How Do I Steepen the Shaft on the Backswing?

[Golferguy9]

Hi.

I've been trying to improve my backswing recently and decided to watch a video of rory doing a backswing with an iron. The part that I'm struggling with is after the club is parallel to the ground at hip height he then proceeds to take the iron on a steep incline. What I want to know is how is this done, whenever I try it and look back on my recordings I never seem to have the same sort of look. I've tried keeping the butt end of the club pointing towards the ball but it never seems to give the same effect.

Here is the video, skip to part 1:13 and you'll see what I mean.

If anyone has any ways I can replicate this with a drill or a way of imagining it. (e.g. butt end of club pointing towards ball) Then I would be very grateful.

Here is an imagine of him in the process of doing it.

Thanks in advance!

[mvmac]

Welcome to the site. Rory is a little steeper at that point in the backswing than most. So you don't "have to" get that vertical with the shaft but I do think having the shaft pointing at or a little inside the ball is a good thing. If you struggle with getting the shaft too shallow on the backswing, here are some drills you can do.

At home stand with your tailbone a few inches away from a wall (green line) and make slow backswings.

[billchao]

At home stand with your tailbone a few inches away from a wall (green line) and make slow backswings. [URL=http://thesandtrap.com/content/type/61/id/125974/] [/URL]

I learned this drill in a basic golf class I took years ago and forgot all about it. Thanks, Mike (and @Golferguy9 , for starting the thread :-)).

[nevets88]

Welcome to the site. Rory is a little steeper at that point in the backswing than most. So you don't "have to" get that vertical with the shaft but I do think having the shaft pointing at or a little inside the ball is a good thing. If you struggle with getting the shaft too shallow on the backswing, here are some drills you can do.

Thanks Mike. If shaft points a little outside the ball early in backswing, say after first shaft parallel, but points inside ball before the end of the backswing, is that okay?

[mvmac]

I learned this drill in a basic golf class I took years ago and forgot all about it. Thanks, Mike (and @Golferguy9, for starting the thread ).

For anyone else reading, it's a drill to exaggerate the piece, you don't need to get the shaft that vertical in the "real" swing as you do in the drill.

Thanks Mike. If shaft points a little outside the ball early in backswing, say after first shaft parallel, but points inside ball before the end of the backswing, is that okay?

It depends on how the shaft gets back "on plane". If the turning rates and arm sequencing is good, then you can get a little shallow early and be fine (below). If you get shallow, stall the pivot, pull the trail arm behind you to steepen the shaft, that's not going to work. How the player gets there is A LOT more important than the alignment itself.