Importance of the Hips in the Golf Swing

[mvmac]

Dana Dahlquist and I did a video on the hips, check it out.

Here are two other resources that relate to the info in this thread/video. Quickie hip video with Erik and myself and Explaining Pressure throughout the swing

If there's one thing you take away from the video, it's this....

[Ernest Jones]

Awesome post. I get a lot of random people telling me my posture is all wrong but this validates it for me. I don't have time right now to check out the whole video but what I've seen so far is great stuff. The hips slants will really help me turn down more. I always need to work at that or I revert back to a level turn, I think that understanding the hips role in the shoulders inclination will realy help. Thanks guys.

[carrx]

Love the vid of Eldorado!  Keep up the good work, fellas.

[TigerHoods80]

I absolutely learned a lot from this video! I have been trying to correct inconsistent shots and was told my hips were turned flatly but now I see it! Im anxious to try it out.

[Mr. Desmond]

Great work and helpful.

[Beachcomber]

This video, combined with the pitched elbow feels has really helped open my mind on path and face.  I love this site!  Thanks for sharing these awesome videos!!  It has cleaned up my swing tremendously!

[ChiralClubs]

Hey, I really appreciate all of the videos you guys put out.  I'm just a little confused about what I should be feeling/going for with the hips.  In order to angle the hips down towards the ball, should you not be feeling anterior tilt/your butt sticking out a bit?  However, in your golf posture thread , you mentioned that you want to feel more of a posterior tilt, though it will still be anterior in reality.  Sorry if I'm misunderstanding what you're saying.

Here is a photo of me from a recent range session (sorry for the poor lighting).  I'm guessing I don't have enough hip tilt towards the ball, although my upper back is well-rounded.

[mvmac]

Originally Posted by ChiralClubs

Hey, I really appreciate all of the videos you guys put out.  I'm just a little confused about what I should be feeling/going for with the hips.  In order to angle the hips down towards the ball, should you not be feeling anterior tilt/your butt sticking out a bit?  However, in your golf posture thread, you mentioned that you want to feel more of a posterior tilt, though it will still be anterior in reality.  Sorry if I'm misunderstanding what you're saying.

Here is a photo of me from a recent range session (sorry for the poor lighting).  I'm guessing I don't have enough hip tilt towards the ball, although my upper back is well-rounded.

Get the eyes down more, that'll allow a couple other things to happen.

[saevel25]

Originally Posted by ChiralClubs

Hey, I really appreciate all of the videos you guys put out.  I'm just a little confused about what I should be feeling/going for with the hips.  In order to angle the hips down towards the ball, should you not be feeling anterior tilt/your butt sticking out a bit?  However, in your golf posture thread, you mentioned that you want to feel more of a posterior tilt, though it will still be anterior in reality.  Sorry if I'm misunderstanding what you're saying.

Here is a photo of me from a recent range session (sorry for the poor lighting).  I'm guessing I don't have enough hip tilt towards the ball, although my upper back is well-rounded.

I might say you might be bent a bit to over the ball, and your standing to close. This can cause you to tilt more over the ball as well since you want to look at the ball naturally. Do this, set up like above, but form a fist and put it between the butt end of your club and your thighs. Thats a decent amount of space, i say your standing about 1-1.5 ball lengths to close. Unless your Furyk who has an absurd swing, its tough to swing standing that close. Jim gets away with it because his hips are nearly pointing towards the target at impact, and his elbow is locked close to his hip, so he's able to not hit himself standing that close.

[Hacker James]

wow, I had never really thought about inclination that much, but after viewing your video it more or less validates what I naturally do. I have never have a video taken of my swing and I something I probably should do, but I spend a lot of time even indoors swinging on a carpet and checking position(s) in a mirror and I was pleased to notice that my belt line and upper arm contact closeness pretty much mimics Faldo. It may or not be true, but my self assessment of my swing seems to be a combo of Faldo, Stricker, and Lehman.  I have Faldo's posture, Stricker's take away, and Lehman's late turn with a slight "slide" trigger.  I also am aware of keeping some flex in my right knee as it gives me more control (or at least that is how it feels to me).  Years ago, when I first took up golf, my swing was more upright with a quasi "Nicklaus" flying elbow, pulling the club back down. Later on I started practicing on a flat swing even to the point it was exaggerated in that my upper arms and even elbow were "pinned" to my body to such an extent that I could only take a 3/4 swing. This worked (for awhile) but gradually, I created some space between arms and body to more within reasonable standards where now I am more upright, not layed off, but fairly consistent with maintaining a plane.  I experimented with Stack and Tilt but gave it up quickly as it felt as though it would ruin what I have learned through the years and what seems best for me. The stack and tilt did "feel" more solid, but in reality on the course it did not perform well.

