what does an arch in your back do to your golf swing ball flight

Many golfers are under the impression they should arch their lower back when addressing the ball, but instructor Dave Phillips of the Titleist

Performance Institute says this can lead to back pain and a bad swing.

Full Answer

How does the arc of your golf swing affect your ball flight?

The arc of your golf swing can have a tremendous impact on your ball flight. Mastering the art of arcing your golf swing will help ensure that you keep achieving the ball flight that you desire.

Is it bad to arch your back when hitting the ball?

Don't Arch Your Back. Many golfers are under the impression they should arch their lower back when addressing the ball, but instructor Dave Phillips of the Titleist Performance Institute says this can lead to back pain and a bad swing. as ranked by Golf Digest.

Why do I swing the ball on the left in golf?

First, note that in the swing on the left the shaft is still delofted and stressed after the ball has left the face. This is caused by the club being driven through the turf on a continuing descending arc.

How does your grip affect your golf swing?

A simple way to check how your grip affects the club face at the top of your backswing. The only downside of this slightly stronger grip is that it can be slightly more difficult to work the ball (i.e., hitting a fade or hitting a draw).

Should you arch your back for golf swing?

Phillips says it's OK to stick out your rear end at address, but don't do it by arching your back. Instead, bend forward from your hip joints, and keep your spine neutral. This requires core strength and proper lumbar-spine stabilization, but it will lead to a better swing and help you avoid back pain.

What does playing the ball back in your stance do?

Control Trajectory. The most-common reason to play the ball back in your stance is to control the trajectory of your shot. In other words, when you want to keep the ball down closer to the ground as it flies, you are going to move it back in your stance.

How important is spine tilt in the golf swing?

This tilted spine is essential to allow the body to turn properly while transferring weight onto your right side on the backswing. Without this rightward lean, you're more likely to leave weight on the left side, or even tilt toward the target as the club goes back – a big no-no called a “reverse pivot.”

What happens if ball too far back in stance?

Ball too far back. With the ball too far back in your stance, your swing plane will be too steep as you approach impact with the driver. That means you will be prone to hitting the ball high on the face, and your ball flight will likely be too high as your backspin rate will be out of control.

What happens if ball is too far forward in stance driver?

With the driver, most golfers play the ball too far forward and stand too far away from it. This might feel powerful, but it sets some bad things in motion. The forward ball position shifts the shoulders open to the target, which leads to an out-to-in swing and usually a slice.

How can I increase my golf ball flight?

To hit the golf ball higher, you need four things: clubhead speed; a shallow or upward angle of attack; loading into your trail side; and a good hip turn away from the ball followed by a fast turn back through into impact.

Should I lean back when hitting driver?

Don't lean back to help the ball up! It may feel like you're sliding left at first, but as long as you continue with a solid "bump" and rotation through the downswing, it's not a slide. It's how the downswing should look and feel! It seems I see the same mistakes with pitch shots over and over again.

What is the correct spine angle for golf?

between 35 and 45 degreesFor most golfers, perfect spine angle will typically be somewhere between 35 and 45 degrees. The key to finding your perfect spine angle is achieving proper balance, bending from your hip sockets as you drop your hips back.

How far should you bend over in golf swing?

Spine Bend If a number must be assigned to the amount of forward bend, I'd use 25 degrees from vertical. This will vary between taller and shorter players but, nevertheless, it's a decent average. When you're bent forward correctly (left), your shoulders, knees and feet should line up vertically.

Should I stand further away from the golf ball?

Standing further from the golf ball may help to prevent shanks and slices and will provide more accuracy and consistency in a players' hits. Be careful not to stand too far, but if you are too close, move further back for a better hit.

Does having the ball too far forward cause a slice?

Be careful not to play the ball too far forward, however, as this will only exacerbate that slice and lead to even more left-to-right curve. Once you establish ball position, make sure to get your body aligned correctly--in particular, your shoulders. They should be square, or parallel left, of your target line.

Should the golf ball be in the middle of your stance?

The ball should be in the middle of the tracks and you should be standing on the outside of them. The third alignment stick should be laid perpendicular to the other two and placed right around in the center pointing straight at the golf ball. This stick represents where the ball is placed in your stance.

Which position has a bigger influence on direction than the path of the swing?

"Clubface position has a bigger influence on direction than the path of the swing," Andrisen said. "You could be making a pull-slice swing but because the clubface is very open the ball might not fly to the left before it starts slicing."

How easy is it to learn golf ball flight?

And learning the basics of ball flight is very easy — it takes just a minute or two to grasp the simplest, most common explanations for why the golf ball does what it does in flight.". Having the most basic understanding of ball flight cause-and-effect lets every golfer do his or her own coaching. 01. of 02.

What does "toe deep" mean in golf?

Toe-deep means the toe of the club digs into the ground more than does the heel of the club. Battle scars (skymarks) on the top and toe of the driver from hitting the ball straight up. Tee marks on the bottom of the driver that are at an angle. Contact on the toe of the club. Ball flight is high with a loss of distance.

What is a golf swing plane?

The plane is an imaginary flat surface used to describe the path and angle on which the club swings. The golf swing consists of the backswing plane and the downswing plane, and can be on plane, upright (above the plane) or flat (below the plane). Former PGA Tour professional Ben Hogan popularized the swing plane in his 1957 book "Five Lessons;

What factors affect the swing plane?

Each golfer has his own swing plane, determined by his body type and the club he is using. The length of the golfer's arms, legs and torso affect his posture; the length of the club affects the angle of the shaft at address. A 5-foot-2 golfer holds a 40-inch-long club at more of an angle (flatter) ...

