Shortened Backswing

Garcia's short backswing.

One of my major problems is that my backswing gets too long; I learned this by studying video from a recent golf lesson. I can get the club to parallel, but the club ends up too close to my shoulders because my arms tend to collapse, decreasing width. This error causes many problems, including a tendency to cast from the top (as the left arm re-straightens) causing a loss of lag; this ironically slows down clubhead speed, even though the point of such a long swing to begin with was to increase speed and thus distance.

The cure? Shorten the backswing. Think short-slow back and then fast down. Maintaining connection is the best way to accomplish a short backswing; keep the upper arms pinned against the sides of the chest throughout the swing. A drill for this when the arms are at fault is to place a small rubber ball between the elbows and practice the backswing without losing the ball; another drill involves using a towel under both arm pits (or similar drills); those drills, however, don't address other ways the backswing can get long, such as too much hip turn, too much wrist hinge, grip coming apart, etc. Usually, it's an arm problem: The arms become disconnected and unsynchronized with the movement of the body.

Essentially, the arms should stop moving upward when the shoulders reach a fully turned position; there's no benefit to continue lifting the arms and club in order to get the club artificially to parallel. The right arm should not be consciously bent at the top; one should think of keeping it straight and pushing the left hand away from one's shoulder. The feeling is of using a 3/4 backswing and full downswing. In reality, the club will continue traveling backwards much further, even though the downswing has started, preserving lag. There's also a sensation that the elbows are staying oriented to the hips, keeping their downward orientation, even though the upper torso is turning away from the hips slightly on the backswing.

When pro golfers reach parallel (or even past it), photos show their hands are pushed well away from their bodies, and their left arm remains straight. Many amateurs--lacking the flexibility or ability of the pros--attempt to manufacture a parallel position by bending the arms or wrists too much, and as a result overswing and get the club off-plane. Instead of generating speed, this goofy looking position actually hinders speed. We long-swinging amateurs would do much better with a shorter backswing; speed and distance would actually increase for most of us, as would consistency.

What if too much hip turn is your problem or part of your problem? Too much hip turn has definitely been one of my problems; it may be yours too if you find your right leg straightening significantly on the backswing or if you notice you pull the ball (an excessively rotated hip turn in the backswing will lead to overly active hips coming down). Clay Ballard of RST has a great thought for limiting hip turn. Imagine your right knee has a laser pointing from it to the target line; try to leave that laser pointing at the target line as you go to the top of your backswing to feel a proper coil with minimal lower body movement. There are other similar ways, but this way definitely will get you coiling better. Another way to diagnose excessive hip movement on the backswing is to see yourself in DTL video; you will notice a gap appearing between your knees if there's too much movement.

All right, if you are still reading, you may want to brace yourself because your game is about to change forever. I know I shouldn't be doing this for free because it's probably the best tip you are ever going to get, but here it is anyway...SHORTEN YOUR BACKSWING!!!!! Probably not the first time you've heard this suggestion, but it is time to heed this advice.

A technician at a local electronics store once told me a truth about electronics that is very relevant to golf, "The more things that move, the more things that can break." Well, the same thing is true for your back swing. When you take a big back swing, your left arm breaks down at your elbow and at your wrists. Strange as it sounds, you also tend to under-rotate your shoulders. Both of these things not only cause you to be wildly inconsistent, but also actually cost you distance. That's right folks, too long of a back swing makes you hit it shorter, not longer. If you maintain a straight left arm, you will rotate your shoulders farther instead of bending your elbow and wrists.

When I tell people to take the club back to about 75% of their normal back swing, they almost all still take the club back past parallel! Parallel is the absolute maximum distance that your back swing should ever go. It is the MAXIMUM, not the GOAL of a normal back swing. You should only take the club back as far as your shoulders allow you to turn without bending your left arm at all.

Shorten Your Backswing For More Control

Most golfers have long swings because their arm swing continues to move after their shoulders have stopped turning. If this sounds like you, try to stop your arm swing once your shoulders have stopped turning. Doing this, you will be able to start your downswing with your lower body instead of starting your downswing with a "casting" motion of your arms and hands.

