at setup is easiest). Instead of hitting through all four balls, pretend you're hitting only the first ball of the four. Experiment to find the right mix; you will draw the ball (if you hook it then either move the ball slightly forward, tee it lower, lessen your closed stance, or try combinations of all).

A few notes. The lower the loft of the club (6-iron and up to driver), the easier it is to slice and the harder it is draw (another reason for manipulating the club face slightly closed for a draw). The higher the loft of the club (i.e., 7-iron and higher), the easier it is to hook and more difficult to fade. Draws tend to fly lower, further, and run more on landing. Fades tend to fly higher, shorter, and land with less roll. Take this into account when selecting a club. Don't be afraid to exaggerate adjustments to get the ball spinning like you want (i.e., if you lose your draw, get the ball hooking by standing with your back to the target and hitting balls).Full extension adds power and helps close the face (obviously useful for a draw but maybe for the fade too if the fade is too close to a slice). Hit both shots with the same swing shape--inside-out. And inside-out fade is called a power fade, and this was used by the greats like Hogan, Trevino, and Nicklaus.

Trevino’s swing is unorthodox, and so is his method for hitting the fade. The conventional way is to align the body left of target, aim the clubface at the target, and swing along the line of the body. Trevino follows the first two steps, but swings down the target line rather than with his body. The deviation actually produces a swing path that’s inside-to-out relative to the body, and directly down the target line. Trevino produces the left-to-right spin necessary for a fade by delaying the release (rolling over) of his hands through impact. According to Trevino, his routine produces more power than the traditional technique. He acknowledges that the ball will finish right of the target, but suggests simply lining up the body and clubface farther left to compensate.

Try Trevino's Unorthodox Power Fade Swing

Most players think of the swing as a circle. Trevino saw it as something different. Instead of folding his arms up after impact to remain on the circle, he chased his right shoulder toward the target to 
 the point where the club pointed straight down the line. He made this move with such force that it 
 looked like his right arm was going to rip straight out of its shoulder socket. It’s actually a move that most great ballstrikers have used over the decades.

Eventually, your left elbow must fold and get the club moving up the circle again, but try chasing down the line first, like Trevino did. I bet you’ll find yourself hitting the ball a little straighter and, if you can hold off your release just that much longer, creating a power fade. While the word “fade” has negative connotations for a chronic slicer, a controlled cut in the hands of a good player like Trevino leads to a Hall-of-Fame career, five Vardon Trophies and half a dozen major victories.

Johnny Miller - Lee Trevino signature chase move can help you hit it straighter | GOLF.com

"Inside out?" you might ask. "Doesn't that cause a draw?" Yes, it does, but only when your swing is inside out in relation to your target line. This swing is inside out in relation to the body alignment, but straight back to straight through in relation to the target line (see illustration). You won't draw the ball with this swing. If anything, you will contact the ball after the club has swung down and back to, the inside on the forward swing, thus putting a slight left to right spin on the ball .

So you have two big pluses here: First, you have an inside to outside attack in relation to your body. This is much more powerful than the outside-to inside swings that many amateurs use to fade the ball. Second, you have the club moving down the target line, producing either a straight ball or slight fade. You can't beat that combination.

Here's a trick that might help you understand this a little better. After you set up, imagine that there are three golf balls in front of the one you're about to hit. For the fade, you want to hit through all four balls. This will force your right shoulder down rather than around on the downswing, with your arms extending toward the target on the follow through. Keep in mind that the right shoulder doesn't dip. That would cause fat shots. Instead, the shoulder simply swivels underneath the chin. As a result, you will hold your release, keep the club moving down the target line, and push the ball to the hole, with very little sidespin.

I have, however, encountered one "problem" among people who have tried this method. They say to me, "Lee, when I swing your way, I hit the ball way to the right. I just tell them, "Aim farther left.” Don't open your stance more; just shift your entire orientation to the left. In other words, rather than aim the clubface down the fairway or at the pin, aim it at an intermediate target more to the left and shift your body alignment farther to the left as well. There's no rule that says you have to aim down the middle. Line up for the trees on the left and push it down the fairway. It's easy, when you know for sure that you can hit the push/fade.

