Today we’re going to talk about the proper rotation of your hips and shoulders. It’s a huge problem area for amateur players and one of the biggest reasons they struggle to get the distance they want in their golf swings…
I’m going to show you how the pros do it, compare that to the average recreational player, and then give you a great drill to help you get the most out of your swing.
And if you’re thinking, “but there’s no way I can swing like the guys on tour,” don’t worry…
The same principles apply to everyone from scratch golfers on down to complete beginners… and whether you’re an elite athlete or someone who doesn’t move as well as you used to.
OK, so to get started let’s take a look at a professional swing…
We’re going to use some really cool 3-D imaging software so we can easily see what’s going on – and then talk about how we can apply what we learn to your swing!
The image below is from the swing of tour player Bryson DeChambeau, and the 2 numbers you see are the rotation of his hips and shoulders relative to the target line at impact.
As you can see, Bryson’s hips are 32 degrees open and his shoulders are 12 degrees open at impact.
These numbers are pretty typical of tour players… I’ve studied the data and we usually see the hips around 35 degrees open and the shoulders up to 20 degrees open.
This a powerful position and indicates that Bryson is using the large muscles in the hips, glutes, lats and torso to generate a ton of club head speed.
And it’s very similar to what we see in other sports…
Take a look at the ice hockey player in the picture below:
Notice how his hips and shoulders have clearly rotated well “open” to his target just like our pro golfer?
You can see the same thing in the baseball swing below:
Notice again how the hips, shoulders, and torso have rotated completely through the swing and are now facing his target.
Now let’s compare this to one of my students at impact:
Here we can see the hips are open just 5 degrees and the shoulders are actually 15 degrees closed!
This is a clear sign that this golfer has not engaged the big muscles of the hips and torso to generate power and club head speed, but it gets even worse…
When your hip and shoulder rotation stall out like this, you are forced to compensate with the smaller muscles in your arms and hands.
…And because your body hasn’t cleared out of the way, you have a tendency to get “jammed up” at impact.
For most golfers this means the lead shoulder pulls up, the hands get too active, and a weak flipping motion of the wrists… any one of which can kill your swing. Not only will you lose club head speed but you will have a tough time making solid, consistent contact.
Now the numbers you see in the image above are similar to what I see in a lot of amateur swings, and definitely something you want to avoid in your game!
So let’s give you a great drill to work on this at home…
I call this one the “Impact Freeze Drill.”
What I want you to do is set up to a ball… but instead of getting into your normal “address” position, you are going to start from an impact position like the one shown below:
Here are the key points to model:
- your shaft leans forward with the hands in front of the ball
- your weight favors the lead foot
- your hips are rotated 20-40 degrees open
- your shoulders are rotated 10-20 degrees open
- your lead arm is pulled tight against your chest
Once you’ve got this down go ahead and take some small chip shots. Your goal is to start in the impact position, take the club back, and then return to the proper impact position.
As this becomes more comfortable, gradually work your way up to pitch shots, 3/4 shots, and finally fully swings.
You are training your body to return to the proper position at impact – with your hips and shoulders rotating through and clearing the way for crisp, solid, and powerful contact.
Give that a try and I promise you will pick up some club head speed and start to see a more solid, powerful ball flight!
And if you are ready to take it to the next level and get even faster results, I’d recommend you take a look at my Ballstriking Blueprint coaching program.
I cover the lower body in detail, showing you exactly how to initiate the downswing and generate power using the big muscles of the hips and glutes.
I reveal the 4 common lower body mistakes I see in my students… and give you a drill to eliminate each one from your game.
But that’s just the beginning…
You’ll learn exactly how the upper and lower body work together to create a powerful, precise, and repeatable golf swing.
I’ve packed a ton of information into 4 1/2 hours of video in the “Blueprint,” but don’t worry, you won’t be overwhelmed because I’ve designed the entire thing so that each lesson builds on the previous.
At every step of the journey I’ve included my very best drills – carefully chosen so that you can do them at home or on the range without me there looking over your shoulder.
These drills were hand-picked after testing and tweaking them with thousands of students on the lesson tee, and they’ve been proven to get results, fast.
Everything you need to know is in the Ballstriking Blueprint… I demonstrate each concept from multiple camera angles and by analyzing professional swings on a projector.
I reveal the most common mistakes I see in my students at every part of the swing… and show you exactly how to eliminate each one from your game.
And finally I’ve included 4 entire student lessons where you can watch me work with golfers across the spectrum in age, skill level, and body type. That’s 2 hours of lessons – all included at no extra charge!
I’ve taught this stuff to thousands of golfers now, and I’m still amazed at the results my students have been getting. It’s worked for everyone who’s given it an honest try… and I know it can do the same for you.
So what are you waiting for? Click the link below and let’s get started!
Click Here for the Ballstriking Blueprint