Why make a full shoulder turn?

[Carl3]

46 minutes ago, nabzi said:

Funny I had the opposite experience. I used to slice my driver for years before I realised I wasn't doing a full shoulder turn. I've been hitting my drives straighter than ever since I've started focusing on full 90 degrees turn.

Same here. I am driving the better than I ever have. I do have a new driver (18 months), but I am also swinging it better because I rarely used a driver for a few years before that. I am not only working on making a better shoulder turn, but also making sure the back swing is not rapid, but smooth. I also seem to drive it better when I feel a slight pause before descending. I am sure it is nothing at all like Hideki Matsuyama, but it feels like a pause as opposed to what I was doing. I also make sure to feel that the club is gradually building in speed and that I am not forcing anything with my arms.

I can actually impress some decent golfers with my drives now.

Edited August 14, 2018 by Carl3
typos

[Buckeyebowman]

Just because your shoulders turn 90* doesn't meant that your lead arm needs to move 180*! I think a lot of golfers looks at vids of Justin or Rory and think they need that lead arm pointing up at the sky. It ain't necessarily so

Yes, turn your shoulders 90*, or as near to that as you can manage. Where your lead arm and hands wind up is physiologically up to you! If it's just above, or even level with, your shoulders go with it!

I think flapping the lead arm around trying to get it too far back than the golfer is physiologically able is the cause of much overswinging.

[mvmac]

On 8/1/2018 at 11:51 AM, Keep It Simple said:

Yes.  I agree with the notion I am likely turning more than I think and feel ain't real. 

But searching around youtube, I was surprised to see big hitters like Jon Rahm, Tony Finau, Alvaros Quiros and long drive competitors like Jeff Crittenden, Steve Griffith, Mike Dobbyn (maybe a bad example because he is huge) not taking advantage of a full shoulder turn.   

Here is Finau and Rahm. Finau doesn't turn as much as others but still a full turn. Rahm is past 90, you can see his right shoulder blade.

The vast majority of pros are well past 90 with a driver. Here are some of the longest pros in golf.

[Keep It Simple]

This is the pic I saw of Jon Rahm at the top of his backswing.  A frame from a youtube video.  But you are correct, after looking at other vids of his swing he typically turns more than this.

In hindsight I should have been clearer in my OP as pointed out earlier and defined what I meant by full shoulder turn.  Many pro's turn their shoulders past 90 degs and I do too.  The feel of consciously stopping my shoulders early but letting the arms continue by hinging up from the shoulder sockets feels like a huge change but video suggests it is quite subtle almost imperceptible if you didn't know before hand what change I was trying to make.

I am still getting positive results from this feel.  The result feeling is an improvement in efficiency.  I am contemplating making it a permanent change but more work on the range is needed before I make that decision.  

 

 

[uitar9]

On 8/14/2018 at 7:00 PM, Buckeyebowman said:

Just because your shoulders turn 90* doesn't meant that your lead arm needs to move 180*! I think a lot of golfers looks at vids of Justin or Rory and think they need that lead arm pointing up at the sky. It ain't necessarily so

Yes, turn your shoulders 90*, or as near to that as you can manage. Where your lead arm and hands wind up is physiologically up to you! If it's just above, or even level with, your shoulders go with it!

I think flapping the lead arm around trying to get it too far back than the golfer is physiologically able is the cause of much overswinging.

+1..It's probably a "feel vs real" deal, but..lately I have been stopping the arms in the back swing without breaking my wrists. Been stopping the arms once I '"feel" I can't tun more. Been hitting it a little more consistently, straighter..."past that point and it "feels" like the arms, wrists , hands are flapping around.