The beauty of the balls in a line image is that you can use it to draw the ball, too. For the right to left shot, line up your body parallel to the target line and aim your clubface at an intermediate target to the right, to allow for the draw. Then, simply think of picking off the first ball in line, the real ball, without touching the three imaginary ones. This brings the right shoulder and club up quickly in the follow through, and whenever the club and shoulder move up, they go counterclockwise as well, which closes the clubface. Result: a draw.

You Can Learn to Hit My Fade - Lee Trevino - Golf Magazine - Dec 1979

Take an Inside Path

We've all heard time and again that we need to swing inside-out, and there is no shortage of drills and instruction out there designed to help us do just that. But like most things in golf, there's usually a huge difference between what we THINK we're doing and what we're ACTUALLY doing during our facsimiles of a swing. Often when we try hard to follow the target or aim line with the club, we end up unintentionally swinging over the top (OTT). That might be okay if you're trying to hit a fade or slice, but this isn't preferable or as powerful as swinging from the inside and hitting a draw.

I've written about swinging inside-out numerous times (including Ernie Els' clever "keep the box" thought)--a move that produces an inside path to the ball, which is one half of the equation to hitting a hook or draw. The other half of the equation is that the club face at impact must be closed to the path to some degree. Too much club face closure relative to the club face path and the ball will hook wildly or pull-hook. We've been told to swing to right field, swing towards one o'clock, hit the inside-left of the ball, etc. I've tried all of these and they've all worked and then later failed me in one way or another, and I believe that's because I was still making an unintentional OTT move by being fixated on the target or aim line and fixated on getting the club head back to the ball with respect to the target line.

I think it might be best to occasionally drill what a REAL inside path to the ball feels like. One should start with imagination: imagine a half semi-circle behind the ball. The smaller the club, the tighter that circle should be if attempting to hit the inside. Now, how can one swing inside WITHOUT trying to steer the arms through impact, which relies on timing and small muscles too much? In other words, how can you make an inside swing using--mostly--the big muscles in the lower body to drive the swing?

I don't think I've seen a better description lately than Martin Hall's drill/feel for hitting inside-out (video below). At address, imagine there's a large tent stake that's about waist high, inline with your rear foot, and about three feet away from you. Your first thought coming down should be to use your club as a hammer to hit that stake before rotating down. This will shallow the swing path to inside-out instead of the steeper outside-in move.

Another thought is to feel like the butt end of the club handle (and thus the entire club) is pointing out to right field shortly after starting down (back is still turned at this point and hands and wrists remain passive). But avoid the impulse to throw the club head at the ball from the top. When the club reaches near parallel to the ground and the hands are located close to belt level, the shoulders and the end of the club handle (and thus the whole club) will be pointing out to the right and appear to be pointing at the inside left of the ball or inside the target line. The right elbow will have dropped in close to the right hip and the right wrist can dorsiflex (bend back) even further (right palm facing the ground) to keep the end of the club pointing off to the right and on plane. Keep the club and shoulders pointing this way for as long as gravity and centrifugal force will allow. You may notice that the weight shift driving all this is naturally moving the way many teaching professionals (such Hank Haney and David Leadbetter) describe: The weight shifts first into the left big toe and then around to the outside of the left foot. The reason is that the weight of the club and arms are moving in this direction initially!

The club head will "fall" (creating the appearance of a loop) and be located well behind you at this point--NOT pointing at the target line, which would be an OTT move. This swing thought solves several problems. For one, it helps ensure an inside approach to the ball, which is essential for hitting a draw and avoiding a slice. It also ensures that lag is retained because of how late the butt end of the club is still pointing out to the right; as a matter of fact, lagging the club and swinging inside-out are closely related, just as casting and swinging OTT are closely related. The club head shouldn't just lag behind the hands relative to the target line; it should ALSO lag behind the hands relative to right field (lags behind the hands and also behind the body for a time). Finally, it flattens a steep swing and should therefore lessen fat shots.

In order for the club to return to that lined-up position at address, it must approach the ball on the downswing on an inside-out path. In fact, the proper swing path will cause the club to strike the inside quarter of the ball.

“On line” and “target line” are not the same. If you could take a string and attach it to the inside quarter of the ball on one end and to the butt of the club at the top of the backswing, then keep the butt of the club sliding straight down that string on the downswing, the swing would be “on line.”

