Building A Backswing
Arriving At "A" In The "A To B"

In previous issues, we have defined the direction of the downswing - "A to B" - and the action through the impact area -"B."

Arriving at "A" in the "A to B" is the primary source of consistency and is necessary in the building of power and control. If you never get to a consistent "A," what is the likelihood that you would be able to hit the golf ball consistently with control or power?

Path to Better Golf has uncovered a major breakthrough on how to rise above mechanics in the backswing and at the same time build personal certainty in getting to "A."

Position A - the clubhead at the top of the backswing.

To expand your understanding how to get to "A," let's look at the component parts of the backswing in greater detail.

The word backswing means just that. It is a back swing. It requires a swinging motion to transport the clubhead precisely and consistently an appropriate distance in a backward direction to accumulate the power necessary to hit the ball the required distance.

Position "A" is the clubhead at the top of the backswing. A good "A" is the result of how you start the swing. The source of motion for it all begins with the hands and how they cause the body to move during the forward press and the takeaway.

The hip turn begins and is caused by the initial forward press of the hands This forward press turns the hips counterclockwise slightly. As the hands move back and to the right of the center of the body in the takeaway, the hips turn clockwise. The hips are now turning as if in "a barrel" - no lateral hip sway. The hip rotation in the takeaway creates the centrifugal force (the force tending to pull the clubhead outward when it is rotating around a center) to swing the clubhead back and up. The swinging clubhead hinges the wrists and swings the hands and arms back and up effortlessly.

Hip Rotation Drill

Hold the head of the club in the left hand and hold the shaft under the head of the club with the right hand. Push the butt of the club lightly against the ground behind the ball. Move the hands forward slightly as you maintain the light push of the butt of the club against the ground. Feel the hips turn counter-clockwise. While still pushing down the shaft with the grip against the ground, push the left hand back against the right hand. Feel the hips turn clockwise as the hands move back. Keep the grip against the ground during this portion of the drill.

Move the hands forward and then back several times while still pushing down the shaft against the ground. Note how the hands cause the hips to turn "in a barrel."

Next, increase the thrust of the hands going back and feel how the extra rotational force created in the hips "slings" the grip end from the ground - backward and upward to create the wrist hinge and a swinging motion. When the club is turned around and gripped normally, it will be this swinging motion that moves the clubhead purely and precisely to a consistent "A" better than any mechanical move you could ever make.

Weight Shift In The Backswing

The belief that you need to shift your weight in the backswing can be the source of many problems. Here is why:

The club, hands and arms are in front of you as you address the ball. Weight distribution between the feet is about 50/50. In the backswing, the motion of the club, hands and arms back and to the right of the center of the body creates more mass on that right side, hence the weight is transported naturally as an effect. A golfer mistakenly believing that the weight needs to be shifted to the right foot in the backswing will be working to "add to" what happens naturally. This often causes a lateral hip sway in the backswing.

To achieve an efficient, rotational hip turn that will counter balance the swinging motion of the club, hands and arms, do the following hip turn drill.

Hip Turn Drill

This drill is done without a club and with your hands behind your back. From a balanced address position, smoothly and fully turn your hips. Stay in your own space as if in a barrel. You will feel the weight move through your right heel and back into your left heel. Allow your left knee to move directly out - not behind the ball. The right knee remains flexed but will rotate as your hips turn. Feel like you are "cork-screwing" into the ground. You sink a little in the hips as you complete the winding up of your hip turn against your feet. Completing this coil of your hips against your feet will create a secure base for the shoulders, arms, hands and club to wind against. Turn in your own space, and there will be no sway to the right.

It's important to remember that when you take your stance, always bend from the hip sockets with your pelvis tilted up and forward, never down and back. The upward pelvic tilt allows the hips to turn more freely and correctly and places less strain on the back.