Local golf: Shorten your swing for better consistency

Slow down and limit the length of your backswing for more consistency.

You don't hit the ball with your backswing, you hit the ball on the downswing. A backswing that is too quick, or too long, can easily get the club out of position, and can prevent you from storing the energy needed for a powerful, consistent downswing.

Golf Swing Video: Shorten Your Backswing For More Consistency

Human nature says that the longer your backswing, the farther you'll hit the ball. But if this was true, why is it that I can hit a ball 300 yards with a three-quarters swing but I can't hit it 400 yards with a longer swing?

How a Longer Backswing Can Lead to Shorter Shots in Golf

It's really this simple: given that clubhead speed equals distance - with all else being equal - if my swing is long yet slow and yours is small but fast, you will get more distance than I will.

While a big backswing tends to promote deceleration, a short backswing does just the opposite.

A short backswing promotes acceleration. Your proverbial win-win. Mentally, it is almost like you don't believe the short backswing will do the trick, so you accelerate to make up for it.

Shorten Your Swing For More Power

Most golfers will gain distance almost immediately by shortening their backswing. A more compact swing not only give you more distance but it also give you more control over your swing and therefor better accuracy as well. The extra effort required to get the club past parallel , which is working against gravity, increases the chance of getting the club in a bad position.

Shorter Backswing

The solution is very simple: shorten up your backswing. Intuitively, golfers feel that this new position will cause them to lose power. But as a recent commenter posted"What I thought would result in a shortening of my shots actually gives me more distance."

The #1 Golf Swing Fault Golfers Over 50 Make

Now that you understand that you don't have to have a long backswing to generate power, how far should you go back? I tell my students that once their shoulder rotation stops, so should the club. You want the shoulder rotation to determine your backswing length instead of your club still going back long after the shoulders have stopped. At first, this shorter backswing will feel like you don't have a lot of power so it will be more difficult to do, but as you get used to it, you will soon see your shots fly just as far, if not farther, with half the backswing.

The Pro's make the golf swing look so easy!

Focus on your left arm. When you are making your backswing, feel like your left arm is going to stop parallel to the ground. In reality it will be further than that, but this is a good starting point.

Along with your left arm is your hands. Think of your hands only going slightly higher than your hip height. Again in reality it will be further.

How to Shorten Your Golf Swing

Jim McLean, currently one of the best teachers on the planet, has a great tip for the over swingers. As his teaching assistant, I saw first hand how effective this simple tip can be. Here it is: When the shoulders stop turning the arms stop swinging. This concept matches the body with the arms on the backswing. It also shortens your backswing for consistency. Most high handicappers allow their arms to continue even after their shoulders stop turning. This leads to a disconnect between the body and arms, and an extra long backswing. All potential for serious inconsistency.

A Shorter and Connected Backswing for Consistency

First and foremost, you are going to get more control by shortening your backswing. The second reason why a short backswing in golf is better has to do with an increase in overall distance. It seems counter-intuitive that a shorter backswing will produce longer golf shots, but that is precisely what happens with the average player. Shortening your backswing will enable you to avoid many back problems that are common to golfers.

Is a short backswing in golf better?

"I recommend that at some point, every golfer practice hitting balls with a three-quarter backswing," said Joe Hallett, the director of the PGA Center for Golf Learning and Performance in Port St. Lucie, Fla. "Then, when everything seems to be going wrong, you can fall back on the three-quarter backswing shot. It's a nice safety net, and it will solve a lot of problems.

Shorten the Backswing to Calm Things Down

Imagine your backswing as short, wide and tight. As you swing back, make sure your hands are outside your right shoulder halfway back (when your hands are waist high on the backswing). Also, in this position the wrists should be fully cocked.

Easy, Tiger! Shorten your backswing for more accuracy

I have sat on the range watching people hit on a launch monitor and seen this 1000 times if I have seen it once.