Swinging Inside-Out - Golf Instruction

So, the question is, “How do you get the club to the inside and in the ‘slot’ on the downswing?”

There are many ways to feel this. One of the most popular thoughts is the clock image. Feel like you are swinging the club from 7 o’clock to 1 o’clock. Some golfers need a body thought to get the club to the inside on the downswing. If this is you, you might want to think of getting your right elbow close to your right hip on the downswing. Too simple, you say.

Other golfers need to focus on the ball. If this is you, try to hit the inside edge of the ball at impact.

A good thought for you might be to keep your back to your target and swing your arms down to the inside. Just try to avoid starting your down with your shoulders and upper body as this will throw the club down on a steep and outside path.

For those of you who are very athletic and have strong legs, a good thought would be to move your weight to your front leg during the transition. This will allow the arms and club to fall down to the inside on the forward swing. Other people can relate to the butt end of the club. These people seem to gain distance (maybe 10 to 15 yards) simply by feeling the butt end of the club being pulled down at the ball. In any case, this seems to get the club on a good inside path.

Speed is another issue. If you have a fast change of direction it is called “hitting from the top.” If you are too fast during your transition, your club will never come down in the proper inside-outside approach angle. A good thought for you might be “slow at the top.’’

Jim Suttie: Better golf through an inside path

You may be hitting the outside of the ball at impact, imparting left to right spin. To correct this, you need to hit the inside of the ball at impact instead. To help you achieve this position, have the butt end of the club pointing inside the ball-target line as you swing your arms down. This will help you hit the inside of the ball.

Looking to get more power on your golf swing? Here's how - WorldGolf.com

Downswing Drops in the Slot with Right Palm Down

As the downswing starts, the right arm and shoulder simply drop straight down as the feet press firmly into the ground and the knees make a slight lateral shift. There is no body turn at this stage the right arm cant drop straight down if the chest starts turning.

This straight down drop is what stores the lag angle at right elbow and right wrist as the club drops on plane into the slot half way down. The secret at this stage of the swing is to feel the pressure against the right hand trigger finger as the right palm faces down at waist-high. From the top of the backswing it feels like hitting your right thigh with the heel of your right hand while your right wrist stays bent all the way back.

At this waist-high downswing position of the hands, the butt of the club should point at the golf ball, toe of club points upward (but not quite straight up) and right palm is facing the ground, or more technically faces the ball on the ground.

Right Wrist Action for the Perfect Golf Swing | Herman Williams Golf Instruction

 

Get Off Your Right Side!

One of a golfer's biggest potential errors is to get lazy and fail to shift or transfer the weight FULLY to the left foot before starting down. We all know we're supposed to do it--bump to the left and then rotate. Sometimes we think we're doing it when we really aren't. Some can get part way over at impact but not far enough; the weight ends up, maybe, in the center of the stance to the inside of the left foot at impact. Maybe it stays more on the right foot than imagined. Usually, it's because we're working on some other part of the swing and become distracted from this absolute essential fundamental. All sorts of wayward shots result, including slices and fat shots.

The reverse pivot is the other golf weight shift evil that's far worse than failing to get fully to the left; these folks (fortunately not my problem) do it all backwards; they shift their weight left on the backswing and then right on the downswing, all the while thinking they're doing it correctly. You'll know them by the way the lose their balance and fall backward at impact, with more weight on the right foot at the finish than at address. Sometimes you'll even see them take a step backwards with the left leg!

To get an idea of what "correct" feels like, use Shawn Clement's One Leg Drill to exaggerate the feeling of pivoting in a centered fashion and being firmly onto the left side to begin the downswing. At impact, most of the weight should be on the left foot. This is what is often called "hitting into a firm left side or left leg." Shawn calls it "bracing one's tilt against a firm left side." The inside of the right leg and foot should be the pivot point for a centralized backswing (with most weight movement to the right provided by the arms and club only--not a conscious shifting of body weight to the right), and the left foot and leg should be the pivot point for the downswing! The right leg's main function at impact is to ensure the tilted upper body doesn't fall over while mostly supported by the left leg. So, a key part of a great forward weight transfer is ensuring that you don't move too far off the ball to begin with! Make a centralized turn (you shouldn't move more than an inch of so off the ball during the backswing weight "shift." (really more of a turn than a shift) All sorts of GREAT shots result when getting off the right side by impact, such as power, slight draws, easier fades (with the right stance and grip adjustments), low shots played further back in the stance, hitting down, crisp contact, lower ball flights, great wedges, etc. The finish will be fully over the left side, with the weight concentrated toward the outside of the left foot, like it's supposed to be.

