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The sequence in which you make your golf swing has a HUGE effect on the distance you hit the ball. If you get it wrong you’ll be robbing yourself of a lot of distance, and if you’re like most golfers, you want to hit the golf ball the longest you possibly can. To do this you need to understand golf swing sequencing.
So let’s get started by looking at what should be happening in the backswing and in what sequence.
To start the backswing you must do so with your big muscles, namely your back and shoulders. You do NOT want to start your backswing with your hands.
Now as you’re starting the backswing by turning your shoulders and back you also need to shift your weight to your right foot. And you should continue to move your weight to your right foot (for a right hander) all throughout the turning of your backswing so that when you reach the top of the backswing position you have about 90% of your weight on your right foot.
So you can sum up the backswing as a shift and turn.
Now at what part of the golf swing does the most power come from?
The correct answer is the transition. And the transition in the golf swing is when you change directions from the backswing to downswing.
Just think, if this wasn’t true you’d have golfers setting themselves into a perfect top of the backswing position and then swinging from there. But that doesn’t happen and never will because it’s the change of directions from moving the club back to bringing it down where the real power in the golf swing comes from. And that’s the key place in the golf swing where most amateur golfers lose a heck of a lot of distance. This is through a lack of the correct golf swing sequencing. Let me explain.
Imagine you’ve reached the top of your backswing position. What should start the downswing?
The correct answers is: The weight shift should!
To start the downswing you need to first move your weight back to your left foot. Then you need to move your left knee towards the target, then the left hip needs to move towards the target, followed by the left shoulder and finally your hands should move.
The sad thing is that most golfers start their downswing with their hands and that’s a killer as far as creating distance is concerned. You’ve got to start the downswing with the weight shift and then the left knee.
So go out and try this now…
Swing slowly back to the top of your backswing and then when you’ve almost reached the top of your backswing move your weight back to your left foot and move your left knee towards your target. Once you’ve got the feeling of doing this then speed up the swing.
Now personally I just like thinking about moving my left knee towards the target to start the downswing. And I suggest you try that golf swing trigger as well.
If you get this sequencing correct from the backswing to downswing you’ll gain a lot of distance and the golf swing will be a lot easier for you. Try it…you’ll love the results!
Tags: backswing, golf swing
May 27th, 2008 at 11:43 am
Nick,
The trouble with this instruction piece is that your advice will lead to a “knee slide” towards the target; the club will fail to square up.
Rather – weight moves to lest foot via a little bump of the hips toward the target, then the hips turn hard around the straightening left leg. The arms swing down, the shoulders follow the hips and arms. The turning of the hips squares up the clubface.
May 27th, 2008 at 11:50 am
Everything you say here is correct but the one thing I have to do also is be sure that the butt of the club is pointing at the target when in the slot. If I forget to do this everything goes wrong.
Jim
May 27th, 2008 at 1:47 pm
this is what i do. actually, i am not sure exactly what i do with all the body parts; it all happens so quickly. but this is what I FEEL LIKE i do…
starting with the stance – comfortable and relaxed and the grip holding the club lightly.
1: move the club STRAIGHT BACK relatively SLOWLY until my right arm is extended out and a little short of parallel to the ground; im not sure exactly how much, but slightly.(i’m a left hander). in this position, the club is a direct extension of the right arm. My left arm (right arm for right handers!) is still straight at this point. my shoulders and chest have rotated through about 90 degrees and my hips have rotated slightly – i have no idea exactly how much…i have paid NO MIND to any other part of my body at this point. if i look into a mirror, i can see my head moves very slightly to the left, BUT IT FEELS LIKE IT DOESNT MOVE AT ALL.
REMEMBER, this is what it FEELS like i do. i am not sure exactly how all the fine details of the body parts and club parts move – no idea – ive never had my swing on video.
FOR EXAMPLE:
of course the club doesnt go straight back, it goes around in an arc, BUT IT FEELS LIKE IT GOES STRAIGHT BACK.
2: from there it FEELS like the club goes quite steeply upwards as the left arm bends in a comfortable fashion and the right arm remains straight as the shoulders continue to turn and the wrists continue to cock.
i actually dont think about anything in particular, but let it all happen in a fashion that FEELS NATURAL AND TENSION FREE.
3: at the top, the club is about parallel with the ground and i am still holding the club lightly. it feels like a small child could easily take the club out of my hand during the backswing and at the top.
actually, now that i think about it, it feels almost like the arms and hands do nothing at all throughout the entire swing!
4: now, as for the downswing, i cannot say at allwhat happens or what i do as it all happens so fast – MUCH FASTER than the backswing.
but what i can say is this:
THE FIRST SENSATION IS THAT IT STARTS WITH THE STOMACH AND RIGHT HIP TOGETHER. (remember im left handed). the right hip is rotated around with a trememous amount of force and from there everything else just seems to follow.
i read about the ‘transition’ and that the right hip may move slightly to the right first before rotating and when i see in the mirror – yes that does happen. but there is no way on god’s green earth i pay mind to this ‘transition’ as the whole thing is so quick. IT FEELS LIKE THE RIGHT HIP JUST ROTATES AT SPEED.
5: and everything else; the chest, shoulders, arms and hands, legs – whatever just moves into place as the hips turn. before i know it the swing is completed and the club is around behind me.
AFTER THAN INITIAL FEELING INVOLVING THE FIRST MOTION OF THE STOMACH AND RIGHT HIP, I HAVE NO IDEA ABOUT ANYTHING ELSE. I PAY NO MIND TO HANDS, SHOULDERS, LEGS, ARMS OR ANYTHING ELSE.
i do pay mind at my body position at the end of the whole swing. a successful swing will feel very smooth and natural without tension in any part of the body, except perhaps the stomach and hips when the downswing starts and i will remain in good balance.
if a shot fails, then i dont worry to much about specifics, i just focus on getting that natural feeling back when everything in the swing is in alignment.
another thing: for me, the stance and set up are vitally important. I MUST have the feeling that the set up and stance is nice before i swing. if a shot fails, it is usually because my set up was slighly off. my personal experience anyway!
May 29th, 2008 at 11:22 pm
great video Nick. You are a legend.
Will try only one swing thought today.”OPEN THE DOOR”.
your swing sequencing hopefully will improve my over the top swinging.
perhaps one day i will eventually hit a draw. many thanks Nev
May 30th, 2008 at 1:32 pm
Nick,
Thank you for this tip! This tip makes sense. You have given me something to work on to improve my distance.