Starting your backswing...

[clonewars222]

Do you take the club back straight back in a line or what?

I was taking it too far inside so my coach told me to go back in a line and then straight up... is this right?

[jambalaya]

It is good advice because it gets you to do some things right without putting a lot of thoughts into your head. Make sure you turn your shoulders and not just drag the club back with only your arms.

[MPS67]

[MPS67]

Clonewars222, my Golftec teacher has been working with me on this aspect of my game for a little while now. You don't take your club straight back.

Here's what I focus on when swinging back.

1) Rotate back with your shoulders only. No arms or early wrist cock.
2) Keep your lower torso quiet.
3) keep your spine tilt angle.
4) Don't actively lift up with your arms or straighten out the body.
5) The 1st visual checkpoint is when your club is parallel with the ground. At this time, the club should also be pointing straight back, parallel with the target line. The hands should be about 6 inches separated from the back knee and if you dropped the club straight down to the ground, its grip end would land on your back foot's pinky toe.
6) While maintaining spine tilit, keep rotating your shoulders back until visual check point 2.
7) At this point, your left arm should be level with the ground, your hands should be directly in front of and extended from your chest. From a face on view, the club shaft should look vertical. From the down the line view, the shaft will look layed off towards the back. This angle varies depending on the club's length. The image attached shows Tiger's position at check point 2.
8) From here, don't force the shoulders up any more, but simply allow them to glide up a little further from their momentum. As they slow and stop, the arms will fold back and cock the wrist back, while positioning the club shaft close to parallel with the target line. Remember, everything from check point 2 is a passive glide type movement with no added muscle effort.
9) When you're all the way back with the shoulder turn (85-90°), you should find your shoulders directly over your right foot. It's very important to make sure that your back hip did not shift back laterally at all. Allow the shoulders to pull the hips around 35-45°, but again, no lateral sway motion in the back swing.

[tm22721]

Here is my single plane, Hoganesque, rotary swing.

Take the club back 12-18" from the ball by turning your shoulders and arms together, while pronating (rotating clockwise) your left forearm and keeping the left arm extended. Make sure that you are turning into your right leg, not over it. To insure this you can screw your right foot and leg clockwise into the ground at setup and throughout the backswing.

When the left arm is parallel with ground (at 9:00) and in line with your feet, your wrists should be cocked and the club shaft should go through a point just below the right shoulder to be on plane. This is a good checkpoint for all all of the angles (including spine) and it is OK to momentarily pause here to check them.

From here just rotate your shoulders back and your right hip will go backwards to the target, automating the transition - there is no need to perform any lateral shift to your left leg because you are already there.

To start downswing just rotate your left hip until it is atop the left leg. You should be 30 degrees open at impact. Do not use your arms or hands in the downswing they will be pulled through by your left hip and left shoulder.

[Sandy Sammy]

Sandy Sammy has been using an explanar to great effect in the last month or so and not only does this cure problems with swing plane it can be used to help overswings and assist hands release techniques at impact.

Highly recommend an explanar training program along side a proper coaching program and GASP analysis, working absolute wonders (in a space of 6 weeks) for my swing after 18 months in the wilderness since started playing.

http://www.explanar.com