Notice frame 5 - shift before arms come down!

 

Other drills to instill this feeling include Gary Player's "hit and take a step after impact" drill and completely lifting the right foot off the ground at the finish while remaining balanced on the left foot. Either of these makes the point that the right leg should have minimal involvement in supporting the body weight at impact and beyond.

Here's another feel to get the point of shifting into a solid left leg and stable left foot: When bumping the left hip targetward, act as if the left foot becomes firmly planted onto the flat surface of a foot stool and that the next act has one stepping up by straightening the left leg while rotating to put something on a shelf behind and above oneself. All of this should be happening while the arms are still at the top or nearly there! Don't start down with the arms before planting into that left leg, because that left leg is the power engine for the arms to accelerate from the ground up! Get the feeing that your hands and arms are lazy and kind of pause at the top (with the back turned), while you shift firmly into the left leg. In reality, the club head will keep going for a second and set at the top while you shift. The head should stay tilted back behind the ball.

Shift into left leg then fire!

 

Characteristics of a proper weight transfer during the downswing: The weight shifts linearly (targetward) into the MIDDLE of the left foot, BEFORE opening the shoulders and starting down with the arms and club. As the left hip bumps towards the target, there's a distinct, solid feeling in left hip and bent left knee, as the weight settles into the left leg (again, before starting down with the club), though the upper body is tilted away from the target. The bent left knee will shift from pointing behind the ball to pointing ahead of it, automatically. The right knee will fold in (again, linearly) behind the left knee, automatically. When the weight first transfers quickly to the left foot, the left knee is bent but gradually straightens as the left hip gradually rotates backwards and upwards during the remaining downswing motions (the left hip rotates upwards because the left knee straightens). This move is NOT abrupt or "stomping" in nature; it's a very smooth but rapid transition into the left foot (almost a pressing down feeling) that gets the weight left. At impact, there's practically no weight on the right foot. The weight will be firmly in the middle of the left foot at impact and will gradually roll to the outside of the foot at the finish.

The weight transfers in the swing purely due to the motion in the arms hands and club as they travel away from the target. Think of it this way – if I swing my arms, which each weigh 15 lbs, and a club in my backswing you can be sure that I am transferring weight onto my back foot. There is however no conscious shifting or body move that gets the weight over there.

There is no lateral body move, yet many players often wrote or spoke about a sense of weight transfer. The body stays centered while the weight is transferred by the motion in the arms and the club. Video HERE

All the best ball strikers studied displayed a tendency to transfer the weight to the front foot in a smooth and continuous flow with no backing up or slowing of the transfer...This meant that they arrived at impact with an 80/20 split favoring the front foot and the weight continued to move smoothly over to the front side beyond impact.

The tendency with higher handicap golfers (above 18) was for the weight to get too far back and then remain there all the way through impact. It was not unusual to see one of these golfers have a split of 70/30 favoring the back foot at impact.

Weight Transfer and Positioning | Andrew Rice Golf

The hips play a very important role in the golf swing. The problem is that most people do not understand the correct motion that they must make. The correct move is NOT a simple turn of the hips from the top of the swing, as many would believe.

In fact, the correct move is a slight lateral shift, or "bump", and then a turn. If you look at players like Tiger Woods and Nick Faldo, you will see a perfect example of this. These guys don't just turn their hips away from the top. Instead, their weight shifts laterally to the left side, which drops everything (arms and shoulders) into the slot. From there, they can just turn and fire through the ball as hard as they want.

Golf Tips - Hip Movement During the Swing

Secondly, good ball-strikers make a full weight transfer to the left as they complete their swing. You can't finish low if you hang back on your right side. Proof of the weight shift is your right heel.

If you've turned your hips aggressively and moved to your left side through impact, your right heel should be off the ground and closer to the target than your right toe.

Stay Low After Impact - Butch Harmon

Start the downswing by stepping down on your left heel and letting your left hip move slightly toward the target. As your lower body starts to move, pull your hands down, keeping your right elbow close to your right hip as long as possible.