A long sloppy arm controlled backswing that produces 80 mph of club speed and 110 mph of ball speed.

Followed by a short compact shoulder controlled back swing, that allows the hips to clear and produces 95 mph of club speed and 140 mph of balls speed.

Then the proverbial, “That shorter back swing feels so powerless, I don’t think I can do that.”

It doesn’t matter whether it’s launch monitor numbers, or just eyeballing a drive that goes 10-20 yards farther, it’s all the same.

Almost every golfer has a backswing that is too long

To get an idea of what I mean by keeping your elbows in front of you, grab a club and take your setup. At this point your elbows are basically right in front of your stomach. From here they will go UP a bit so that they are out in front of your chest, but it's preferable that they don't go anywhere else relative to your upper body.

The Gateway To Better Golf: Elbows in front

Any attempt by the golfer to independently move the arms “around” the chest or “behind you”during the backswing will disrupt this proper V shaped up and down in front of the chest motion, and cause the golfer to “get stuck” with the arms too far behind the chest, i.e. too far to the right side. You will then “come over the Top” during Transition, trying desperately to get “unstuck”, and then of course the severe out to in clubhead path and early wrist cock release occurs, the signature start of the downswing move of the high handicap golfer.

Gotham Golf Blog: Mastering the Craft of Ballstriking By Jim Waldron

The best way to understand where your arms should connect to your body is to stand up straight in your natural posture, letting your arms hang down; if your posture is ok, you will find that you arms hang on the side of your chest. Try and feel where the connection point is because this is the same point when you take your golf address. Connection between arms and body at address should happen more on the side of the chest rather than on top of the chest, with the shoulders remaining back in the natural body’s posture.

Connection

There is a trend on the professional tours these days to shorten the backswing with all clubs. Surprisingly, there has been little or no loss of power in doing that. To shorten the backswing, have your arms stop going back when your left shoulder stops turning (for right-handers).

It is risky to keep the arms moving up and back after that shoulder has reached its flexible limit. And don’t consciously cock your wrists. They take care of that by themselves.

Golf Tip of the Week: Shortened backswing helps with accurate distances

 

Straight Arms Across Chest at Setup

Arms straight, elbows together

There's another very important, fundamental aspect to the golf setup, and this time it has to do with the arms and elbows.

When establishing the address position, one must absolutely ensure that the arms are straight. I don't mean tense and ram-rod straight, but the elbows should not be bent to any extent, and both elbows should be located relatively close together, pointed down towards each respective hip, and the hands and club in the middle of the torso.

The upper arms should be lying tighty along the sides of the chest (especially the left arm), and this feeling will vary depending on the thickness of the golfer's chest and upper arms. This is the feeling of "connection" that should be maintained throughout the swing, where the arms are moved by the torso turn--not the other way around.

Some instructors have stated that the upper arms should rest across the top of the chest (and I use to believe this), but I now believe this is incorrect--at least for me. I get much better results by pinching the upper arms into the side of the chest and leaving them there for as long and as much as possible.

Elbows close

Getting into this position establishes the triangle at address and ensures the arms maintain the width and radius established at address. Keeping the elbows straight and close together also keeps the arms always in front of the body during the swing!

When done properly it's as if the arms and club are moved by the torso during the swing! If the arms ever begin moving independently, they will start sliding on the torso...or worse, coming off the torso altogether.

Establish these arm positions away from the ball and then use foot/stance adjustments to "move the crane" to the ball; in a sense, the arm-club unit then acts as a measuring stick to attain the correct distance.

To make it work, take your address position and place a soft ball about the size of a volleyball in the gap between your elbows. Take some small, relaxed swings, taking care to keep the ball in place. Try to keep your arms relaxed and only take half-swings or less.

Westchester Magazine | Golfing and Swinging Tips for Slice-Free Golf

We do not want loose arms or elbows that crook and point outward, left and right. These lead to a loose and sloppy swing.

The arms should be very nearly straight, though by no means locked. The elbows, especially, should be pointed down, toward the ground, not out to the sides.

