Here’s a tip you haven’t heard that works much better: Swing the clubhead up. It sounds crazy, but since the clubhead is lower at the top (middle photo, below) than at the highest point in your backswing (left), it must move up at the start of your downswing in order to retrace—or nearly retrace—the proper arc coming down (right).
How do you swing a golf club upright?
At the top of the club, the handle of the club is down close to the right shoulder (for a right handed golfer). By contrast, an upright swing is one that moves the club higher into the air, and the grip end is well away from the shoulder at the top.
Should you use an upright or down plane golf swing?
As a general rule, male golfers who stand more than six feet tall are good candidates to use an upright swing. For women, standing over 5'8'' or so qualifies. If you are shorter than those measurements, you might have difficulty creating enough room between the club and the ground to swing down on an upright plane.
How do you hit the top of your swing?
Remember to focus on the relationship between the hands and the clubhead. The hands will work inside over the right foot and the club will stay out in front of the hands. This takeaway will allow you to finish the backswing and achieve the perfect position at the top of your swing. Try the drills I shared here and let us know what you think.
How do I use swing align?
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. Let your hips and knees follow the line of your shoulders and take the time to remember what this position looks and feels like.
How can I make my swing more upright?
3:456:22Upright Backswing vs Flat Backswing in Golf (WHICH IS BETTER!?)YouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipHands to hips. And that club just drops right in the slot. Let's watch freddie here again big longMoreHands to hips. And that club just drops right in the slot. Let's watch freddie here again big long backswing. Really gets the hips going.
How do I swing down the line?
0:437:15The Golf Swing Down The Line - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAnd that club is pointing down the line hopefully your head is tilted a little bit. So it looks longMoreAnd that club is pointing down the line hopefully your head is tilted a little bit. So it looks long. And loose.
What is the correct sequence to a proper golf swing?
The clubhead has the furthest distance to travel from the ground up to the top of the golf swing, therefore it must move first. The arms will follow in the sequence, then the torso, and lastly the hips.
Is a flatter golf swing better?
But that doesn't prohibit you from hitting the ball farther. On the contrary--a shorter, flatter swing is much easier to keep on-plane than a longer, more upright swing. You'll make fewer compensations on the downswing and hit the sweet spot on the clubface more often, producing greater ball speeds and bigger drives.
What moves first in golf downswing?
The correct golf downswing sequence starts with a pressure shift to the lead leg, followed by an externally rotated trail arm to shallow the angle of the club, before rotating the torso through to impact.
Why can't I shallow the golf club?
7:3811:33WHY YOU CANT SHALLOW THE GOLF CLUB - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipThe left shoulder raises up it's a natural thing for us to do is to regain that tilt the balls onMoreThe left shoulder raises up it's a natural thing for us to do is to regain that tilt the balls on the ground i have to stay tilted towards that golf ball to be able to hit the ball on the ground.
What is the most important thing in golf swing?
Use the big muscles of your legs and trunk to move the little muscles of your arms and hands. So watch the players at impact – they are all the same – and that is the most important part of any golf swing.
What is the most important move in the golf swing?
The first move down from the top is one of the most important in the golf swing. No matter how you take the club back, the transition into the downswing has to be smooth, and the club needs to come into the ball from inside the target line. And the overall downswing has to start from the ground up.
Should hips turn first in golf swing?
0:345:05SHOULD YOU START THE GOLF SWING WITH THE ARMS OR HIPSYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSorry end up in the start of the backswing is that the club the hands the arms. And the torso all.MoreSorry end up in the start of the backswing is that the club the hands the arms. And the torso all. Move together this helps keep the clubface square. And helps keep the club on plane it's.
How can I make my golf swing less flat?
3:576:48How to FIX a FLAT Golf SWING - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipBut the best thing to do is check it so ideally when we get the club roughly to this point in theMoreBut the best thing to do is check it so ideally when we get the club roughly to this point in the backswing. The butt of the club should be pointing on what's called your ball to target.
What happens if backswing is too shallow?
Unfortunately, if your backswing is too flat, you won't be able to square up in time because the club will have a long journey to make all the way around your body. Even if you do everything else right in the downswing, you might not be able to recover in time to hit the ball on line with your target.
Should you stand tall in the golf swing?
Standing tall makes it easy to turn through the shots and easy to turn in the backswing – it suits a lot of golfers. Jason Day and Rory McIlroy have very athletic postures because they work out a lot and this helps them really stand over the ball, but this type of posture might not be for everyone.
What is the plane of a golf swing?
The plane of your golf swing has a lot to do with the shots that you are able to hit out on the course. Generally speaking, there are two different schools of thought when it comes to swing plane – flat, and upright. Golfers who use a flat swing plane keep the club on a lower path at it moves around their body.
How tall do you have to be to swing an upright golf club?
As a general rule, male golfers who stand more than six feet tall are good candidates to use an upright swing. For women, standing over 5'8'' or so qualifies. If you are shorter than those measurements, you might have difficulty creating enough room between the club and the ground to swing down on an upright plane.
What is the difference between an upright and a flat swing?
In a flat swing, the focus on the downswing is a quick rotation of the lower body to the left. While you still want to use your lower body to some degree, you should be more concerned with swinging your arms down correctly.
Why do golfers use upright swings?
Plenty of the players on the PGA Tour use an upright swing plane because it is simply and effective way to hit great shots. Of course, that doesn't mean that it is going to be easy.
What are the benefits of swing planes?
Following are three more benefits that you will want to factor in to your decision as you choose which swing plane will be best for your game. Added distance in some cases. Not all golfers will hit the ball longer distances as a result of using an upright swing – but some will.