Take our advice: Put your golf slice in the past

This “bump then fire” action, which is present in the techniques of many elite players, requires considerable discipline in ensuring that the weight transfer is properly executed before commencing the downswing rotation.

Understanding golf swing weight shift

 

Extend Fully Back and Through

Full extension in the backswing and release is definitely something upon which I'm still working. I have a bit of "flippy wrists" and "collapsing arms" remaining in my swing due to my beginning golf instincts that I need to overcome.

Of course, the best way to help extension and thus width is to extend on the backswing by pushing the club as far away from you as possible using the right arm; this will also help increase distance and help with thin and fat shots, as the left arm will be fully extended coming down.

Part of making extension work is keeping the head behind the ball at impact; I have a bad habit of drifting past it, which contributes to the wrist flip release and loss of distance.

The ball focus should be on the inside of the ball (not the top), as if you're trying to hit it to right field. Finally, the club should be moving it's fastest about two feet past the ball, so this means one must accelerate through the ball (not accelerate AT the ball). As a matter of fact, a neat trick is to imagine that you're hitting 3 balls in a row starting with the first ball (the real one); this will encourage extension through the shot. Do this for irons and woods!

It is so critical to feel like you’re behind the ball at impact. Your goal to improve golf driving distance will not happen if you don’t do this. Most of us get ahead of it and end up throwing the club at the ball, instead of driving through it and getting a full extension like the pro’s get. Staying behind it is the ONLY way to achieve that full extension and maximum power through impact.

[From How To Increase Driving Distance In Golf | Perform Better Golf Blog]

Overswinging and power loss occur when you collapse your elbows on the way to the top, which drops your hands toward your head. Instead, maintain a firm left arm and try to keep your hands as far away from your head as possible to create maximum width.

[From Create a Powerful Backswing | GOLF.com]

Golfers who move their swing center in front of the ball at impact will always raise up their spine at impact. So keep your swing center behind the ball at the point of contact.

[From Jim Suttie: Stay in your posture for more accurate shots » Naples Daily News Mobile]

The greater width you have in your backswing, the bigger your swing arc will be. This increased swing arc will give your swing more time to increase your club-head speed as you strike the ball. More speed means more power, which equates to increased distance. To increase width, you need to increase the spacing between your right hand and right shoulder (right-handed golfers) during your backswing. Practice taking a backswing holding the golf club with just your right hand. Keep your right hand as far away from your body as possible during these practice swings. During this drill, reach your right hand toward the sky at the top of the backswing.

[From Golf tip: Remember, in your backswing, width equals power - GolfInstruction.com]

Rotational force is the most important fundamental of power. The more you extend your arms during the backswing and the longer they remain extended in the downswing, the farther you'll hit the ball. Watch Tiger Woods: He does this brilliantly, creating tremendous width in the backswing to set up a powerful arm swing through the ball.

As you start the club back, focus on extending your right hand away from the target, keeping the right wrist firm. This should prevent the right arm from collapsing and thereby narrowing the swing arc. This way, you create leverage on the backswing and store power for the downswing.

[From Widen Your Arc to Increase Your Driving Distance | GOLF.com]

A good way to keep width in the backswing is to feel the right arm pushing away from your chest, not the left.

[From Golf Swing Tips, Golf Lesson Driving, Power Golf Swing Grip Tips]

Swinging Back to the Inside Early

There are numerous ways to swing a golf club and hit a straight ball (by straight I mean possibly with a slight fade or draw). All methods require squaring the club face relative to the path in some way (i.e., mostly perpendicular to the path with maybe very slight open or closed face positions for the shot shape desired); some of those methods are active and some are passive. Active methods, such as rolling the arms, turning the knuckles down, or squaring up the back of the left hand, all require careful timing and skill to pull off consistently. Passive methods, such as using a stronger grip or a club face that stays mostly square to the arc with heavy body rotation, require less precise timing and are probably more suited to the weekend mid- to high-handicap golfer.

We've all been told that we need to swing inside-out to avoid coming over the top (OTT or swinging outside-in). Few really great golfers swing outside-in, though there are examples of pro golfers who've used a slight OTT move to good effect, such as Sam Snead. Killing the OTT move--apart from the open club face--is one of the first steps a slicer (most amateur golfers) needs to take. But what about the arc on the other side of the ball? Does the club REALLY swing "out to right field"? Here's where you'll see the divergence between those who actively or passively square the club face.