You will notice, if you put the elbows in this position, that the very act of doing it brings the arms and the elbows closer together.

The Golf Stance Part 3: The Arms and The Open Position

At address, the arms should be held close together in front of the body, and the back of each elbow should point at each related hip. One should avoid allowing the elbows to point sideways away from the body, so that the antecubital fossa (hollow in the front of the elbow) of each elbow faces towards the opposite elbow's antecubital fossa.

Address setup

The final step in our setup is to simply march over to the golf ball. From the setup position with the clubhead resting on the ground at the center of the stance, simply shuffle over to the ball while maintaining setup posture. Basically we create the setup while standing a few inches too far away from the ball, then slide the clubhead up behind the ball as the feet take a small step forward. We literally use the club as a yardstick to measure the body distance from the ball.

Golf Setup Lesson – Foundation for a Golf Swing

 

 

Golf's Triangles

Another way to consider the motion of the arms in the golf swing is to think of the triangle formed by your arms at address. This swing thought can be used to help prevent getting laid off or across the line at the top, preserving the correct swing plane, and it can also aid extension back and through. Finally, it's absolutely critical for a proper takeaway.

It's important to note that the triangle stays in front of the body or chest all the way through the swing, and it can even be used for short game shots. The sides of the triangle near the base (your upper arms) should stay connected to the sides of your chest.

Using this triangle swing thought keeps the elbows related to the hips, especially the right elbow to the right hip, and helps maintain the swing radius. It's important on the backswing to remember that the right leg stays bent to get the full benefit from the triangle.

Simply form the triangle at address, lift the triangle vertically on the backswing (as if it swings around your neck) by rotating the shoulders (the right elbow naturally folds as it rises); allow the triangle to lower on the downswing using hip rotation, and allow it to lift vertically on the through swing. The triangle stays in front of the body the entire time; the triangle does not become "horizontal" or more parallel to the ground until you reach the top (going back in the takeaway, it should feel vertical, with right arm above the left). A full 90-degree shoulder turn is essential to using the triangle correctly, with the right shoulder pulling the triangle into position at the top.

During the takeaway, the right arm should remain straight for as long as possible, and it will initially stay above the left arm, as mentioned above. This will help keep the club head outside the hands during the takeaway, which is key to avoiding an OTT downswing. When the right arm finally does fold up, the right elbow should be pointing down at the ground--not behind the golfer (both elbows should stay relatively close together--as close as possible to the distance they were at address). Separating the elbows at the top is a major flaw that can lead to the arms collapsing, and it's a sign that the arms are doing more than merely moving vertically.

The movement of the shoulders is key; the triangle in the takeaway moves in response to the right shoulder pulling back and up behind the golfer, while the left shoulder tilts down. The right palm faces down toward the target line during the takeaway, such that the club face angle matches the spine angle. The arms, wrists, and elbows do very little to get the club back, but the arms rise vertically to get the club up.

The raising and lowering of this triangle (along with wrist action) constitutes the upward and downward motion of the golf swing, while hip rotation (and associated shoulder rotation) constitutes the horizontal, circular motion of the swing. At no time should the arms pull the club back behind the body; the correct feeling is a lifting up-and-down in front of the body without much independent arm movement.

Martin Hall has criticized this "triangle thought" because the arms don't actually maintain perfect triangles throughout. Instead, he argues for keeping your arm extension. Don't let this deter you. As with anything in golf: If it helps you then USE IT! Yes, we're not talking perfect triangles (the elbows do bend) but you get the point.

The triangle concept perfectly illustrates the takeaway. The butt end of the club should point roughly at the belt buckle during the takeaway (before the arms begin rising). If you're used to quickly pulling the club inside with your hands then this will feel really weird and wrong--as if you're outside the target line. But you're not! You're keeping the club head OUTSIDE your hands until the correct moment in the backswing by maintaining this triangle and keeping the butt end of the club pointing at your belt buckle in the takeaway. You've heard that the pitch shot is actually an abbreviated full swing; I think the pitch shot is either the takeaway or just beyond it with a little bit of wrist action!

