Just thought I'd tell my tale, because I know tons of people struggle with it. I've been on a two year quest to get past this and ran into dead end after dead end. If you're like me, you'd stumble on some new youtube drill, do it till your hands bled for 2 weeks (holding off filming yourself) only to find out your hips are still closed at impact and you're still flipping. It's maddening.
I've seen instructors, did all of Brian's drills from COFF and the other videos. They helped a ton with knowledge of the swing and knowing what I should look like. I'd do em in my house in my net incessantly...then film myself with a full swing...same old s*&t. I figured if those drills don't help, I'm pretty much screwed.
I always suspected it might have to do with a weak left hip. I could "hold" the impact position with hips open no problem, which was the puzzler, but getting into that position while you're dynamically loading it is another story. I had a knee surgery when I was 16 for a bipartite patella, which led to throwing my si joint out of alignment when I was 20 (Something about my pelvis being tilted wrong to compensate for knee). But I rehabbed it for a summer, basically by stretching my left hip flexor and right hamstring and doing stability stuff after. I've been fine ever since (32 now). I can do everything in every other sport fine with zero pain in anyway...squats, jump, hoops, lift, softball, etc. No pain ever.
So a few month ago, I finally went to see a TPI guy, who also happened to be a physical therapist. He filmed me...put me through some tests...and found out my range of motion in my left hip while loaded was exactly my problem. He wasn't iffy/guess-y about it either...he saw that test and goes "that's it right there. there's no way your left hip'll open in your swing".
The short fix has been: way narrower stance with a dropped back left foot (with flare). Immediately, he filmed me and my impact position was pretty sexy. Seeing that freeze frame for a full swing (for me) was something like Andy Dufresne must have felt after he climbed through that 500 yards of s*^# smelling foulness to freedom. I almost teared up (take this game too seriously?...what?)
He gave me exercises to do to fix my hip. After the first month, I could take my old stance and my hips would get open and the flip is gone. I'm posting up on my left leg, hips are at 45...bottom of swing is in the right spot, etc etc.
So...If, after doing 2 years of anti-flip drills, you're about to bash your walls in because you can't get it...I'd recommend finding out if it's something physical. What I learned was that just because you don't hurt anywhere, can do all other physical activities with no problems...and have pretty decent flexibility (in terms of "holding positions") doesn't necessarily mean you'll have that same strength/stability/flexibility when you swing.
Good luck. Flipping is hell.
I've seen instructors, did all of Brian's drills from COFF and the other videos. They helped a ton with knowledge of the swing and knowing what I should look like. I'd do em in my house in my net incessantly...then film myself with a full swing...same old s*&t. I figured if those drills don't help, I'm pretty much screwed.
I always suspected it might have to do with a weak left hip. I could "hold" the impact position with hips open no problem, which was the puzzler, but getting into that position while you're dynamically loading it is another story. I had a knee surgery when I was 16 for a bipartite patella, which led to throwing my si joint out of alignment when I was 20 (Something about my pelvis being tilted wrong to compensate for knee). But I rehabbed it for a summer, basically by stretching my left hip flexor and right hamstring and doing stability stuff after. I've been fine ever since (32 now). I can do everything in every other sport fine with zero pain in anyway...squats, jump, hoops, lift, softball, etc. No pain ever.
So a few month ago, I finally went to see a TPI guy, who also happened to be a physical therapist. He filmed me...put me through some tests...and found out my range of motion in my left hip while loaded was exactly my problem. He wasn't iffy/guess-y about it either...he saw that test and goes "that's it right there. there's no way your left hip'll open in your swing".
The short fix has been: way narrower stance with a dropped back left foot (with flare). Immediately, he filmed me and my impact position was pretty sexy. Seeing that freeze frame for a full swing (for me) was something like Andy Dufresne must have felt after he climbed through that 500 yards of s*^# smelling foulness to freedom. I almost teared up (take this game too seriously?...what?)
He gave me exercises to do to fix my hip. After the first month, I could take my old stance and my hips would get open and the flip is gone. I'm posting up on my left leg, hips are at 45...bottom of swing is in the right spot, etc etc.
So...If, after doing 2 years of anti-flip drills, you're about to bash your walls in because you can't get it...I'd recommend finding out if it's something physical. What I learned was that just because you don't hurt anywhere, can do all other physical activities with no problems...and have pretty decent flexibility (in terms of "holding positions") doesn't necessarily mean you'll have that same strength/stability/flexibility when you swing.
Good luck. Flipping is hell.
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