When a player actively squares the club face, the arms cross over and cause the toe of the club to quickly over take the heel, irrespective of the body's turn. Often the club will chase down the line (or even out over the line) after impact for a time before coming back inside, and such an inside move isn't very pronounced. A good player on a good day can make this work. But even good players struggle with this move and often end up with duck hooks on days when the timing just isn't there. This is what happened to Ben Hogan early in his career.

When a player passively squares the club face by trying to keep it perpendicular to the swing arc all the way through, the arms don't cross over actively. Any movement of the wrists and forearms is entirely unconscious. As a natural consequence of body rotation serving as a primary squaring mechanism, the club head immediately tracks back to the inside, such that the swing shape is inside-outside-inside, following a natural, crescent-shaped arc that intersects the target line at after impact. Whereas an outside-in swing shape is steep, the inside-outside-inside swing arc is rounder, flatter, and more shallow. The small muscles of the arms are taken out of it and the golf swing is powered more by the lower body and larger muscles of the trunk. It's easier to maintain lag pressure and thus lag, as the club head never passes the hands until very late.

Swinging back to the inside early is the way that Ben Hogan played golf later in his career, and many would argue that there has never been a more consistent golfer once he made this change. Hogan adopted a fade ball flight that was consistent and reliable; he never had to worry anymore about his ball hooking directly off the course. Other great golfers, including Jack Nicklaus, played a fade as their go-to shot. Matt Kuchar swings this way and is one of the most consistent modern players. This method of swinging really lends itself well to a slight fade or straight ball flight, with minor adjustments (mostly ball position) needed to coax the draw. Tiger Woods is trying to develop a fade ball flight as his go-to shot; you'll often see him practicing for a shot by exaggerating coming back to the inside.

Swinging this way works best with the correct hip movements (clearing the hips and covering the ball), and a good swing thought is the good old belt buckle--keeping the butt end of the club pointing at it as you turn through.

Want to know if you're doing it? Film yourself swinging down the line. If your club approaches the ball from the inside and the hands and club disappear behind your body low and early after impact, you have an inside-outside-inside swing shape. Another characteristic of this swing shape is the maintenance of connection between the left and right upper arms against the chest throughout the swing--often called staying connected. All of these characteristics make for a more consistent golf swing because no emphasis is placed on the conscious control of the small muscles in the arms.

Of course, the shorter the club, the less pronounced this move is, because the swing plane is more vertical and thus the inside-out-inside move is not as obvious.

As I said earlier, our goal was to take the timing problem out of my swing, including my hands having to roll over at just the right instant to square the clubface. Now, once I shift to my left side to start the downswing, I can turn hard, and my body will bring the club around. That's because I've kept my left arm pinned against my chest. With this connection, turning my body squares the face without any hand action.

With the body leading like this, my arms track back to the inside quickly after impact. I used to have too much "chase" in my swing, with the clubhead swinging straight down the line or even out to the right. My new swing shape proves that my arms and body are working together, like concentric circles, with my arms moving in orbit around my body.

How To Make Your Swing Repeat: Matt Kuchar: Golf Digest

Charles Howell III is getting back to what works for him. Howell relied almost exclusively on a fade when he was one of the game’s hot young prospects. After developing some bad habits while trying to incorporate a draw into his arsenal, Howell is back to the reliable left-to-right ball flight.

The main objective in Howell’s new swing? To get the club swinging more to the left after impact so the ball can start down the target line.

The plane of Howell’s old downswing looked ideal on video shot down his target line, but his club traveled too far in-to-out through the ball because of his steep, downward angle of approach.

“Because Charles hits down on the ball steeply, we had to have him swing more to the left to make the ball go straight,” Smeltz said. “We needed the club to approach the ball slightly more from the outside for the club to be traveling down the target line through impact. We had to get the club in front of Charles’ hands during the downswing. That got the club exiting more on plane and not swinging so far out to the right.”