Why is a flatter swing better?

The flatter swing has a better chance of staying connected, making it easier to time the swing. It also causes the ball to come off the clubface on a lower trajectory with a tendency to draw, if the clubface is square to the target.

Is a 5 foot 2 golfer flat?

A 5-foot-2 golfer holds a 40-inch-long club at more of an angle (flatter) than a 6-foot-2 golfer; therefore, a shorter golfer will tend to have a flatter on-plane swing than a taller golfer. If that same 5-foot-2 golfer swings the club below that plane, his swing is flat in relation to the plane.

What happens when a golf ball is compressed?

When a golf ball is compressed, it "rebounds" off the face with a significant boost in speed over a shot that is struck "thin" or not fully compressed. The ball literally "leaps" off the face. This is very important as it helps the ball cut through the wind for the first 30 or 40 yards with authority.

Can you see high golf shots on the tour?

Unfortunately, you won't ever see that on the Tour. You'll see high golf shots on the Tour, but there's a reason that they drive everything through the wind. They hit down on the ball, they get a penetrating ball flight, they compress the ball, and it's extremely important for consistent ball striking. If you're always catching the ball ...

What happens if a golf ball lands late?

If it lands early, or late, some element of your swing — likely its angle of attack — is off kilter. To rectify, be attentive to, and fiddle with, elements such as weight distribution, body and spine angles, body rotation and wrist release.

How to address an imaginary golf ball?

Address an imaginary golf ball, in proper athletic posture with a 7-or-8 iron. Make a few swings back and forth without stopping while trying to “bruise” the ground. Don’t dig! You will begin to see a common area where the club touches down. That is the base of your arc (with your swing in its current form). Use that as a barometer for your ball-position and gravitate to that on pitch shots, medium iron shots, and iron shots you find daunting or difficult. This approach will surely help with ball contact consistency.

How to use a golf line?

Use a line (or a tee) as a reference and set it up so that it is at a right angle to your stance line. Address an imaginary golf ball — in this instance the line or the tee between your feet — in proper athletic posture with a 7-or-8 iron. Make a swing and try to bruise the ground. Pay attention to where the club makes contact with ...

Can you dial in the base of your swing arc without hitting a golf shot?

Taking that practice and sensory work further, you can dial in the base of your swing arc without hitting a golf shot . First, it is important to understand the importance and value of the location of the base of the arc. I contend that of all of the factors influencing ball-flight it could be the most important.

Why do people pick up golf clubs?

This is because golf is a very counter-intuitive sport . When people pick up the club for the first time and they want to try and get the ball up in the air, the most obvious thing to do is to stay on the back foot and try and scoop the ball off the surface up into the sky.

Is hitting down on the ball counterintuitive?

The ability to then start hitting down on the ball, hitting the ball first and then turf is counter-intuitive, because if you hit something down, it shouldn't come back up . But unfortunately golf is a very counter-intuitive game and that is what happens.

Is the towel drill a feedback drill?

It’s a fantastic feedback drill. And as you get more proficient about missing the towel and hitting the ball, you can move it closer and closer and closer. But it is a super, super drill. It is one that works for many golfers when they use it over time.

Should you hit the towel first or the ball first?

With the towel where it is in that position, you should be coming and avoiding that towel hitting the ball in the turf. But if you are not and you are hitting the towel first, you'll know that the low point in your swing is happening too early, and you're catching the towel first before the ball.

Why is grip important in golf?

First off, the most important aspect of the grip is that it makes it easier to square the club face at impact. This is the most critical aspect of the golf swing, in general, and your grip is an integral component of this fundamental. Once you start looking at your golf swing in terms of position and swing plane throughout, ...

What does a slightly stronger grip do?

A slightly stronger grip will leave you with a clubface that is slightly shut at the top. This is ok, having this slightly shut club face at the top makes it significantly easier for the average golfer to square the club face at impact. Having a slightly stronger grip can and will steepen the swing plane slightly.

Why is it important to have a slightly closed club face?

Having this slightly shut club face at the top makes it significantly easier for the average golfer to square the club face at impact, and having a slightly stronger grip makes this much easier. There will be less dependence on timing, which means less time required to practice your golf swing. A simple way to check how your grip affects ...

Is Tiger's parallel plane effective?

Parallel planes look cool, but simply aren’t effective, as Tiger proved with his wild ball striking off the tee. Once Foley strengthened his grip, this steepened his plane, and his driving improved dramatically.

Should you have a closed club face on your backswing?

Slightly Shut Face at the Top May Be Best for You. By taking this slightly stronger grip, the club face should actually be slightly shut at the top of the backswing unless you were to cup your wrist. For this reason, it is perfectly ok to have a slightly closed club face at the top of your golf swing. Having this slightly shut club face ...

What direction does the ball curve in the air?

Also, the ball will curve in the air in the same direction the clubface is oriented to the swing path. Namely, in this example, the ball will curve in the air to the right, a fade or slice.

How to tell if your golf ball is straight?

A simple way to check is by placing a club, alignment stick or yardstick on the ground between your feet and the ball aimed at your target.

How much of a golf ball's flight direction is determined by the clubface?

It is a known fact, proven out by scientific studies using high tech equipment, that a golf ball’s flight pattern is primarily dependent on clubface orientation at impact. Approximately 85% of the ball’s initial flight direction is determined by the clubface, leaving only 15% of its initial flight direction reliant on forward swing path.

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 ...

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.

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 ...

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.