However, there is ANOTHER triangle worth mentioning: the so-called "eternal" or "magic" triangle, formed by the angle of the left arm, club shaft, and an imaginary line from the left shoulder to the club face. The longer this triangle is maintained, the greater the lag. However, the first triangle we discussed is really the key to the "eternal" triangle. Not surprisingly, this also is the "L shape" of the left arm to club and Ernie Els' "maintained box" shape (he focuses more on the angles of the right arm to the club as opposed to the left). Keeping these angles ensures the use of the joints as levers (as in physics), which produces maximum lag and energy transfer.

Here is a quick drill: Hold the club straight out in front of you and extend your arms out as far as they can. This should create a TRIANGLE between your chest and your hands. This triangle is the key to a consistent golf shot. We want to keep this triangle formed throught the entire swing.

[From Golf Swing Plane Tips: How To Develop The Perfect Golf Swing]

Take the triangle you form between your arms at the top of your swing and pump it up and down to waist high. Get the feeling that your right elbow grazes against your right hip. Don't jam it into your hip. Just make sure it connects in some way. Also, stand in front of a mirror and watch for the gap. When your right elbow grazes your right hip, you should see some space (daylight) between your forearms. If you see this, you are coming from the inside, and on your way to playing good golf.

[From Golf Tips - Lessons from the Golf Pros - The Magic Gap]

You can also imagine a triangle, formed on two sides by the shaft of the club and the left arm, with the third side an imaginary line from the club head to the point of the left shoulder. From the top this triangle must be tilted and brought down a ways without changing the length of the imaginary side.

This we call the "eternal triangle," because it must be retained as long as possible. As the speed of the golf club head increases, the imaginary side of the triangle lengthens, of course, and the arm-shaft angle starts to open up. But the triangle should be kept constant as long as possible.

[From Golf Downswing: Third Magic Move]

A one-piece takeaway also keeps your hands in front of you. Note that [Lucas Glover's] hands are still pretty much in front of his belt buckle, even though his wrists have begun to cock. (In case you're having trouble seeing it, the clubhead is just to the left of his elbow.)

Ruthless Golf: More Thoughts on Keeping Your Hands in Front of You

1. Grip Points to Belt Buckle...To ensure correct hand height, the butt of the club should point at your belt buckle at address.

2. Clubface Points at Ball...One useful checkpoint is to see that your clubface is pointing at the ball as you swing the club back (right). This will head off two Common errors: fanning the clubface open so it points at the sky, or holding it closed so it points down at the ground. Either mistake forces you to become handsy if you hope to return the club back to square at impact.

3. Wrist Cock Blends with Turn...When your wrists begin cocking up, they should blend with your turn to keep the club on plane. You can check this by stopping your backswing when the shaft is parallel to the ground.

Three 'Musts' for a Smooth Takeaway | Instruction Feature | PGA.com

When I ask amateurs to show me how they start back, most will move the club away with only their hands and arms. What I want to see is the hands and arms moving in sequence with the rotation of the upper torso. All three should move together as one unit until the left arm gets parallel to the ground--at that point the swing's momentum will keep the hands and arms on plane.

Sean Foley: Simple Swing Fixes: Golf Digest

A couple of things to notice in these photos: the shape of the triangle that she [Annika Sorenstam] keeps with her arms and chest, the way that the club head stays in the center of that triangle (in other words, no early wrist cock), and the way that her right arm stays above the left arm all the way to waist high.

The Takeaway: A Common Fault and Fix | Three Guys Golf

Notice how the upper part of my left arm is still attached to my chest, while the clubhead is outside my hands as the club has traveled about halfway back. My left wrist is still cupped, my right arm is above the left and my right knee is still flexed. These positions, though simple, are absolutely critical.

50 Best Swing Keys | GolfTipsMag.com

Compare any of the greats in history and pause the video on the DTL view when the shoulders have rotated roughly 45* you will notice all of them have the triangle at that point between their chest and arms regardless of lift of the arms or rotation only. If the left arm looks higher then the right arm at a 45* shoulder turn then likely that person has come away inside and very flat.

