Backswing question.

[RWHJR3]

Anyone here who is consistent at ball striking, in your backswing, does it feel like your left arm swings back to your right shoulder, or does it feel like you are taking your left arm and trying to push it through your right shoulder? I hope that wasn't too confusing, I'm sure some know what I'm talking about - this question was intended for right handed players and vice versa for left handed.

Thanks

[Travtex]

I'm just a relative noob (Cap is probably loitering in the high twenties, now), but...

My strength, if I could be said to have one, is my irons, and I have what I've read to be "Good Player's Problems" (Though I'm reading Paper Tiger, and I -fully- agree with his comment about that... at a certain point, it just feels like plain old problems.)

Anyway, disclaimers aside... I don't really get a feel for either of what you describe. I keep my arms pretty connected -- If anything, it almost feels like I'm taking the arm back under the back shoulder/armpit. At least with irons, my left elbow doesn't leave my ribcage. However, I have a somewhat freakish body type able to accomplish that and still get to parallel on the backswing. ;) I'm 5'9" with a 74" wingspan -- I'm a freakin' gibbon.

One feel I do get with longer clubs, when I really get to popping the ball pretty well, is not so much taking the arm "toward" my shoulder... More of a feeling of stretching my hand as far away from my head as I can. (Though, I also feel like I'm pulling the club directly downward on the downswing.)

That said, I'm still a newb so my "advice" is well below worthless. I am a lifelong martial artist though, so I've gotten REAL well at feeling what my body is doing. Problem there is I can only say what works for ME with feel.

[senorchipotle]

there are many great ballstrikers who have a ''bad'' backswing, and many bad ballstrikers who have a picture perfect backswing, the two have little to do with each other. ballstriking is about the move you make at the ball.

[TakeDeadAim]

The big problem is that there is no one right way to do anything in golf. Specifically with backswings, it all depends on the things you are working on or correcting. There are endless parts of your body that are involved in the backswing, each person pays attention to only one or two tops.

For example, I have a natural tendency to overturn my right hip in the backswing, so what I "feel" is all my weight on the inside of my right thigh throughout the backswing motion. This avoids overturn by locking the right hip in place a little better. I don´t even think of what my hands, wrists, elbows, arms, shoulders, back, head, are doing in the process. I don´t care whether my club goes straight back or on an inside or outside path. I don´t care if my club is on a parallel plane. I don´t care if I do overswing or 3/4 swing... just weight on the inside of the right hip. When I finally correct my problem I will develop another one that will force me to concentrate on my hand position, or my club path, or... or... or... it´s endless... hahaha

In your case, it seems that you are concentrating on rotating your shoulders correctly, hence imagining your left shoulder is passing your right shoulder. Whatever works it works...

[luckyluke699]

Agree with the above post entirely. Shoulders should rotate which is the important part. There is an excellent chapter on this in Ben Hogan's Five Lessons, which focuses on the rotation of the hips and shoulders. Pic posted below to help illustrate

[DavidFehertysBike]

I feel like my left arm slides up and down the side of my chest during the backswing and then returning to the ball.

[RWHJR3]

Thanks for the help guys. I picked the book up 2 weeks ago..good read, just have to keep the fundamentals in mind until it's second nature.

[Fatphil]

may sound weird but my feel is my hands and left arm 6" below my right shoulder but the shaft and club head above it. (ie no reverse or negative wrist hinge). Also forces me to make a complete shoulder turn or my arm bumps into my right man boob.

[OJsakila]

Anyone here who is consistent at ball striking, in your backswing, does it feel like your left arm swings back to your right shoulder, or does it feel like you are taking your left arm and trying to push it through your right shoulder? I hope that wasn't too confusing, I'm sure some know what I'm talking about - this question was intended for right handed players and vice versa for left handed.

Try thinking about moving your left shoulder to where your right shoulder is at...That should really help with loading up as well...

[canes113]

in your backswing, does it feel like your left arm swings back to your right shoulder

If you take video of your backswing down the target line, your left arm should be blocking the right shoulder (i.e. can't see right shoulder at top of backswing).

[ks8829]

I don't think about my backswing in those terms. my shoulder and arms work together as a unit on my backswing. At your backswing the back of your shoulders should face the target and I focus more on the tempo on my backswing and make sure that it is slow, smooth and yet deliberate to help me load by coiling up for the golf swing. The smooth and slow backswing help me make a good transition from the finish of the backswing to the motion returning to the ball. We are only talking about the upper half and forgot to mention from the hip down where you are also loading up power and coiling to help store and generate power into the golf ball. Everything works together and when it does, the golf swing is effortless and natural.

My current focus on my golf swing is all about the direction of my backswing since this effect the direction of my shots. If you focus is to make solid ball contact, the thought process is a synergy of all the parts of your swing working together to store and generate power to the golf ball by means of the club.

The focus to me is the backswing to make sure that your body is in position so that you can return the golf club back to the ball and generate power. The feet and legs are the base working along with your shoulders and arms and they need to be in position so that on your backswing and at the finish of your backswing that you are in the best position to return to the ball with the acceleration of the golf club.

Everyone says its a simple motion that we make complicated.