Backswing: supposed to feel restricted?

[drocpdp]

Been taking lessons, but probably not as frequently as I should.

Last flaw I came away with at the lesson was to keep my right leg (rear leg) stable during the takeaway.

When i do that, as well as keep my hips not-moving laterally, and the top of my shoulders turning and flexible, it feels REALLY restricted... So restricted that it feels as if I'm not really able to get my arms extended enough to allow the "waiter-tray" and parallel club on top of the swing...

I'm a horrible "feel" player. What does the backswing "feel" like when done properly?

I feel as if it should be smooth with no effort at all. I can turn 90 degrees to the right using only my upper body and my hips and lower body relatively stable.

[SubPar]

Lack of core strength and flexibility will cause us to do all kinds of things to cheat a bigger take away, but you don't need to get the club back to parallel to pull off powerful shots. (Watch Villegas). Sliding backwards and flopping the wrists at the top are ways a lot of us try to get a bigger take away, but you only need to go back as far as you can without too many moving parts getting out of line.

Take a shoulder turn till your left shoulder is under your chin without worrying about how far back the club is going. If you work on leg strength, ab strength, and flexibility you can get a full enough turn to generate power. It is more important to maintain your angles and proper head position than it is to get the club back to parallel.

When I take what feels to me like a “half back swing” it is actually a full enough back swing when I see it on video.


SubPar

[CarlSpackler]

When I make what I think is a good coil, I feel a stretching in my right glute and right inner quad muscles. More accomplished players feel free to correct me if that is not good.

[RC]

Mine feels so tight it is as if the club never gets to parallel... but it does or close to it. Read Adam Scott's article in this month's Golf magazine and he advocates width, keeping hands away from head, shorter arm take away, big shoulder turn, keeping hips still (very small turn). Segio says the same thing. It feels strange until you learn it then anything else feels loose and filled with the peril of having to have more timing on the downswing.

[NotAStick]

Lack of core strength and flexibility will cause us to do all kinds of things to cheat a bigger take away, but you don't need to get the club back to parallel to pull off powerful shots. (Watch Villegas). Sliding backwards and flopping the wrists at the top are ways a lot of us try to get a bigger take away, but you only need to go back as far as you can without too many moving parts getting out of line.

Perfect response. Most people OVER do their backswing. At my local course, probably 30% of people I run into go PAST parallel on their backswing, much to the detriment of their ball striking and distance. I would bet that most of those people would also say they're probably just short of parallel.

I would much rather be well short of parallel than past it (and Camilo Villegas is a great example). Also, the feeling of the chin meeting the left shoulder is a great indication of a full turn. Forget about your hands and club shaft and hips and knees and focus on your back and shoulders to define your turn. That feeling of "restriction" in your core is (at least for me) where it feels like most of the swing power comes from.

[CG031]

Perfect response. Most people OVER do their backswing. At my local course, probably 30% of people I run into go PAST parallel on their backswing, much to the detriment of their ball striking and distance. I would bet that most of those people would also say they're probably just short of parallel.

Yeah, this is what I'm currently working on. My instructor put me on the V1 video software and I got to see that I take it back "Daly-esque" and I actually OVERTURN (because previously when I took lessons, I didn't turn enough.)

It's a really, really hard thing to get rid of. But I agree you'll be more consistent of a ball striker if you don't go past parallel and don't over turn.

[drocpdp]

A lot of great responses... Thanks guys...