So it is more about arms and chest working away from the ball as a single unit not really the right elbow staying close to the body, if you look at a face on view you will see most golfers that right elbow when the shoulders get turned 45* is actually a pretty good distance from the body.

Right elbow is the key

A good way to take the club away from the ball as straight as possible without swinging the club overly outside or inside the target line is to focus on keeping the right forearm staying above the left during the takeaway. Even if you try to keep your right arm on top of the left on the backswing, it will automatically move under the left arm at the proper moment as you swing the club to the top. As your backswing continues toward its top, your right arm should start to fold at the end of the takeaway and move under your left.

Keep right forearm above the left

Simply put: The right arm should be on top of the left arm as you start the backswing, and then it should move under the left arm as you swing the club to the top.

Many amateurs fold and shorten the right arm too early as they snatch the club away. What you really want is a relatively straight right arm during the initial part of the backswing as this promotes width and good pace -- keys to hitting solid shots.

David Leadbetter: Move Your Right Arm The Right Way : Golf Digest

Most golfers ruin any chance of hitting consistent golf shots within the first 6 inches of the golf swing takeaway.

The first takeaway mistake that I see most often is for the golfer to hinge the right wrist early or bow the left wrist (often, both are done together). Simply hinging the right wrist 45 degrees will move the club about 3 feet without the body having to move an inch.

The other common golf swing takeaway mistake is pushing the golf club back predominantly with the left arm and shoulder.

This is typically coupled with early right elbow flexion (i.e., bending), which should not occur until the takeaway is completed. In other words, the right arm should remain completely straight until the club is past parallel to the ground.

Learn the Perfect Golf Swing Takeaway in 5 Minutes per Day - Online Golf Instruction

The right arms should stay “above” the left as you move the club away from the ball with the palm of your right hand pointing at the ball. This will keep the clubhead outside your hands and stop you from fanning the face open. When the club gets to parallel to the ground during the takeaway the clubhead should still be slightly outside your hands with the clubface parallel to the outside of your right arm.

Top 100 Teachers: Ask Brady Riggs Live! Golf Magazine Top 100 Teacher Will Fix Your Faults

Notice Nick Price’s right forearm and how it is comfortably above the left. This is all accomplished by pivoting the shoulders on a fairly steep plane. The higher the right shoulder, the higher the right forearm and so on…

In a correct pivot, the left shoulder’s first move is down and then slightly across. This is in direct contrast to what most golfers attempt to do with their shoulders, which is: a. turn them as much as they can and b. get the left shoulder behind the ball.

The Shoulder Pivot in the Golf Swing | Andrew Rice Golf

 

Full Shoulder Turn

A full shoulder turn (90 degrees)--with hips that turn only to 45 degrees--has been described as a top backswing fundamental. I believe that, when performed the correct way (see Pull vs. Push below), it may very well be THE top fundamental for the full swing and pitch shots.

I feel that making a complete shoulder turn is one of the most important fundamentals in the golf swing. I think between having a good grip, a smooth tempo and a full shoulder turn, you can really play solid golf--and that's without thinking about "swing positions" or anything else!

So what do I mean by a full shoulder turn? I mean that on a full shot, strive to turn your shoulders 90 degrees. Your lead shoulder (left shoulder for a right-handed golfer) should be under your chin, and your back should be facing the target.

[From The Importance of a Full Shoulder Turn]

Check to see if your back is turned to the target. When you make a full 90-degree shoulder turn, your target should be directly behind your back.

[From How to Tell If You Are Making a Full Shoulder Turn | Golf Tips | Golfsmith]

Most golfers know that a full, 90-degree shoulder turn is a crucial element of a solid golf swing. Without it, a proper weight shift and a correct swing plane are almost impossible to achieve. A good shoulder turn not only ensures that your shoulders and chest are behind the ball at the top of the backswing, but helps maintain consistent balance throughout your motion. Before you can master a proper shoulder turn, however, it’s important to understand what it entails and exactly what it is.

