Quick Tips

Shooting from the hip

Lifting the right hip in the backswing, Mae West style, is a guarantee of inconsistency because this kind of movement blocks the action of the arms, causing the upper body to over react and the left side to collapse towards the ball. The result is usually seen as an overswing and no amount of tips or hints will produce a consistent strike from such a position.

The correct body position, as seen in most top class golfers, is the hallmark of a good swing. Conversely, the ‘Mae West’ action is the opposite. Compare our two illustrations, noting particularly the angle of the back.

Most golfers fall into the ‘Mae West’ trap because they lift the club too steeply in the backswing. This causes the The ‘Mae West’ trap

SWING Full turn

Most major faults in golf stem from poor shoulder turn. The two main problems are tilting the shoulders instead of turning them, and turning with the left shoulder and not the right, so that the left arm is pulled across the chest.

The first objective of full shoulder turn is accuracy and the second is distance. The less you turn your shoulders and hips on the backswing, the more U-shaped and upright your swing will be, and consequently the less chance you will have of making a solid strike, or getting any further than the edge of the tee box.

Concentrating on turning the right shoulder will help you turn both shoulders completely.

THE SWING

left shoulder to dip down towards the ball and forces the right hip up above the height of the left.

To cure this fault you should concentrate on turning the shoulders on a level plane. This will not only help to cure the problem, but to encourage a much wider swinging arc which in turn will promote more consistent striking and create a source of additional power.

The correct body position

Brace your right leg for balance.

If you swing too fast then problems of balance arise. What happens is that during the upswing as the weight is naturally transferred onto the right foot, the weight goes too far to the right, buckling the right ankle. You lose both balance and the chance of making an effective swing. By bracing the right leg you can concentrate your weight on the inside of the right foot to maintain your balance before the downswing and transfer of weight to your left foot.

The alignment of the right foot at the finish of the swing can reveal a lot about the swing itself. If your right foot is roughly vertical after you have gone up onto its toes, it is likely that you have

swung correctly.