Pro-Tips – Turn/Pivot

Last week we discussed the importance of transferring your weight through the swing and toward the target.  Building on that fundamental, we will talk about the turn or the pivot in the golf swing this week.  This portion of the swing can help with both distance and accuracy.  The coil and uncoil of the core generates swing speed and increases distance.  Many of the people that come out for lessons place too much emphasis on swinging at the ball with their arms and hands.  This tends to lead to a very upright swing path.  When the club is upright on the way back, it becomes very steep on the way down and lowers the margin of error tremendously.  Perfect timing is required to hit the ball well from that position and consistency suffers. 

With many of my students we work on using the core and turning away from the target on the back swing and turning to the target on the follow through.  Start by getting yourself into good golf posture (as described in the May issue of Strikes and Strokes).  Next you want to start turning your shoulders away from the target while rotating around your spine.  The hips will start to turn second following the shoulders.  At the back of your golf swing the shoulders should be perpendicular to your target line and your back should be facing your target.  One important thing to note is that the entire turn happens over your lower half.  If you get outside your back leg with your back hip during the takeaway, you have more of a sway than a turn.

On the down swing, you want the hips to start first as they rotate though the swing and toward the target.  As the hips start to uncoil, the shoulders should start to rotate around the spine and catch up with the hips.  This uncoiling of the body along with proper weight transfer is where power comes from in the swing.  At the finish of the golf swing, the shoulders and hips should be facing out toward the target.  With the proper turn, you can shallow out your angle of attack and the club will swing through the hitting area longer and on better plane.  This will lead to longer, straighter shots.

Remember, practice and repetition lead to habits so make sure that you start with your swing changes in the back yard or on the driving range. 

– Chad J. Maxim, PGA
Head Golf Professional