
What happens if your shoulders are open in the golf swing?
Open Shoulder Alignment If you start the golf swing with your shoulders open there are several common swing errors that can occur. The first is your shoulders moving out and around instead of down. This causes the club to move away from the ball outside of your target line commonly causing you to slice the ball and lose power.
How does shoulder alignment affect your golf game?
The shoulder position at impact is a key determinant on club path and so we tend to see more of an into out path and a draw ball flight. With this type of body alignment it is going to be difficult to consistently fade the ball with the resulting shot type often a push fade.
Is it easier to play golf with your shoulders squared up?
For most players, golf is going to be an easier game when the shoulders are squared up to the target line at address. And this makes sense – golf tends to reward simplicity and repeatable swings, and using this fundamental is going to take you in those directions.
How do you use your golf shoulders at address?
In addition to rotating back and through, your shoulders also help set the target line at address. By getting your golf shoulders at address into just the right position – which is parallel to the target line itself – you should have a far easier time starting your shots right at the target you have picked out.

What does open shoulders mean in golf?
A closed shoulder position is when the shoulders are aligned slightly right of the target, left of the target for the left-hand golfer. The closed shoulder position induces right to left ball spin. If the shoulders are open, the ball will spin left to right creating a slice for the right-hand golfer.
Should shoulders be open at Impact golf?
For a golfer whose left arm is deeper and more across the chest and right arm stays bent longer, the shoulders should be more open at impact. This will help the golfer's swing move in the direction of the target. For this golfer, the arms are moving slower, or closer to the same speed as the right shoulder.
Should shoulders be open or square at impact?
Square shoulders at impact are important for shot distance and accuracy. Golfers who struggle with accuracy should focus on having their shoulders square at impact. Squaring your shoulders means that as contact is made with the ball, the shoulders are parallel to the target line.
How do you keep your shoulders closed in golf?
2:598:15Keep Left Shoulder Down In Downswing Mind-Blowing Ball ...YouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo as i start down with that left shoulder just starting lower i feel as though my belt buckle isMoreSo as i start down with that left shoulder just starting lower i feel as though my belt buckle is close to the ball my chest those shirt buttons are closer to the ball.
Should your hips be open at impact?
Ideally, you want your hips to be around 45 degrees open in the backswing, and 40 degrees open at impact. Too much hip turn in the takeaway will make it difficult to get your hips open enough when it comes to striking the ball, which can hurt your swing.
How do you open the golf swing?
13:0722:59Best Drills To Finally Get The Hips Open At Impact - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipPut pressure into the ground two or three times right shoulders going forward notice my right arm isMorePut pressure into the ground two or three times right shoulders going forward notice my right arm is staying bent. And then i can make a couple swings filling my right arm bent.
Is an open stance in golf OK?
Putting with an open stance makes alignment much easier, and it allows you to have a better line to your target. Some golfers will not only set up with an open stance, but they will also look at the hole while they are putting. This method of putting has become quite popular through the years, and it is very effective.
When should you open your shoulders in the downswing?
2:036:47DON'T DO THIS WITH THE RIGHT SHOULDER IN THE DOWNSWINGYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipThis pops the shoulder out what we're looking to do is move the yellow. Before. The blue. So let'sMoreThis pops the shoulder out what we're looking to do is move the yellow. Before. The blue. So let's progress us on to the next stage.
How open should shoulders be at impact?
2:407:41Shoulder At Impact Golf MORE CONSISTENCY & PURE STRIKESYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSay keep them square. If you look a lot of the camera angles on tv. Like from face on. Here. I canMoreSay keep them square. If you look a lot of the camera angles on tv. Like from face on. Here. I can guarantee you that the chest. And the shoulders will always be open at impact.
How do you turn your shoulders in the downswing?
0:599:02TRAIL SHOULDER CONTROLLING YOUR DOWNSWING - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo that is down towards the ground there has to be a little bit of a downwards movement that trailMoreSo that is down towards the ground there has to be a little bit of a downwards movement that trail shoulder has to move a little bit out towards the golf ball. And it's got to be rotating.
Where should right shoulder be at impact?
6:059:26How To Use The Right Shoulder To Create The Perfect Impact PositionYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipThis right shoulder to the ball. Before the club head. Feel is what a good player looks like andMoreThis right shoulder to the ball. Before the club head. Feel is what a good player looks like and then you start to work that in just like you do with your other swings.
How do you open the chest in impact?
3:228:08How To Open Up The Chest Through Impact And Rotate - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAnd these start to match up yeah so when i arrive at impact the difference between my pelvis howMoreAnd these start to match up yeah so when i arrive at impact the difference between my pelvis how much it's open and my chest is only 10 degrees at the top of my back swing.
Where should your chest be at impact?
7:1913:13The Secret To Rotating Your Chest And Shoulders Through ImpactYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipChest stays pointed towards my right leg. Early head stays back. Now from here. I can work through.MoreChest stays pointed towards my right leg. Early head stays back. Now from here. I can work through. So first things first the rotation. Turn all the way back stay back initially.
Where should your chest be pointing at impact?
1:069:27Chest Movement In Golf Swing Unlock Pro-Like Consistency - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo ideally i'd like to have your chest pointing away from the target. At the completion.MoreSo ideally i'd like to have your chest pointing away from the target. At the completion.
What is an open shoulder?
The open shoulder position is usually more associated with a fade and an in to out club movement. It is common to see players with open shoulder alignments at impact to have a relatively strong grip. Tour players tend to match their body rotation through impact with their grip.
What is the shoulder alignment of a great ball striker?
