Active Early Hip Turn In The Backswing

[birdie_man]

My health has been iffy-er than normal lately, unfortunately, so I haven't been playing much...

...but in the practice I have been DOing, I have had some good success with trying to turn my right hip back as I also initiate movement with my left shoulder.

It seems very neglected in modern golf. That is, everyone is trying for less hip turn, for some reason.

How important is this? (for whom?)

It has I presume added more "in" to my armswing in the backswing and downswing, and has affected other things as well.

It seems to me that as I turn my right hip back it is natural to straighten my left leg some as well. At the same time (as I am doing this) I tend to bend my left knee more. It would seem to automatically set me up for a "counter-fall."

I picture Ben Hogan and Moe Norman, though I can't hit it like them yet.

 

[lookingtolearn]

It's huge birdie_man, and it has helped me a lot.

In the backswing, it allows you to get the hands deeper and rotate the LAFW less.
It also makes it a million times easier to stay turned in the transition, which helps with the downswing pivot, hand path, and tumble.

 

[Matt Bryda]

Active Early Hip Turn In The Backswing

In the backswing, it allows you to get the hands deeper and rotate the LAFW less.
It also makes it a million times easier to stay turned in the transition, which helps with the downswing pivot, hand path, and tumble.

That's a really good post!

Matt

 

[Kevin Shields]

It's huge birdie_man, and it has helped me a lot.

In the backswing, it allows you to get the hands deeper and rotate the LAFW less.
It also makes it a million times easier to stay turned in the transition, which helps with the downswing pivot, hand path, and tumble.

You are no longer "lookingtolearn" after this post.

 

[Steve Khatib]

Yes, this is great. I like my students to think that they need to rotate the left hip back on the backswing. Why do I say this?

Because I have found that this will ensure the pelvis works back together, as it is soo easy to just think you are turning your right hip back and instead you are rolling your left arm 'Flying Wedge'(TGM Book Literalist ha ha) and you get out of sequence.

Insurance that all!

 

[softconsult]

Words can be confusing.

Steve, when you say move the left hip back are you using that back to
mean back as in the away from target direction? This is in contrast to right hip back, where I think we all understand the implied direction of movement.

 

[joeunc]

have to make sure when you roll that hip back in the backswing that it stays back on that tush line in the transition and the downswing. Don't just turn the right hip then turn the left hip back or you get the spin out. Its more of a right hip turn, right hip stays back, left hip then connects on that same tush line as you start down.

 

[rogerdodger]

Working with Brian on reducing my tendency to over rotate the lafw, moving my left shoulder down on the pivot, the hip turn was the final component he added which makes a huge difference. He also taught me that in turning the hip, it is easy for the head to go with it. Don't over pivot the hips to the extent your head moves back towards the heel.

 

[fmlutz]

Working with Brian on reducing my tendency to over rotate the lafw, moving my left shoulder down on the pivot, the hip turn was the final component he added which makes a huge difference. He also taught me that in turning the hip, it is easy for the head to go with it. Don't over pivot the hips to the extent your head moves back towards the heel.

This is exactly what Brian had me working on in the backswing. It really helped me not rotate the left forearm too much and get too laid off at the top. Hands definitely moved more in. I have found that it helps tremendously. The other thing was getting my belt buckle to point at or behind the ball at address. When I normally take my setup, my hips are usually open. I have to make a conscious effort for them to be square. Brain also had me drop my right foot back for the driver and longer clubs. All this helps me turn my hips more on the BS.

Mike

 

[rogerdodger]

You must set up with your hips square and aim a yard to the right. If I do that, good shots follow. It is really easy to focus on the feet or shoulders and forget to square the hips. I am two weeks out from my lesson with Brian. I hit two drives today which were 270 yards each and a wind aided three wood second shot on a par 5 from 250 that made the bunker in front of the green pin high. My bad shots came when my hips were too open. I am hitting my irons ten yards further and my drives up to forty yards further, with a nice draw when I hit it. I am not consistent, but when everything adds up it is a lot of fun. The hips are incredibly important, both in alignment and movement in the takeaway. If the hips are too open, I find it almost guarantees pop-out.

 

[fmlutz]

You must set up with your hips square and aim a yard to the right. If I do that, good shots follow. It is really easy to focus on the feet or shoulders and forget to square the hips. I am two weeks out from my lesson with Brian. I hit two drives today which were 270 yards each and a wind aided three wood second shot on a par 5 from 250 that made the bunker in front of the green pin high. My bad shots came when my hips were too open. I am hitting my irons ten yards further and my drives up to forty yards further, with a nice draw when I hit it. I am not consistent, but when everything adds up it is a lot of fun. The hips are incredibly important, both in alignment and movement in the takeaway. If the hips are too open, I find it almost guarantees pop-out.

Yep. I was looking at a few shots from Bubba today. The drive on 18- it looked like his hips were turned 90 degrees. Obviously, not that much, but he does turn them a bunch.

Mike

 

[fanofSnead]

Roger,

So at set up your feet point 1 yd to the right, of target but your hips are pointing at the target?

Im trying to do the SD pattern but in the video Brian says "your feet" are aimed 1 yd to the right, but he doesnt mention this hip allignment.

Thanks

 

[gmbtempe]

It's huge birdie_man, and it has helped me a lot.

In the backswing, it allows you to get the hands deeper and rotate the LAFW less.
It also makes it a million times easier to stay turned in the transition, which helps with the downswing pivot, hand path, and tumble.

This is a very good point. I see many people on the internet move the hands outside and then rotate the flying wedge to a laid off position, God knows I did for a very long time. Now I move them inside without rotating the wedge take them to the TSP, and this is much easier as the right legs straightens and the hips open.

 

[Jim Kobylinski]

I have one student setup with his hips turned in ever so slightly.

 

[rogerdodger]

Roger,

So at set up your feet point 1 yd to the right, of target but your hips are pointing at the target?

Im trying to do the SD pattern but in the video Brian says "your feet" are aimed 1 yd to the right, but he doesnt mention this hip allignment.

Thanks

No, I try to point hips and feet one yard right of target. If my hips get too open, I have issues. I spent too much time worrying about feet, its the hips to think about for me.

 

[fanofSnead]

I gotcha...thanks Rog

 

[fanofSnead]

I have one student setup with his hips turned in ever so slightly.

Jim, Would this be what they call "pre turned hips" in TGM?

Thanks

 

[Jim Kobylinski]

Jim, Would this be what they call "pre turned hips" in TGM?

Thanks

Maybe, i think pre-turned hip is supposed to be a lot; don't remember specifically in degrees. For this particular person it's just a little bit to help him with his flexibility problems. If he doesn't setup with slightly turned he never really turns them and he ends up with a bad backswing pivot.

 

[fanofSnead]

Thanks Jim.

At set up I know the feet and hips should point a yard rt of the target, (SDP) are shoulders pointing right too, or are they more square to the target line?