Turn vs. Slide

The movement of the body (pivot) is another often misunderstood part of the golf swing and yet one of the most important elements effecting movement and balance.

With all of the popular catch phrases that are used like “turn your hips first” on the downswing it’s easy to see how this part of the swing can be confusing.

Notice at address how the left hip appears to be touching the yellow stick and with a natural rotation of the body (hips, core and shoulders) the left hip has moved a few inches away. This is simply a reaction of the turning motion and not a slide away from the stick.

Notice above how “turning first” has actually pulled the left hip even further from the yellow stick causing a finish position with a collapsed right knee and a straight left leg and all of the weight on the back foot. This move alone can cause fat, thin, pulled and topped shots.

In the above photo the correct motion on the downswing has moved the left hip back even with the position established at address. This insures the body weight has not moved backwards and the pivot is established around the left hip joint. At finish the right knee has moved around and appears to be in line with the left knee and the body is balanced on the left leg.

Understanding the correct pivot motion and how it provides balance and support for the entire swinging motion can help you hit the ball more solid every time.

AGI: play better golf.