How long should I backswing be?

[James_Black]

I bring the club back somewhere between parallel and a 3/4 swing.

I find going to parallel gives me more distance but a lot more inconsistency.

I was just wondering what is the proper length of the back swing meant to be?

[deronsizemore]

It's different for everyone. Just watch a lot of tour swings; they are all different.

One of the main factors in how long your backswing is is how much shoulder turn you get. Once your shoulders stop turning, your arms should not be continuing to take the club back. They should stop with your shoulders.

I hit the ball much better with a more compact swing. I try to feel like my hands to go past my right shoulder. I'm sure they do slightly but that's what I try to feel. It seems to keep my swing under control (most of the time). I also feel like I get more power with a more compact swing. It just takes a little time to convince your body that you can actually generate more power with a shorter swing. A lot of people feel like if they don't take a John Daly type swing, then they won't generate power. That's far from true.

[ZEUS]

stretching really helps me. Once your arms start compensating for the lack of torque your body can make then you are going too far.