Hip Turn vs Shoulder Turn

[canadianpro]

I repectfully disagree. In my opinion most (not all) golfers will benefit by the right leg straightening somewhat which creates more hip turn as well as shoulder turn. A reverse pivot will not occur if the weight stays forward and the hips slide as they turn and the weight goes "more forward". At least 75% of all golfers playing right now cannot hit the ground after making contact with the ball and that is the key to hitting good golf shots. Here is a player who would agree

[Kujan]

Well ... Hogan is my idol and I can see that his right leg stays flexed on that back-swing of his.

[uttexas]

Hogan straightened his rear leg on the backswing

also see video

[sean_miller]

Of course you're all correct. To make a proper shoulder turn, the hips must turn. When the hips turn, the left leg bends toward the ground. The right leg does not go poker straight (see the Hogan video at 13-15 seconds in 1953 - still a decent amount of flex). Focus on shoulder and hip turn and the legs do what they do, naturally.

Originally Posted by canadianpro

most (not all) golfers will benefit by the right leg straightening somewhat . . .

Originally Posted by Steve K

. . . stays flexed

Originally Posted by uttexas

. . . straightened his rear leg on the backswing

[saevel25]

Please not this again, do a search for leg straigthening, there is a huge thread discussing this. It happens, just don't go locking your leg up.. Accept the truth, the legs angle from address to the top of the swing chagnes such that it beings to straighten (Verb) it does not become straight (Adjective)

[sean_miller]

Originally Posted by saevel25

Please not this again, do a search for leg straigthening, there is a huge thread discussing this. It happens, just don't go locking your leg up.. Accept the truth, the legs angle from address to the top of the swing chagnes such that it beings to straighten (Verb) it does not become straight (Adjective)

If someone were to focus on the right leg rather than the hips and shoulders, they could exaggerate it and overdo a good thing. But they probably have some other swing flaws to straighten out as well.

[iacas]

Originally Posted by Steve K

A flexed right knee ensures that one will not turn his/her hips too much in the back-swing.  The right leg functions as a brace.  In addition, one must avoid straightening the right leg on the back-swing which can lead to a reverse pivot.

Nope. http://thesandtrap.com/forum/thread/34692/straightening-the-right-knee-on-the-backswing

[whatwhatwhat]

Originally Posted by mrichard

See this video from Brady Riggs on hip turn and creating space to swing. This has helped me tremendously. In my case rotating my hips freely created the room I needed to swing from the inside and generate way more power. I am hitting my 8 iron 160 with not much effort and my hips rotate much faster and more completely. At last I am getting to my left side with ease. I am 63 this year.

Yup thats the vid that changed my golf game a year or so back, if I had to guess Id say 95% or higher easily make this mistake

[blackxpress]

In my case, I have a bad tendency to slide my hips rather than turn them. That costs me a lot of power and distance. The only way I'm able to overcome that is by starting my backswing with my right hip. I turn my hips away from the target and let my upper body follow to the top of the swing and then start the forward swing by rotating my hips back toward the target. I don't really try to limit my hip turn but I do try not to exaggerate it.  I turn my hips away from the target only as far as necessary to make a full shoulder turn. Of course, your mileage may vary but if I don't perform that hip turn correctly I end up sliding too much, swinging with my arms and all sorts of bad things start happening.

[Kujan]

Thanks for directing me to the http://thesandtrap.com/forum/thread/34692/straightening-the-right-knee-on-the-backswing thread.

In that thread iacas said "It's simple geometry - your right leg must lengthen for the right hip to move back and up on its inclined plane."

This quote and many others really helped me understand how the knees work together.  It's very natural - and good form - to straighten that right leg on the take-back.

[tm22721]

My weight shift problem and hitting impulse disappeared when I stopped restricting my hip turn.

[westcyderydin]

first of all dont turn your right toe out...sway city.. and secondly dont worry about hip turn.  id say very few people have a bad hip turn unless they are trying to over or under turn them.  just move your right shoulder behind your right foot (from your vision) and your hips will turn like they are supposed to.

[iacas]

Originally Posted by westcyderydin

first of all dont turn your right toe out...sway city..

I disagree. We almost never see this correlation - right foot out helps free the hip to turn, not sway.

Originally Posted by westcyderydin

just move your right shoulder behind your right foot (from your vision) and your hips will turn like they are supposed to.

This doesn't make any sense... why would your right shoulder move behind your right foot? Or your left, if that's what you meant? Didn't you just say you don't want a sway? How is moving either of your shoulders going to do anything but make the golfer translate or sway off the ball?

[westcyderydin]

wow, ya i didnt make any sense there...i guess i pretty much meant turn your shoulders and your hips will do what they have to.

[Kato]

90 degree shoulder turn, ok then if your hands should stay in front of your chest then how would this be possible. 45 degree hip turn isn't possible since the hips on a person who is very flexible will only rotate 30 degrees, its my opinion that these numbers are being pulled out of the air by someone who wants everyone to think they know what their talking about. Your chest will not rotate separate  from your hip it doesn't have its own separate ball and socket. shoulders also swing the club like a pendulum and the hips rotate if you rotate the shoulders you create a flat swing plane and the only way back to the ball is over the top and outside in. the pure physics of the human body can't do what people are saying. I can't put a glass on a bar with my back to the bar and have the glass on my left side and reach around my chest and pick up the glass with my right hand without turning my torso or hips. Most people over rotate the shoulders so to speak because they turn the shoulders around their axis creating a flat swing plane which leads to slicing and pulling the ball. you gain distance and accuracy by creating speed at the bottom end and this is done by turning the hip and allowing gravity to do its job with the club. Right before impact your right side has transferred the stored energy to the lower part of your right leg and your pushing off creating power behind the club head. the hip only needs to rotate 17 to 20% and the shoulders should come back to the ball like a pendulum. its golf not baseball.

[Ernest Jones]

I have never seen a picture of a pro at A4 (top of the swing) with his hands centered on his chest. Might be a good feel but that's not what's happening.

[Machmood]

This is pretty much all my instructor went over my first 2 lessons and it pretty much sets up everything else. If I focus on getting my hips all,the way around starting from the second I start my downswing everything else gets where it needs to be. By throwing them threw my Hands just naturally follow, at Impact they are way out ahead and again my hands are lagging behind, and my follow through my weight is exploding threw and my belt buckle ends up facing my target when I hold my end position. Basicslly all I focus on is at the start or my downswing get my hips through and make sure to come Down on the ball. Keep my hands lose and just follow my hips. Then after Impast keep that momentum going. IT ALL IN THE HIPS, chubbs Peterson knew what he was talking about For shoulders (I hope I get this correct) my instructor told me for the back swing the hips turn 45 and the shoulders 90, that's what makes the coil.

[HmtGolfGuy]

In a recent Golf Magazine, there was a tip on turning your hips more during the backswing.  I experimented with it the last time I played, and saw a significant improvement in several areas (power, consistency, ball flight).  For the average golfer, too much emphasis is placed on creating a "power coil" by turning the shoulders against the hips when they aren't physically capable of doing so.  Turn the hips, then start the downswing by turning them back towards the target and you still create a lot of coil, but it's a more fluid motion and easier to accomplish.