The Biggest Secret? Slide Your Hips

[xerex250]

mike austin, the longest hitter the game has known, also described a hip shift to start the downswing. since he also was one of the better ball strikers, this is spot on. thank you for your analysis.

[mvmac]

I've read through about half of this thread and it's great information. I'm fortunate to have found stuff like this while just starting out so I can develop good habits. After watching myself swing in video... I felt something looked off. I would be rotating on both my front and back equally. No lateral movement. I finally saw it when comparing to pictures and videos of pros. Which led me here!

I understand the feeling and rhythm I need at the top of back swing. Where I feel as if I sink and drive my hips forward. I'm starting to get it but really want to understand the timing of the different alignment angles at different points during downswing. It just helps for me to visual the different angles of each major body part during each section of the swing and the most efficient, fluid way to move through each.

A4. Top of Backswing: This is when the hip drive begins. I think of it as a quick one-two count at the top, one as the final movement of the backswing, and two is the feeling of loading weight down over left foot, readying the slide.

A5: From all the pictures I see, you want your hips shifted laterally over the front foot AND the hips to be square at this position. However, when you start driving your hips laterally... there are two options to get to this position. 1. You can keep your hip angle closed and shift. I saw a video in this thread that depicted a wall behind you. To take that image, at A4, your back right pocket will be against the wall but not your left (i.e. closed). You can shift laterally while keeping your back right pocket on this wall and keeping your left pocket off. However, this feels a bit awkward (and exaggerated perhaps). It is difficult to then, after this lateral movement, rotate your hips square, with your left back pocket on the wall. You could instead: 2. Slide hips laterally WHILE squaring your hips. Not a rotation. Simply synchronizing the lateral shift of the hips and the squaring of your hips (both back pockets against wall)... to avoid the awkward cocked feeling when you laterally shift your hips but leave the closed angle. I feel as if the second option feels more natural, but I am only a beginner so want to make sure.

Also, to confirm, if that truly is the correct A5 position, then once hips are shifted and square, I would want my arms to be parallel with the front, wrists still cocked.

A6: With your weight loaded laterally over your left foot, which remains bent, you can now drive your right shoulder down. right knee forward towards left toe. I suppose the motion of your shoulder and right leg are the very beginnings of rotation, so hips are ever so slightly open. Additionally, right elbow stays tucked and wrists still cocked (if you are moving hips, shoulders, and hands ahead of the club, that lag should remain without trying).

A7: Impact. A continuation of A6, further rotation here. It was mentioned right knee moving towards left toe. Would it be correct to say that your right hip and right shoulder could feel to be moving in that direction? For instance, I saw a video where it was mentioned to imagine a clubface on your right shoulder (toe up) and you should imagine it hitting the ball squarely. I suppose the hip is starting to drive towards the target (i.e. pin) here. Additionally, the left arm is aligned with your torso and left leg, and since weight is shifted forward, that means in front of the ball (as are hands). Head stays BACK. So there is a slight arch from left foot through left leg through torso to head.

A8: Rotate through impact. Is this where the true rotation occurs? Do you keep right shoulder down (and head still) as long as possible while you continue to rotate hips? At what point do you allow yourself to start standing up and forward? Also, when do you release your hands and have right go over left? When at 45 degrees?

The hips transfer forward as they rotate.  Most players have to feel more slide and less turn.  I would suggest not getting too caught in some of the details right now and focus on these feels.  If you focus and spend time doing these drills, the stuff you mention with rotation, lag, movement of the right shoulder will improve.

[JayFore]

Thank for those videos. I'm watching now!

[Always an 80]

I guess I am not going to get to much better. Excellent advice and video and analysis. Have really tried to soak up all of this thread as I could. But I don't uncoil like I used to when I was young. Here is my compensation....I raise my left heel on my backswing allowing me to coil up better. My left foot is slightly behind my right. (I have hips open cause I know the ball is going to go right if I don't based on my set up) I close the club face. I barely turn my wrists over on downswing (cause I closed the club face so much) and I slam my left heel down on downswing. When I slam that heel down I have effectively started that Hip Bump. I cant make my hip go toward the hole on my own. I use the heel to do the job my body just cannot seem to do or remember to do or maybe wont do just out of spite. My ex wife (Satan's sister) may have even put a curse on me. Whatever the cause this is the only way I can hit straight. I would greatly appreciate a response from you guys who actually know how to golf correctly!! Thanks.

[Always an 80]

I guess I am not going to get to much better. Excellent advice and video and analysis. Have really tried to soak up all of this thread as I could. But I don't uncoil like I used to when I was young. Here is my compensation....I raise my left heel on my backswing allowing me to coil up better. My left foot is slightly behind my right. (I have hips open cause I know the ball is going to go right if I don't based on my set up) I close the club face. I barely turn my wrists over on downswing (cause I closed the club face so much) and I slam my left heel down on downswing. When I slam that heel down I have effectively started that Hip Bump. I cant make my hip go toward the hole on my own. I use the heel to do the job my body just cannot seem to do or remember to do or maybe wont do just out of spite. My ex wife (Satan's sister) may have even put a curse on me. Whatever the cause this is the only way I can hit straight. I would greatly appreciate a response from you guys who actually know how to golf correctly!! Thanks.