Why does my golf club shank?
A shank is normally, but not exclusively, caused when the club travels from an inside path and the heel of the club is presented first to the ball. By taking the club away on a more upright swing path, it is possible to help stop the shank shot and find the middle of the club face. An upright swing plane has some benefits as does ...
Which plane of golf swing is best for tall golfers?
Players who are tall tend to favor and enjoy more success with an upright swing plane and smaller players tend to favor a flatter plane although it is perfectly possible for either profile of player to use either swing. A very upright golf swing sees the club head trace a very straight path away from the ball during the back swing.
What does it mean when your golf grip is weak?
Weak Golf Grip. A weak grip is when you can only see up to one of the knuckles on your left hand at address. Players with a weak grip will have issues controlling the face through impact. This grip will lead to players hitting weak fades with all of their clubs due to an open clubface at impact.
How far away is the clubhead from the target?
It’s like this: Take your setup (no ball) with your 7-iron. Hold the club out in front of you (toward the target) so the clubhead is about 3 or 4 feet away from your body. In other words, your club is positioned at about the midpoint between where the golf ball would be and where you would finish.
What is the plane on a golf club?
The swing plane is the natural line in which your club swings back to the top of the swing and then down to the golf ball.
How to improve your swing tempo?
Try to work on your posture next time you are out on the range. Make sure the shoulders, knees and balls of your feet are all relatively in line with each other. Relax the back so that it is not arced and be at hletic. These tricks will allow the body to rotate well and improve your swing tempo.
What does it mean when you have a strong grip in golf?
Strong Golf Grip. When a player has a strong grip, they tend to make a major mistake in their takeaway. A strong grip is when the left hand is rolled over the top of the grip and the right hand is underneath. Usually, if you can see three or more knuckles on your left hand at address, you have a strong grip.
What is a neutral grip?
A neutral grip is when roughly two knuckles can be seen on the left hand at address. To grip the club consistently with a neutral grip, perform this setup drill for every shot.
What is the most common mistake I see with the hands in the takeaway?
The most common mistake I see with the hands in the takeaway is when the hands work out away from the body and the left hand rolls over the right hand. This move creates separation between the hands and the rest of our body. The hands should work in over the right foot as the hips rotate back and away from the target.
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 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 happens if you set up poorly?
If you set up poorly you’ve set yourself up for failure. Devan Bonebrake, top 50 young golf instructor and Golf Academy Lead Instructor, says his students lose their golf alignment as much as they lose their swing. Devan finds that the upper body and shoulder alignment are typically where things go awry.
How to do Hogan's "Anybody can do that"?
Hogan asks. “Anybody can do that.”. 1. Elbows to chest 2. Lengthen your swing 3. Add speed. You can watch the entire video below. Video Player is loading. This is a modal window.
How to get a good golf swing?
Elbows to chest. In the clip, which you can watch in full below, Hogan suggests starting by making small swings, with your elbows connected to your torso the entire time to give you the feeling of a starter golf swing. “Try moving your body, keeping your elbows at your sides,” Hogan says. 2.
What is Ben Hogan's 5 lessons?
Appearing on a late night talk show, he uses an exercise that was featured in his book, Ben Hogan’s Five Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf, designed to help people form the building blocks of a golf swing. Basically, it’s a three-step process, Hogan says.
Who is Luke Kerr?
Luke Kerr-Dineen. Luke Kerr-Dineen is the Game Improvement Editor at GOLF Magazine and GOLF.com. In his role he oversees all the brand’s service journalism spanning instruction, equipment, health and fitness, across all of GOLF’s multimedia platforms.
What does it mean when your golf swing is bad?
A bad angle means something in your setup that’s pointing in the opposite direction than it should be. Your shoulders are tilting down in front of the ball, for instance, instead of up and away from the target. High-handicappers tend to have bad angles. With bad angles, golf quickly becomes a game of compensations.
What is a bad angle in golf?
High-handicappers tend to have bad angles. With bad angles, golf quickly becomes a game of compensations. (Shoulders tilted in the wrong direction also pull your head ahead of the ball and point your body left—more bad news.) Mid-handicaps don’t have as many bad angles.
Can a narrower stance increase rotation?
ADVERTISEMENT. Too Narrow: If you’ve got too much lateral movement, a narrower stance can discourage excess weight shift and increase your rotation. But, again, don’t overdo it. If you narrow your stance too much, like I’ve done here with the insides of my feet inside my shoulders, your swing will become unstable.
What is the correct sequence of motion during the transition from backswing to downswing?
A proper sequence of motion during the transition from backswing to downswing will result in a better path and more efficient swing. The correct downswing sequence begins with a small lateral motion of the lower body toward the target while the shoulders remain closed to the target.
How to do a backswing pivot?
Turn back making a backswing pivot, then, without moving the shoulders, move your hips laterally to the left. When you do this, your spine angle should tilt slightly more away from the target than before. Once you have mastered this move you can then add hip rotation.
What is magic move?
Harvey Penick used to describe the “magic move” as a shifting of the weight toward the target while at the same time moving the right elbow down to the right side of the body. Work to improve your downswing sequence for improved impact and a more efficient swing. Take an online lesson with Ed Oldham.
When was the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship 2009?
Getty Images. ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - JANUARY 18: Johan Edfors of Sweden hits his tee shot at the 7th hole during the final round of the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship held at the Abu Dhabi Golf Club on January 18, 2009 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images) -. One of the most common requests that I get ...