A key to ensure proper shoulder positioning at impact is starting the swing with your shoulders square. When addressing the ball before a shot, check that your shoulders are lined up parallel to the target line. On the driving range, when you are ready to begin your swing, stop and lay a club on the ground in front of your toes.
How important is shoulder position at impact in golf?
The real answer, like most things in golf, is “it depends.” The key to shoulder position at impact is matching your pivot with your arm swing. What I see on a daily basis is players doing things that by themselves might not be wrong, but they don’t fit with the rest of their pattern.
Where should your shoulders rotate when you hit the golf ball?
So at the top of the swing, coming into contact, coming into the release already rotating roughly, just as a very general idea, around that overall spine angle, and our shoulders staying down in posture.
What is the key to shoulder position at impact?
The key to shoulder position at impact is matching your pivot with your arm swing. What I see on a daily basis is players doing things that by themselves might not be wrong, but they don’t fit with the rest of their pattern. Even worse is someone who tries to a make change to their golf swing by adding a piece that will do more harm than good.
Should your shoulders be open or closed at impact?
There is a lot of conflicting advice about whether the shoulders should be open, square, or even closed at impact. The real answer, like most things in golf, is “it depends.” The key to shoulder position at impact is matching your pivot with your arm swing.
Should shoulders be level at impact?
SHOULDER TILT AT IMPACT Making an arms-dominated swing, which so many amateurs do, tends to produce relatively level shoulders at impact (below, right). Better players have the back shoulder significantly lower than the front shoulder at impact (below, left).
What is the proper impact position in golf?
1:403:46Perfect iron impact position | GolfPass | Golf Channel - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipInto your armpit. So you're going to feel like that right shoulder gets tighter into your body. AndMoreInto your armpit. So you're going to feel like that right shoulder gets tighter into your body. And then from there i'm going to have my right palm up to the sky.
Should shoulders be square at address?
GO: For most shots your body, including your shoulders, arms, hips and knees, should be square to your target line. NO GO: Your shoulders should not be open or closed relative to your target line. This causes an inside or outside takeaway path.
When should I open my shoulders when golfing?
2:555:23Golf Swing Tip: Closed Shoulders at Address - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipThan as I go left I start to turn now my shoulders level out and my left shoulder starts to work aMoreThan as I go left I start to turn now my shoulders level out and my left shoulder starts to work a little bit more around so I like that for you with the driver.
How should I look at impact?
6:2911:19Golf Swing Impact Position Drill For Deadly ACCURACY! - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipThe body opens up the left arm is across the body look if I turn my hips. And my body back toward.MoreThe body opens up the left arm is across the body look if I turn my hips. And my body back toward. The camera my left arm is across my body like this again if you're standing up and flipping.
How can I improve my impact position?
3:178:32Improve Impact Position in the Golf Swing | Magic Drill - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo I need to bend my legs and rotate my legs. Notice how my right heel is coming off the groundMoreSo I need to bend my legs and rotate my legs. Notice how my right heel is coming off the ground that's good. I'll keep that right heel down it locks my hips.
How do I align my shoulders for an address?
1:082:59Improve Your Tee Shots With Shoulder Alignment - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo interesting little tip for you I used to do this is when I was playing. Set yourself up so theMoreSo interesting little tip for you I used to do this is when I was playing. Set yourself up so the ball like you're doing just drop your right hand off. Put it next to your right thigh.
How do I align my golf shoulders?
0:092:36Prevent bad shots with proper shoulder alignment - Golf Lessons ...YouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipThe right hand. So really common when it comes to shoulder alignment simply because that left handMoreThe right hand. So really common when it comes to shoulder alignment simply because that left hand is higher naturally. The left shoulder wants to sink. Further back than the right shoulder.
Should shoulders be open or closed at address?
Basically, by closing your shoulders slightly at address, you are going to shorten the turn required to make it up to the top of your backswing. This won't be the right adjustment for all golfers, but it can be perfect for those who have trouble keeping up with their lower body on the way down.
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 back in golf swing?
If you let your shoulders round forward, you will put your back into flexion. This might feel comfortable and it might even feel athletic. But it will be wrong. It will destroy the base of your upper body (the shoulders), limit your flexibility on the backswing and cause other things to fall apart in the swing.
How open should you be at Impact golf?
2:176:16GOLF - HOW TO GET OPEN AT IMPACT - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipWe need the club head to be a good amount behind. Me. You're behind you the golfer. If I've got theMoreWe need the club head to be a good amount behind. Me. You're behind you the golfer. If I've got the club head behind me I've got room where I can allow the club to move outward.
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 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 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 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.
Is the overall posture of the spine constant?
But the overall posture is going to remain pretty constant with the spine. So the overall, general angle that the spine is rotating in is going to be about the same. You can see as he gets to the top of the swing, that the overall tilt of the body has maintained pretty constant.
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.
2. Lead shoulder above trail
You will also note the lead shoulder is above the trail shoulder. This also is true with the hip line. The lead hip is above the trail hip, which matches the shoulder line. The trail leg and knee has moved inward creating a tuck look as well.
3. Tucked trail arm
A key feature at impact and through impact is a tucked bent trail arm. The trail arm is slightly below the lead arm and the trail wrist has angle to it. This forms a “pushing motion” through impact, a position to trap the ball through impact for a proper strike.
4. Push swing drill
A great drill to get the feeling for this impact position is to simply practice pushing into an impact bag. Set up to the bag in this desired impact position. Hold your body and swing the club back two feet and return the club into the impact bag. Then push the bag to get the feeling of your arms and body working through impact.