For Your Game: Charles Howell III

The club orbits the body at an angle called swing plane – like a circle or ellipse tilted on its side. That angle can range from 45-60 degrees depending on the club. What most golfers neglect is how the club must travel back inside after impact. Instead of allowing a natural release to the left, they force the hands and arms to release the club down the target line in an effort to hit the ball straight or add more speed. This leads to inconsistency. In fact, releasing the club down the target line moves the club off its natural plane. The result can produce tremendous hook spin or block pushes depending on the angle of the clubface.

Better Players Swing Left | Scratch Golf School

 

Pivot: Clear the Hips

We hear this instructional catch phrase often: clear the hips. You also hear rotate the hips and bump your left hip toward the target and then turn. What should one really be doing? If you study professional golfers carefully from multiple angles in slow motion, you will notice that all of the above are true to one degree or another. What you might not pick up on is that more space is created for the arms to fall in front of the body than appeared to be there at address. How is that possible?

I briefly touched on this in a previous post on Shawn Clement's Braced Tilt. Good golfers keep their posteriors in a protruded position through impact, while high-handicap golfers (like me) tend to lose that protrusion established at address (in other words, the belt buckle starts looking up too soon). When golfers make this error, they may indeed shift to the left leg and rotate around the left hip, but the right hip gets thrown out over the target line and the shoulders arms and club soon follow (over the top).

This improper move is often called standing up through the shot and golfers are often incorrectly told that you didn't keep your head down or you looked up too soon. Doing this creates little room for the right elbow to fall back down in front of the right hip, and thus it's harder to approach the ball from the inside. I believe golfers like me develop this habit in a few ways: 1) the illusion that this is what pros are doing when you witness a swing from the front-on view; 2) the fear of striking the ground behind the ball or taking deep, painful divots, when ironically staying in the shot and covering the ball in the proper manner will shallow out the swing.

The correct move (as Clement eloquently describes) is that the right hip moves backwards, towards the target, and slightly upwards on the backswing pivot, with the weight on the inside of the right leg and right instep. This creates a "tush line" that is parallel to the target line with only the right hip is touching it. Now the key point. On the downswing, the left hip ALSO moves backwards to join the "tush line," while also shifting left and turning, such that the posterior remains protruded through impact; this protrusion is not lost until late in the followthrough. The right knee will kick in more behind the left knee instead of moving out too much toward the target line.

Moving the hips this way makes it easier to stay in the right posture through the shot; the chest will cover the ball and you will have more room for the arms to swing down and out. You will also notice that you finish your swing still in the correct posture and spine angle, as if laying one's head on a pillow. Done properly, there's no way to come over the top.

Shawn Clement, the Canadian golf instructor, starts off by demonstrating how one should perform a backswing hip pivot movement - by wiping the right buttock against the glass window in the direction of the target. That's a good swing thought for a beginner golfer who has difficulty performing a "correct" backswing hip pivot movement.

Note what he states about starting the downswing's lower body movements. He recommends that one keep the right buttock back where it was at the end of the backswing (at the tush line), and he recommends that one should think of pulling the left buttock back against the glass window and wiping away from the target (pivoting the left hemi-pelvis back and to the right, so that it is against the tush line). In other words, he is recommending that one should focus one's attention on the left hemi-pelvis, and he recommends that one should think of pulling the left hip back in a left hip clearing action - without allowing the right buttocks to move away from the tush line in the direction of the ball-target line.

In other words, a good "downswing initiating" mental image for a beginner golfer is to think of getting one's weight over onto the left foot followed by an immediate sensation of actively pulling the left hemi-pelvis back (away from the ball-target line) towards the tush line.

Backswing

Another major area we've worked on is my hip action. Like my shoulders, my hips now turn on a steeper angle to the ground in the backswing. It feels as if I'm sticking out the right side of my rear end as I turn to the top. This move counterbalances my left shoulder turning down: If I didn't stick my rear end out, that steep shoulder turn would put me out on my toes. On the downswing, it's all about my left hip—actually, the left knee, thigh and hip. I want to feel them clearing out, or turning to my left, so my right side can drive hard. From the top, my hips used to thrust toward the ball, which dropped the club too far to the inside and led to pushes and hooks. Now I think about pushing my left hip out to left field and then turning it behind me (above). That keeps the club coming in steep so I can really pinch the ball off the ground.

How To Make Your Swing Repeat: Matt Kuchar: Golf Digest