Hip Rotation during the Backswing

[billm408]

Keeping your bottom half quiet and stable should be your major concern. I wouldnt worry about hip turn too much at 36 handi.

+1. I'm a believer in creating resistence between hips and shoulders. Your hips should rotate only as much as they need to allow a full shoulder turn. Better for balance and more power with less effort.

[tm22721]

Are you a contortionist?

Google Shawn Clement's video 'Hogan Power Drill'.

[Brakkus]

This is a similar thing to a tennis shot where you coil the torso against the lower half,it actually takes a lot of practice to turn your top half while leaving your hips and legs in the same place.
I think turn from the abdomen and you should be able to seperate the hip from the shoulder turn.One thing that has helped this process is Jim Hardy's advice to have your back foot straight ahead to restrict the hips going back too far,of course I'm in my mid thirties and still have the flexibility,something to bear in mind.
That way you don't have to race the hips back to far on the downswing because they were actively turned too far at the start.

[Cliff Anderssen]

I have tried for years to get a consistence golf swing with power for long drives.

What I can say is now I believe I have found MY SWING to give me the consistency with long straight Drives especially with my Irons.

The thing is Ive tried everything from fast /slow swings, turn the Hips at the start of the up swing, early break of the wrists you name it Ive done it.

For the last week I have started my back swing just by turning my shoulders and keeping my Hips very very quite, they only turn very slightly.

On the downswing I start by allowing the HIPS to rotate forward and the shoulders and hands to follow through to complete a high finish.

I'm only 73 and very fit for my age but my Drives are now reaching 250/260 yids and my 7 Iron I have hit around 165/170 yids.

Now I realize its early days since I changed my swing but hopefully this should be it!!!!

If anyone is interested I will let you know if I manage to retain this consistency/distance.

Cliff Anderssen  cornwall UK

[HmtGolfGuy]

It's not really a matter of how far you turn your hips on the backswing, it's about the difference between your hip and shoulder turn.  Lots of golfers try and keep the lower body very quiet, turning the shoulders to create tension between the hips and shoulders to create power (think Lee Westwood or Ernie Els).  Others turn the hips quite a bit, allowing a bigger shoulder turn, but still maintaining the difference between the two to create their power (think Bubba Watson, Jack Nicklaus and Sam Snead).  Virtually all of the bigger hitters increase the difference by turning the hips towards the target before moving the shoulder on the downswing.

If you're a fast swinger, you may be better off keeping the hips fairly still, but if you have a smooth swing with a medium or slower tempo, turning the hips more may be the way to go.  Flexibility is also a major factor, the more flexible you are the more you difference you can create and the more potential power you'll have

Regardless of which way you go, commit to it and practice it.  Focus on your timing, making sure you make a good transition between backswing and downswing, and letting this tension build.  Also, when you are using your shorter clubs (6-8 iron or lower), the hip/shoulder turn to create power isn't as important as consistent ball-striking, as the object of those clubs is to get it close, not crush it long.

Just my 2 cents, hope it helps.

[Apotheosis]

IMO there is a lot of wrong information in this thread. Power is not generated by resistance between upper body and lower body. It's generated by the degree in which the shoulders are able to rotate. The larger the rotation of the shoulders the more power in the swing. Allowing the hips to rotate "properly" in the back swing makes it much easier to get a full shoulder turn. As well as getting a steeper left shoulder, or tilt towards the ball on the backswing. The right hip on the back swing needs to move up AND towards the target. It's opposite for the left hip. I don't believe over rotating your hips has anything to do with getting stuck on the back swing, that's improper use of the lower body in the downsing ie hip slide Edit. Here check this thread out. [url=http://thesandtrap.com/t/55080/myth-of-maintaining-address-flexion-in-the-rear-knee]Bam![/url]

[wadesworld]

[Apotheosis]

Just another example of poor golf instruction.

[wadesworld]

Originally Posted by Apotheosis

Just another example of poor golf instruction.

My bad - was in a hurry.  While I don't think he said anything wrong, I agree that was not an effective demonstration.

This is the video I mean to link:

[Apotheosis]

Much better video. Talks about how the right hip moves up and towards the target on the backswing and the importance of the hip slide. Those two videos are completely contradictory :-D golf instruction in a nutshell.

[Cliff Anderssen]

Nicolas Colseaerts is the longest hitter in Europe, check out his Hip Turn - not much of a Turn, he appears to generate all his Power from the top.

See him this week in the RYDER CUP.

As for myself I have little hip turn in my swing and have found that it works for me with good long drives for my age.

Anyway come on EUROPE lets do it Again!!!

[iacas]

Originally Posted by Cliff Anderssen

Nicolas Colseaerts is the longest hitter in Europe, check out his Hip Turn - not much of a Turn, he appears to generate all his Power from the top.

See him this week in the RYDER CUP.

[sean_miller]

Originally Posted by iacas

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cliff Anderssen

Nicolas Colseaerts is the longest hitter in Europe, check out his Hip Turn - not much of a Turn, he appears to generate all his Power from the top.

See him this week in the RYDER CUP.

45 + 45 = 90

Seems like a pretty solid position at the top (I'm jealous of his hand position)

[bunkerputt]

Power doesn't come from limiting your range of motion so your muscles get tight as if you were somehow generating "torque".  You aren't generating anything but back pain.  And power only matters when hitting a ball because more power increases the velocity of the club given a fixed distance of travel.  Power is a function of force applied over a distance through time.  If you want more power, increase the force you can generate over a given distance.  Most people just can't do that, though technique goes a long way toward unlocking your inherent ability to crank it consistently.  If you want more velocity you will probably need to increase the range of motion.  So the argument to limit hip turn as a means of gaining clubhead velocity is pretty lame and doesn't work out in reality.  As far as "hip turn", I find it's better to think about depth in my experience if you want a powerful swing.  I try to get the feeling that the left hip is getting really low and the right hip is getting really high.  That lets me get my shoulders on the right inclination with the right amount of natural tilt.  If I think of turning, the hips go around too flat and it causes all sorts of problems.