How to Make a Centered Hip Turn

[mvmac]

" Unlike some swing moves, this one doesn't require extreme flexibility or strength to copy No, but it does require something, because it's not easy to do consistently, especially when the body starts to get tired.

Compared to what though? Moving off the ball and making a bunch of compensations? A centered pivot is the simplest way to swing. It doesn't require any extra "effort".

[mvmac]

Watch the Under Armour logo on his pants.

[saevel25]

Compared to what though? Moving off the ball and making a bunch of compensations? A centered pivot is the simplest way to swing. It doesn't require any extra "effort".

I agree with this. It does take some effort to learn. It's not the hardest thing to learn in the golf swing. Really you don't even need a club to practice this. Honestly that might be the best way to learn because it takes the focus away from the club. It's really nice once you start getting this motion down because it really frees up the swing. To me a good swing feels like you can swing hard and still be in control versus having to swing easy because you are out of control. I've found this happens best with a centered pivot that produces a dynamic, athletic, controllable swing. Given some people might have the ability to produce this motion better and faster. Still, I seen a 70 year old guy stripe the ball because he makes very little lateral movement and is able to make a good enough centered turn. The guy was hitting 225-230 yard drives.

[mvmac]

To me a good swing feels like you can swing hard and still be in control versus having to swing easy because you are out of control. I've found this happens best with a centered pivot that produces a dynamic, athletic, controllable swing.

Well said.

[Triggers]

Quote:

Originally Posted by saevel25

I agree with this. It does take some effort to learn. It's not the hardest thing to learn in the golf swing. Really you don't even need a club to practice this. Honestly that might be the best way to learn because it takes the focus away from the club.

@saevel25 To practice this without the club, would you still get into a position like addressing the ball?

A simple practice without the club would be nice to just keep it fresh in my mind for periods when I can't get out to the range/course.

[saevel25]

@saevel25 To practice this without the club, would you still get into a position like addressing the ball?

A simple practice without the club would be nice to just keep it fresh in my mind for periods when I can't get out to the range/course.

Stand next to a post or a corner in a room where the right side (for right handed players) of your head is near the wall. Then just get into your stance and make turns so that your head doesn't touch the wall. It's just working on turning around your spine more instead of shifting sideways.

[mvmac]

@saevel25 To practice this without the club, would you still get into a position like addressing the ball?

Yep.

[mvmac]

[mvmac]

[deekay]

You could also take your address position (without a club) facing a wall, with your forehead just touching the wall. Now make a backswing movement, rotating around your spine. You will instantly be aware if your head shifts. The way it feels when you keep your head still is the feeling you want to replicate when making your swing.

Its useful to hold something in your hands so that you also get the feeling of the arms working, while keeping your head still.

[mvmac]

You could also take your address position (without a club) facing a wall, with your forehead just touching the wall. Now make a backswing movement, rotating around your spine. You will instantly be aware if your head shifts. The way it feels when you keep your head still is the feeling you want to replicate when making your swing.

Its useful to hold something in your hands so that you also get the feeling of the arms working, while keeping your head still.

Agree with this but just want to point out the thread is about keeping the hips centered.

[Mike Boatright]

Can be a common mistake for golfers to slide their hips back and/or not turn them enough on the backswing. The rear hip has to keep "cranking" back, helps sequence the arms with the torso turn and sets up a lot of good pieces to achieve Key#2 (weight forward at impact).

To do this the lead knee has to increase in flex and rotate inwards a bit as the rear leg decreases in flex. Note that due to this "knee linkage" each player's hips are level at A1 (address) and their rear hip is higher than their lead hip at A4 (top of the backswing). You'll also notice that each player has their rear hip pocket reach the center line.

If you wanted to check these alignments for yourself but it's a pain in the butt (pun intended) to film a posterior view, you can check it like this.

At A1 the rear hip joint is over the rear foot and at A4 it will be inside the rear heel (half a ball to a ball).

What's your take on not flaring your feet a bit it seems Rory does it less with a more restricted hip turn and big upper body turn for that x factor. The more you flare your feet the greater your hip turn and the more your swing over rotates whats a happy medium.

[boogielicious]

@Mike Boatright

I edited your post. Please don't type inside the quote area. It becomes a malformed post and will not quote for the next poster.

[mvmac]

What's your take on not flaring your feet a bit it seems Rory does it less with a more restricted hip turn and big upper body turn for that x factor. The more you flare your feet the greater your hip turn and the more your swing over rotates whats a happy medium.

If the player can keep the hips centered and make a full turn with a square right foot, then they can "get away" with not turning the foot out. That's not the case with a lot of your average golfers. They don't turn and they sway their hips back.  Most good golfers have the lead foot turned out, and even if they don't at address, it'll be turned out on the followthrough. Also, flaring the trail foot can help the foot not go into plantar flexion early (sometimes not at all) on the downswing.

BTW the X Factor (idea of restricting your hips while making a big shoulders turn) is kind of BS. Yes the hips turn about half of what the shoulders do (just the way we're built) but they still have to turn. The shoulders can't turn 90 degrees unless the the hips also turn. Rory still makes a "full" hip turn.