[WUTiger]

Went to a golf Demo Day last weekend. I mentioned the "hip tilt" idea to the Tour Edge rep, a former club pro.

He said one concrete benefit would be better balance - feet square on ground - by the person with the greater hip tilt. Also, a person with greater hip tilt would have a shoulder line in front of the toe line. (Drop line vertically downward from shoulders). Nick Faldo's shoulders are inside the toe line, whereas A.J. Choi's shoulders are not. This too would encourage a more balanced follow-through, said the TE rep.

(I tried the greater hip tilt, shoulders closer to the ball at the Demo. It helped calm down the dispersion of the fairway woods I hit.)

Now MVMAC, two questions:

1. Would the the greater hip tilt be more critical for a swing that emphasized more hip turn (swinging gate) than lateral hip drive?
2. Also, is it easier for taller golfers to get the greater hip tilt than shorter, stockier golfers?

[mvmac]

Originally Posted by WUTiger

Now MVMAC, two questions:

Would the the greater hip tilt be more critical for a swing that emphasized more hip turn (swinging gate) than lateral hip drive?

Also, is it easier for taller golfers to get the greater hip tilt than shorter, stockier golfers?

1. Well every good golf swing has some lateral motion with the lower body, 4-6 inches or so.  An effective way to swing is to keep the head steady.  To do that and turn about 90 degrees, the shoulders will turn about 90 degrees to the golfer's inclination, the amount the golfer is bent over at address.  Commentators call this maintaining your "spine angle".  The point of this thread was to point out that the shoulder inclination is determined by what the hips are doing.  And like we say in the video, the flexion of the knees has to change so the hips can turn on an angle, allowing the shoulders to turn on an angle.

I have seen some golfer trying to do the "steeper" shoulder and not understand where the "steepness" is coming from.  Start to see their head move all over the place, mostly down and forward on the backswing.

Originally Posted by WUTiger

Now MVMAC, two questions:

2. Also, is it easier for taller golfers to get the greater hip tilt than shorter, stockier golfers?

I would say it's easier for the golfer that changes the flexion of their knees, releases some flex in their right, gains flex in the left

[mvmac]

[Jeremie Boop]

I measured my shoulder turn and it was around 106 degrees rotation from address and about 66 degrees of hip rotation from address. Would you say this is a good amount of turn for each?

[mvmac]

Originally Posted by Jeremie Boop

I measured my shoulder turn and it was around 106 degrees rotation from address and about 66 degrees of hip rotation from address. Would you say this is a good amount of turn for each?

How did you measure it?  With what club?

[james_hirshfield]

Originally Posted by Jeremie Boop

I measured my shoulder turn and it was around 106 degrees rotation from address and about 66 degrees of hip rotation from address. Would you say this is a good amount of turn for each?

This would be slightly too much for a 6 iron. I would ever want to see more than 110* even max with a driver. It will shift the baseline more to the right and complicate the sequencing into the downswing for an inline patter.

[saevel25]

I have to agree, if your going to make a full shoulder turn, it must not induce a lateral shift, degrading the "Steady Head" key in the golf swing. It is possible to gain more turn with a steady head, if the hips are initiated correctly, and the shoulder turns at the correct speed. But, just because Dustin Johnson can get 110+ degrees of turn doesn't mean we can. Be mindful of the bodies limitations.

[Jeremie Boop]

Originally Posted by mvmac

How did you measure it?  With what club?

Video, was with 7i. Problem I have is if I shorten my backswing I've very inconsistent at impact. More than I am now at least.