There appears to be two distinct shoulder alignments commonly seen in great ball strikers, one where the shoulders are square or parallel to the intended target line the other where the shoulders are open or looking left. As a general rule if the player prefers to fade the ball a slightly open shoulder pattern is going to be more desirable ...
What is a square shoulder release?
If you prefer a squarer shoulder position you will want a slightly weaker grip and to adopt more of a roll release. This is a release where the club face goes from more of a toe up position in delivery or where the shaft in horizontal to the ground coming into impact and then rotates to mirror ...
Do golf clubs square at impact?
The release of the golf club is often misunderstood and many think to square the club face at impact there must be some rolling of the forearms through impact in order to square the face. The reality is that many great ball strikers actually try and feel the opposite and reduce forearm and wrist rotation to a minimum.
What is the right arm of a golfer?
The right arm is nice and in to his body. The hips have rotated open. Now here’s a key point to note when you’re looking at the swing, the difference between the shoulders and the torso. If you look at his shirt buttons or his ribcage, you would see that that’s pointing about 20-30° open.
What does it mean when your left shoulder is square?
All right, so these shoulders are pretty square there. That means the left shoulder is kind of protracted, or in against the chest. The left shoulder’s going to feel like it’s across your chest as you’re coming down to impact. The right shoulder is also going to feel like it’s kind of cinched in to your chest.
What does it mean when a golfer's right hand is lower than his left hand?
Since his body is slightly tilted away --so you can see his upper body is slightly tilted back away from the target – that’s going to put – and since also his right hand is lower on the club than his left hand – that’s going to give him just a very slight tilt in the shoulders.
What does it feel like to stretch out your shoulder?
If you’re looking at it from this way, it feels like it’s stretching out away from the body. If you look at the back of your left shoulder, that’s what’s called your scapula, and that is stretching out away, that shoulder’s protracting or moving away from the target.
What does retracting your shoulder mean?
That right shoulder is what’s called retracting, which means the scapula is moving in toward the center of your spine. That’s going to really stretch you out. Now when those two things happen together, along with the turn of the overall torso, you’re going to get a big shoulder turn. So really big shoulder turn there.
Should shoulders change in backswing?
Shoulders in the Backswing. Your overall posture shouldn't change much in the swing. Don't worry about the exact angles. You just need to know that your spine angle and shoulders should be stable throughout the swing. At the top of your swing, the shoulder angle shouldn't have changed much.
What happens when you start your golf swing with your shoulders open?
The first is your shoulders moving out and around instead of down. This causes the club to move away from the ball outside of your target line commonly causing you to slice the ball and lose power. Starting with your shoulders open can also cause a shorter backswing, or a lack of rotation, or for your arms and body to become disconnected as you try to get the club back far enough.
What happens when your shoulders are too close to your target line?
Starting with your shoulders too closed relative to your target line can cause you to take the club too far inside resulting in a swing that comes over-the-top which produces a pull or in the worst case a pull-slice.
What is the most difficult part of golf alignment?
Align your knees, hips, and shoulders. This step is made significantly easier with Swing Align. Shoulder alignment at address is the most difficult part of the golf alignment process. If you are wearing a Swing Align device all you have to do is look down and match the alignment rod across your chest with the alignment rod on the ground.
How to align a golf club?
It’s important that your club face points down the target line you set for yourself. Align the leading edge of the club perpendicular to the rod you placed on the ground. Take your golf stance. Your lower body, or golf stance alignment, should be easy because of that rod you set down for yourself.
What does alignment rod mean in golf?
The alignment rod across your upper body will show you where your body line is pointed, and an alignment rod on the ground will show where your lower body is pointed, match the two and you’re in proper alignment and ready to make a good golf swing. GO: For most shots your body, including your shoulders, arms, hips and knees, ...
What is proper golf alignment?
Proper golf alignment is the first step to executing a great swing, and to hitting a great golf shot. If you set up with the proper golf alignment, particularly your shoulder alignment at address, you’ve set yourself up for success. If you set up poorly you’ve set yourself up ...
Why is golf fundamentals important?
All golf swing fundamentals are important. They each have their role to play, and no great swing can exist without them. Because of this it’s hard to put one above the others, with one key exception - proper golf alignment.
What is the role of shoulders in golf?
The main role of the shoulders during the golf swing is rotation . They can serve as the main engine of your golf swing – along with your hips – to turn the club back and through. Good golf swings are all about getting enough rotation to build speed and accelerate the club into impact.
How do shoulders help in golf?
In addition to rotating back and through, your shoulders also help set the target line at address. By getting your golf shoulders at address into just the right position – which is parallel to the target line itself – you should have a far easier time starting your shots right at the target you have picked out.
How to feel the separation in golf swing?
One of the most powerful things you can feel in your golf swing is the separation between your hips and your shoulders during the transition. As your hips start to rotate toward the target, there should be a lag during which your shoulders are ‘hanging back’ and waiting to get started.
Why do my shoulders spin out of my swing?
Golf shoulders spinning out of the swing is a common problem because too many golfers try to use the shoulders themselves to get the downswing started. When this happens, the shoulders turn out of the way too quickly, leaving the club trailing far behind the swing.
What is swing theory?
Modern swing theory focuses largely on the backswing rotation of the shoulders relative to the hips. The Jim McClean, measures the difference (in degrees) between the shoulder turn and hip turn at the top of the swing.
Why is it important to keep your shoulders closed?
While keeping the shoulders closed, it’s important that you still allow them to rotate freely. Otherwise, your arms will take over the downswing and throw everything out of whack. The shoulders are one of the parts of the body that play an integral role in the success or failure of your golf swing.
What does it mean to be square with your shoulders at address?
Being square with your shoulders at address means that they are parallel to the target line that you have picked out for the shot.