[Lastpick]

Great instructional thread by Mvmac.  A better explanation than my instructor gave me a couple of years ago.  I think this centered hip tip will get the lower body properly involved in the swing.  What Mvmac said about compensations is correct if your hips and legs are working properly.  This will lead us amateur golfers to make arm corrections that lead to inconsistent misses both right and left.  That is something that is hard to correct on the course.

[mythbuster]

ok, a lot of this stuff posted sounds way too analytical . the actual debate is about keeping the hips centred "NATURALLY" throughout the swing, and under no circumstance adhering to the"myth" of keeping the head still, as if you do, your upper spine will compensate by moving to the left- it depends on the depth of your chest as to how this phenomenum is accentuated  to the naked eye from an observer during a golf swing.

that said, about the only "correct" way to do the motion is via the way you set up- not walls, sticks, drills or any aid device, as this method just relies on your inbuilt sense of balance and it enhances your natural swing .

what you first must do sounds a bit strange, but forget about having a club in your hand for this exercise, as you are trying to discover why you are having problems in the first place.

now, just stand up straight and do not tilt the shoulders and it is imperative that your spine is NOT tilted as in a normal setup. then just bend down towards the ball, but do not allow the spine to slope sideways either way. also, make sure you just bend naturally, and don"t stick your butt out which creates tension in the lower back.

the next step is to just pretend while you are in this position, to set your hands on an imaginary club .you will then find that the lower lumbar spine stays vertical, the shoulders will turn slightly to the left and your head( cervix) will move a tad right.

in this position, you will feel totally relaxed, without any tension in any part of your entire body.

this is the exact setup you need to actually just swing freely without worrying about "bracing". it allows your hips to swing in the barrel without any thought whatsoever.

so basically, it means that a lot of our modern day teaching only "teaches" us more ingrained misnomers.

at this stage i have no idea as yet as to setting up if i had a club in hand.

[boogielicious]

ok, a lot of this stuff posted sounds way too analytical . the actual debate is about keeping the hips centred "NATURALLY" throughout the swing, and under no circumstance adhering to the"myth" of keeping the head still, as if you do, your upper spine will compensate by moving to the left- it depends on the depth of your chest as to how this phenomenum is accentuated  to the naked eye from an observer during a golf swing.

that said, about the only "correct" way to do the motion is via the way you set up- not walls, sticks, drills or any aid device, as this method just relies on your inbuilt sense of balance and it enhances your natural swing .

what you first must do sounds a bit strange, but forget about having a club in your hand for this exercise, as you are trying to discover why you are having problems in the first place.

now, just stand up straight and do not tilt the shoulders and it is imperative that your spine is NOT tilted as in a normal setup. then just bend down towards the ball, but do not allow the spine to slope sideways either way. also, make sure you just bend naturally, and don"t stick your butt out which creates tension in the lower back.

the next step is to just pretend while you are in this position, to set your hands on an imaginary club .you will then find that the lower lumbar spine stays vertical, the shoulders will turn slightly to the left and your head( cervix) will move a tad right.

in this position, you will feel totally relaxed, without any tension in any part of your entire body.

this is the exact setup you need to actually just swing freely without worrying about "bracing". it allows your hips to swing in the barrel without any thought whatsoever.

so basically, it means that a lot of our modern day teaching only "teaches" us more ingrained misnomers.

at this stage i have no idea as yet as to setting up if i had a club in hand.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The golf swing is not natural. I disagree that the correct way is the only way you describe. Set up alone will not correct a sway of the hips. You are lifting a relatively heavy object to the rear side of the stance. It is very easy to allow this weight to pull yourself, your hips and swing center back. 

A centered turn does not feel natural at first. That is why we should use mirror work, film and drills to make it feel correct.

[mvmac]

ok, a lot of this stuff posted sounds way too analytical . the actual debate is about keeping the hips centred "NATURALLY" throughout the swing, 

The OP is just describing the way the hips work to keep them centered. There are some measurements and details but I think it's pretty simple.

that said, about the only "correct" way to do the motion is via the way you set up- not walls, sticks, drills or any aid device, as this method just relies on your inbuilt sense of balance and it enhances your natural swing .

I can have the perfect set-up and still make a crappy swing. Address is important but doesn't "override" a player's bad tendencies or instincts. That's why the stick and wall drills are useful. The player thinks they are doing it correctly until their hips runs into the hip and they have to readjust. There's immediate feedback. 

and under no circumstance adhering to the"myth" of keeping the head still

It's not a myth, the head doesn't sway side to side very much with good golfers. If you mean "still" as in "frozen/not moving", then I agree because there will be some rotation and a little movement downward on the backswing.

in this position, you will feel totally relaxed, without any tension in any part of your entire body.

this is the exact setup you need to actually just swing freely without worrying about "bracing". it allows your hips to swing in the barrel without any thought whatsoever.

For you it might but one feel or cue doesn't work for everyone.