What side of the shoulder do you feel when you hit a golf club?
You will have a lot of weight on your left side and your shoulders will feel level at impact. Because your right hand is lower on the club than your left, your left shoulder won't actually be lower than your right, but that's what it needs to feel like if you're a hip spinner.
How to know if your left shoulder is lower than your right?
As you come down and shift into the left side you want to feel that your left shoulder is lower than your right. Continue to pull with the left arm, fire the right, and get into an impact position where you're stacked over the left side. Your spine should feel vertical or even that it's leaning toward the target.
How to feel vertical when hitting a golf club?
Hold a club against your sternum and belt buckle, and tilt back until the club touches your leg - that's enough tilt. If you're a hip spinner, getting the correct amount of tilt at impact will make you feel very vertical. Along with proper axis tilt, try to feel that your left shoulder is lower than your right at impact.
What does it feel like to be a hip spinner?
If you're a hip spinner, you not only want your spine to feel very upright, but also for your shoulders to feel very level. This drill in particular will feel even more extreme. You want to feel like your left shoulder stays lower than your right one all the way into impact. What does that mean, exactly?
How to get a golf club to touch your leg?
Take your stance and hold a club up to your center line, from your sternum to your belt buckle, like in the photo at left. Then just tilt your spine back, away from the target, until the club touches your leg. If you come down into impact with open hips, that's all the tilt you need.
What side of the shot do you pull your arm down?
This drill is critical because it teaches you what it feels like to keep your shoulders and hips shut, shift into the left side, pull the arm down, and keep that shoulder in the shot rather than pulling up and out of it every time and never releasing the club until the ball is already gone. Shoulders feel level.
What happens when your left shoulder comes up?
As the shoulder comes up it causes you to lean back too much and get your arms stuck behind you, leading to more blocked shots.
What is the shoulder plane in golf?
What is the shoulder plane in your golf swing and why does it matter? Shoulder plane is an important component of the swing. In order to check your shoulder plane, simply get in front of a mirror. Set up in your golf posture with a club across your chest. When you turn into your backswing, is your left shoulder or the butt end ...
How to check shoulder plane?
In order to check your shoulder plane, simply get in front of a mirror. Set up in your golf posture with a club across your chest. When you turn into your backswing, is your left shoulder or the butt end of the golf club pointed more at the ground or is the club more parallel to the ground? If your shoulders are more parallel to ...
What causes a golf club to be steep?
Steep shoulders can also happen in either the backswing or the downswing. When the shoulders get too much angled toward the ground, it can cause the club to also be steep and result in early extension, fat shots, slices and more erratic shots. This is certainly a less common problem for mid to high handicap players, but something to be addressed if this is an issue in your swing. Whenever your shoulder plane (or any part of your swing for that matter) gets too far from what is generally considered acceptable, you have to include other moves to compensate. When there are compensations in the swing, especially for amateurs, it makes it difficult to make consistent contact with the golf ball.
Can shoulder planes help you play better golf?
When there are compensations in the swing, especially for amateurs, it makes it difficult to make consistent contact with the golf ball. Fixing your shoulder plane, relative to your individual golf swing, can certainly help you play better golf.
The Boom Bapp
Good thought to have but you want your hips unwind your shoulders into that position not just the upper body alone.
westcyderydin
So, the feeling of open shoulders at impact...could this be more related to getting the hands stuck behind you too much (arm swing takeaway instead of one peice takeaway), then having the club way behind you on the down swing and into impact? because i can totally relate to that right now.
jons1
i'm not aware of any method being taught, or has been taught, where your shoulders aren't open to the target line at impact.... not one.
jons1
feel and real are not the same thing. whether anyone uses that visual as a feeling or not, no one is doing it, and i highly doubt any credible teacher is saying that's what's happening in a good golf swing.
jons1
i don't care if they tell a student to swing standing on their head, that doesn't mean that's what the teacher is teaching you to do. so no, i still don't believe any credible teacher says the shoulders and hips are square or closed to the target line at impact.
ChipDriver
This has been an interesting discussion...I think I have found out one of the causes of the shanks. It appears my right elbow is getting far away from my body on the downswing and I am swinging out to in across the golf ball. I am going to focus on keeping that elbow in tighter and see what happens.
tembolo1284
my answer: depends on the shot you are hitting. For a draw they will in general be more squarer to the targetline...for a fade a bit more open.
How to properly position your shoulders for a golf swing?
A key to ensure proper shoulder positioning at impact is starting the swing with your shoulders square. When addressing the ball before a shot, check that your shoulders are lined up parallel to the target line. On the driving range, when you are ready to begin your swing, stop and lay a club on the ground in front of your toes.
Why are shoulders squared in golf?
Golf Tips: Shoulders Square. 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. This is an important aspect of the swing ...
Why do golfers square their shoulders?
Squaring your shoulders means that as contact is made with the ball, the shoulders are parallel to the target line. This is an important aspect of the swing and is one reason that many novice golfers battle the slice and hook.
How to squar a shoulder?
Bring the right hand down and slap the left hand. The hands should meet in front of you for a square impact. If the shoulders are open, the hands will meet too far forward in a position that would cause a slice. Practice this drill to gain a better feeling of squaring the shoulders at impact.
How to find square position in golf?
This drill to find a square position can be done at home, at the range, or on the course. Take a stance and extend your arms with the hands together. The palms should be together and the fingers pointed at the ground. Take the right hand back (for right-handers) like the takeaway in a golf swing. Bring the right hand down and slap the left hand.
What is an impact bag?
An impact bag is a small, padded bag placed where the ball would be, and cushions the club.