[From Golf Tips - Turnstyle]

How does one know what "correct" looks like? Examine any professional golfer at the top of the backswing in the front-on view. Note in the photo the lines drawn on Ernie Els' beautiful backswing. The line drawn on his right shin is angled back towards him and towards the target; also, note how the line separates from his waist, demonstarting that his right knee is well bent at the top, ensuring no hip over-rotation and no sway to the right. Then notice the line drawn on his left lat; it is angled in toward the right leg and away from the target! This is a good solid pivot behind the ball, with no sway and no reverse pivot. If you can draw these lines on your backswing at the top with the same relative angles, you have a solid pivot.

Push vs. Pull

The correct takeaway or early backswing feeling is to "pull" the right shoulder 90-degrees straight back until it's behind one's head, with the left shoulder just going along for the ride, until it's behind the ball; the incorrect feeling is to reach over with the left side, or "push," to get the left shoulder behind the ball. It's as if there's a wall just outside the right side of the golfer's torso (not legs), and there's nowhere for the right shoulder to go except straight back. This is the correct shoulder rotation; don't even think about the left shoulder...it will follow. A really cool result of this line of thinking is that the upper swing center (the middle of your chest) will NOT move off the ball, and when you shift your weight into the left leg to start down, the upper swing center will be just in front of the ball, ensuring you hit ball then ground.

Chuck Quinton's Rotary Swing offers this great idea for easily achieving a 90-degree shoulder turn (even older players); I tried this, and I was amazed at how different (and great) it felt. Basically, Chuck is saying that a "pull" shoulder turn keeps you more centered and simplifies the movement, while a "push" shoulder turn moves you off of the ball. Pulling the right shoulder straight back uses a different group of muscles than the pushing the left shoulder back. And according to Chuck, this efficient movement will even take care of the takeaway. And a little digging around on the interwebs validated this concept; there are many others who are teaching this pull the right shoulder back versus push the left shoulder back method.

Performed correctly, you will get a nice, centered, one-piece takeaway, where the right arm stays above the left for most of the backswing, when viewing face-on. The wrists and right elbow seem to fold up naturally, the hands don't get too close to the right shoulder, and the left arm doesn't collapse. There should be no thought given to moving the arms, wrists, or hands to get the club started back and to the top--just consciously move the right shoulder straight back and let everything else follow. This is where maintaining the triangle formed by the arms and club head for as long as possible comes into play: the right wrist shouldn't dorsiflex backwards here (which would yank the club inside), the right elbow should not bend yet (it stays straight and above the left arm for as long as possible), and the wrists shouldn't cock upwards yet (which would shorten the backswing width). The right shoulder is pulling the stable, intact triangle assembly back in one swoop--a one-piece takeaway.

Now for the "gotchas." Doing this is a distinctly different feeling than pushing the left shoulder over and back as you may have been taught. And if you're not careful, it can lead to some other problems (this is true for any positive change you might make to your golf swing).

First, it's important to keep the right elbow pointed down at the top; don't let it chicken wing, fly, and point out behind you, as this can cause the left arm to collapse and other errors. Pulling the right shoulder back immediately doesn't mean the right elbow should do the same thing. Just focus on turning the right shoulder back and keeping both arms straight for as long as possible. Then simply allow the right elbow to fold such that the right hand goes straight up, the right elbow point pit points straight up, and the right elbow stays pointing downward. Next, be aware of the potential for the right leg to straighten too much, causing a lean to the left at the top. This can show up as a feeling of too much weight on your front leg at the top and a pull or slice ball flight. To fight it, remember that more weight should be on the inside of the right foot at the top, and the left shoulder should point behind the ball; you should start your downswing by bumping the left hip slightly and then turning left using the left lat as "center" of the downswing. This should get the path going inside-out and a ball flight starting out to the right before slightly drawing back onto target.