Forget all this crap!!!! I swung properly for the first time today. Listen to everyone else on the forum! !!!!! They know how to golf.

[mvmac]

Forget all this crap!!!!

I swung properly for the first time today.

Listen to everyone else on the forum! !!!!! They know how to golf.

What a difference a day makes, huh?

[Always an 80]

What a difference a day makes, huh?

Indeed.

[amac]

Great read and interesting thread.  The origin of this thread dates back to 2009.  How has the teaching in golf changed now from then?  The swing keys pro's use seem to change and evolve.  For a while, several pro's were limiting hip turn on the back swing to generate more coil power.  Now, I'm noticing more pro's with level shoulders at the completion of their through swing.  Add to that more bend at the knees and waist at address.  Is the hip slide to the "wall" still common practice?  Additionally, is too much slide to the left the culprit of "getting ahead of the ball"?  Thanks

[nick1998bunker]

Great read and interesting thread.  The origin of this thread dates back to 2009.  How has the teaching in golf changed now from then?  The swing keys pro's use seem to change and evolve.  For a while, several pro's were limiting hip turn on the back swing to generate more coil power.  Now, I'm noticing more pro's with level shoulders at the completion of their through swing.  Add to that more bend at the knees and waist at address.  Is the hip slide to the "wall" still common practice?  Additionally, is too much slide to the left the culprit of "getting ahead of the ball"?  Thanks

I beleive getting ahead of the ball comes from turning the hips too fast or swinging arms to slow. I don't think slide is the right word for this move but it's more a weight transfer.

[iacas]

For a while, several pro's were limiting hip turn on the back swing to generate more coil power.

It's important to note that what pros feel they're trying to do, or say they do, or say they're trying to do, is often different from what they've actually done.

Additionally, is too much slide to the left the culprit of "getting ahead of the ball"?  Thanks

If your head stays relatively steady you're not going to get "ahead of the ball."

[mvmac]

Great read and interesting thread.  The origin of this thread dates back to 2009.  How has the teaching in golf changed now from then?  The swing keys pro's use seem to change and evolve.  For a while, several pro's were limiting hip turn on the back swing to generate more coil power.  Now, I'm noticing more pro's with level shoulders at the completion of their through swing.  Add to that more bend at the knees and waist at address.  Is the hip slide to the "wall" still common practice?  Additionally, is too much slide to the left the culprit of "getting ahead of the ball"?  Thanks

The importance of the hips transferring forward hasn't changed, it's just called Key #2 now It's what the best players have done and continue to do.

If your head stays relatively steady you're not going to get "ahead of the ball."

Yeah moving the head or chest too far forward would be "getting ahead of it".  Every golfer in the hall of fame slides their hips/has their weight forward at impact.  Not that we necessarily needed to verify this but Erik and I spent the day with a world renowned golf biomechanist who showed us his 3D data and obviously confirmed that better players have the hips forward and head steady while the high handicap players doesn't.

[Hammer 4]

What an eye opener. Now that I'm sorta learning all over again, mvmac and iacas have provided some really great info. I can see now why I was hitting those dreaded hooks. may sound corny, but thanks to both of you...

Greg

[mvmac]

What an eye opener. Now that I'm sorta learning all over again, mvmac and iacas have provided some really great info. I can see now why I was hitting those dreaded hooks. may sound corny, but thanks to both of you...

Greg

Our pleasure

[Truegolf]

This topic seems to very relevant to a lot of handicap golfers.

Good content. however I dont like the topic title.

There's no secrets in golf.

"any secrets"its seems like a way to sell an idea or a product

[Ernest Jones]

This topic seems to very relevant to a lot of handicap golfers.

Good content. however I dont like the topic title.

There's no secrets in golf.

"any secrets"its seems like a way to sell an idea or a product

33 pages and nearly 600 posts of FREE INFORMATION here, in this thread alone. Nobody's tried to sell you squat.

Just saying'...

[Truegolf]

fair enough, it my opinion that too many golfers try to buy a golf swing.

most time players get better by owning their  golf swing and just tweek it when things change

i think pga teeaching pros should serve better by modifying whatever swing the player has rather than pushing their own beliefs about how a swing should be

[SloverUT]

fair enough, it my opinion that too many golfers try to buy a golf swing.

most time players get better by owning their  golf swing and just tweek it when things change

i think pga teeaching pros should serve better by modifying whatever swing the player has rather than pushing their own beliefs about how a swing should be

And in the case of this thread, and with 5 Simple Keys program, that is exactly what they do.  I attended one of their full day instruction courses and learned a lot of information.  They didn't try to teach me or anyone else there how to do "their swing".  They simple pointed out flaws in our own swings and took action to correct it.  I have been a much better golf since attending the instruction and still feel like I am mostly my own swing, just enhanced and improved.

Some PGA Pros may do that, but we can't lump them all into one bucket.

[mvmac]

fair enough, it my opinion that too many golfers try to buy a golf swing.

most time players get better by owning their  golf swing and just tweek it when things change

i think pga teeaching pros should serve better by modifying whatever swing the player has rather than pushing their own beliefs about how a swing should be

Like Slover said, that's what we do but we also understand there are certain things great players do.  You won't find a player in the HOF that doesn't have the hips transfer forward on the downswing.  Can't do much modifying or tweaking if the golfer has their weight 50/50 at impact.  Got to attend to the priority piece.