 

To get the proper shoulder turn, has a very simple solution: Turn your right shoulder back (not your left) and behind you. So many golfers have been told to turn their left shoulder back that their left shoulder might be pointing behind the ball, but the right has stayed were it was. Bio-mechanically your shoulders can squeeze together which is what most amateurs do. I call this a false turn.

Make a Better Shoulder Turn - Marc Minier

The right shoulder contains arguably the most powerful set of muscles that could help start the swing and concentrating on them can override mistakes that the smaller fast twitch muscles might make. Concentrating on turning the right shoulder away from the ball helps stop excess hand action, which is one of the most common backswing faults.

Golf Swing Shoulder Turn Drill | Suite101

When you start the club back, the right shoulder does NOT move sideways (to the right)…at all! This is a lateral movement that will create all sorts of compensations coming down.

The right shoulder moves BACK immediately!

Golf is a rotational movement, so the rotation of your shoulders early on is critical to getting to the top of your backswing in the correct position, in order to have a full golf swing loaded with power. So from now on, I want you to think of your right shoulder going back when you take the club away, NOT to the side.

Golf Backswing: Right Shoulder Motion Is A Must

Does it really matter if we pull or push? Yes, it does. People say that we should use the “big” muscles in a golf swing. These big muscles work by pulling, so pulling is bio-mechanically correct. They never tell us where these big muscles are, but they are primarily in your back.

Guest Column #2 (The Biomechanics of the Golf Swing) | Monte Scheinblum's Blog

In [Kuchar's] takeaway he gets a nice width off the ball. This gives him the proper angle coming down. You can already see how he’s turning his right shoulder behind his body.

Effective Shoulder Turn – Matt Kuchar Swing Analysis

The role of the left arm in the backswing is...pretty much nothing. Your left arm stays right in front of your chest. You'll pull your right shoulder blade back, and the left arm will elevate a little bit. That's it.

Left Arm in the Golf Swing | RotarySwing.com

The takeaway actually starts with no wrist action at all. It should be a one piece move that is best performed by letting the right shoulder blade begin moving back.

Right Wrist Action for the Perfect Golf Swing – Herman Williams Golf

The right shoulder initiates the swing, while the right wrist follows in unison. When this occurs, the club's handle and the shoulder move together as a unit. This is known as swinging the handle, and it widens the swing arc going back.

Widen Your Arc to Increase Your Driving Distance - Golf.com - GOLF.com

The start of your first move is to draw your right shoulder and armpit area back towards your right heel--in a straight line. The completion of this move will place you in a position which features: The front of your shoulders closely in line with your right foot. Your shoulder blades facing the green or fairway area where your ball will land.

One Piece Takeaway (Part 2)

Another good way to [turn your left shoulder behind the ball] is by turning your right shoulder back on the backswing. Try this next time you are on the practice tee. Make some practice swings and try turning your right shoulder directly behind your head at the top of the backswing. When I do this, it is easier to get coiled behind the ball and it is easier to complete my backswing-it feels longer.

When you turn the right shoulder back, check to make sure the left shoulder is past the ball(or to the right of the ball). If the left shoulder does not get back “behind the ball”, then you may not be shifting your weight to the back leg at the top and will not have the power coming back to the ball.

Golf Tips - US Golf School Guide

Your first move away from the ball if you’re a slider is to ROTATE your right shoulder immediately behind you! This will get you turning and not sliding to the right. Once you feel the rotation in your core, you will be able to unwind with a much higher clubhead speed.

Fix Shoulder To Turn In Golf Swing

Start the swing with the right shoulder. This keeps the hands in front of the chest and guarantees a full shoulder turn. By initiating the swing with the right shoulder, the entire body stays connected. Conversely, starting the swing with the left shoulder doesn’t necessarily turn the right shoulder, creating a myriad of potential problems, chief among them, limiting the range of motion.

Start the swing with the right shoulder | My golf store

Another good feel for me on the backswing is to pinch my right shoulder blade in toward the middle of my back. This is my way of keeping my shoulders turning on a steep angle and making a full windup.

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