Another swing element that I check before I make the backswing is whether my grip is relaxed and my arms are tension-free. I try to stay conscious of that all the way through the backswing. To help avoid tensing my arms coming down, I practice the following: I stand straight up with a club in my hands. I coil my body so that my arms wrap back around my trunk. Then I uncoil around my longitudinal axis, letting my arms drag around my body until the weight of the club head snaps them straight, and they wrap up on the other side. It helps promote what you call “powerless arms”.
Paul, this tip is particularly pertinent to me, because my mind frequently goes blank at the top of the backswing. The Nancy Lopez stop at the top has always seemed like a good technique if you have trouble with the transition from backswing to downswing. Since I have considerable trouble moving the hips before the arms, the slow backswing should help me. I’ll try it at the range and hen I play on Tuesday.
Very good. Just pick out a few things you need to fix. Then work on them 1 at a time. Go slow and make sure that 1 thing is perfect then come down. Once you get that move on to the next and so on.
Paul I wanted to take a moment and say I have been playing golf for twenty years plus and like most hackers have never found the swing I’ve always wanted. My game has improved a lot in the last few years from much practice but the hitting reflex that I’ve been using just doesn’t work. There never has been the consistency in my swing, a la army golf… left right left haha. My main problem has always been to hook the ball. Long story short I’ve been watching your videos on YouTube for quite some time, finally took the plunge and bought your video lessons and book and can only say that recently my game has an effortless quality that I never possessed before. So much more to learn working on my swing positions daily with great excitement and hope for the near future. My distance on some shots are just mind blowing for me haha. I’m overhauling my swing and its at times mortifying lol but I can see that your method is the real deal. Thanks very much Mark Hancock
Thanks for the kind words and comments. I truly appreciate it.
It does take work. People looking for the instant fix are going to keep looking forever because in order to do this you need to learn to hit the ball the opposite to what you have done for your whole golfing life. Glad you are on track. Just stick with it.
Outstanding lesson. Goog advice. I tend to short circut my back swing. What was the phrase you used or how many seconds from start to top? I’m hitting virtually everything straight with appropriate loft, but I’m still 40 shorter with my driver (200) 30 yards short with my 5 iron and 25 yards short with my 7iron (120). In February I was turning at only 67 mph where I used to turn at 87 mph.
Thanks so much for your help
Jim (ole 67)
You really need to be cranking up the speed of the legs and hips. I keep telling people it is an unmistakable feeling of using my legs and hips to hit the ball. In other words I am not pussy footing around. I am driving them super hard and fast. Until you work on this and get good at driving them you will never get it. This will not happen on its own. You need to be doing the drills below every night. Just realize this is leg drive. To go hard with only the legs will see you hitting pushes and push fades. You need to hook it first before increasing leg drive.
A fast, short back swing for me is a nervous swing caused by silly things like at the first tee being over-anxious and self-conscious when a starter is present or other golfers are waiting to tee off. You are in a hurry and don’t set up and execute right and make a bad tee shot. It does not happen too often but when it does is due to anxiety. Usually I’m able to shake the starting jitters when I get into the round. Golf is very much a mental game. The biggest enemy is poor concentration usually the result of anxiety.
Hi Paul,
Is it a good idea to have a practice net in the backyard? I struggle with the transition from practice swings to the ball in front of me. Maybe a net would help as you have no distance to look for?
I think my practice swings are good, but when I swing at the ball it is not 🙁 its hard to do the same swing standing up and down vs having the ball and being on a tilt.
A net is okay but you still need to be doing practice swings. Too many people (especially with nets) just hit ball after ball. This is a waste of time.
You just have to keep doing the positions and looking for the feedback. You need to do them so much that you don’t know any other way to swing. This is about repetition and checking it. Forget the ball and make each position perfect. If you take it to the course swing so slow that you can actually do the positions. If you keep doing your old swing on the course you are not changing anything. As you can do it on the course you will get used to it then you can go faster.
Yes I will continue the practice swings and your 3 vs 1 practice swings/ swing with ball. But thought that the transition from practice swings to swinging at the ball would be easier as there is no distance or strength to look for? 🙂
Greetings Coach Just an update from northeastern ohio/ I have slowed down my back swing/i say out loud SLOW in my back swing AND EASY in the down swing/ I know it may sound crazy but it has helped me with my timing and tempo/ The only thing that goes wrong is in the down swing/ i still sometimes go to fast / When the whole thing feels like SLOW MOTION i know it is right. Thanks Coach
Fast is you hitting. Just keep going easy for now. You will go faster in the future with your legs and hips. This needs to be work on though because it’s different and you are not good at it. So do the leg drills nightly at home. Once you get better at them they will enter into your swing and voila you get more power.
Thanks again for getting me back online with the site. This past weekend of golf was just confusing. I shot 85 on friday, had a good swing going thru the whole round. Had just swing 50% in my head all day. Go out on Sunday and just mentally could not swing my driver, pushing everything right. It was awful, sorry just had to vent. This game just mocks me. If I did nt love golf so much I would have gave my clubs away. Watching this video and just thinking of those 4 things, the finish was killing me and has. I tend to stand straight up at finish,getting the push fade, instead of having the angle. When I try to keep the angle I pull hook. Anyway I will keep working and watching your videos. I believe you have video lessons,right? I really need you to look at my swing and get me in that consistent motion. Thanks for the ear, Paul.
So why did you not know how to fix a push? You could have slowed down because it sounds like day 2 you started driving your lower body too hard. You could have turned more because you may been sliding (I think it was the first reason). Why did you not do the roll over and at least get the wrists releasing. Once you loosened the wrists you then think coil uncoil. You really have to know this stuff and exactly how to fix your own golf swing. Watch your ball and it will tell you what to work on. There are 3 things. That’s it.
Body = direction
Wrists = spin
Spine angle = contact.
Hmmm … coming out of the shot and pushing it. Why would you do that? Well if you hit harder you would look to see what you hit. So slow down. If you only drove your legs harder your lower body would be way ahead of the release. I just did a tip on this. So you roll it before your shot to get the release working. Then you think body to hit the shot. Watch your ball. Pull hook = you didn’t start the lower first. Push = you drove the lower too hard so slow it down.
See it’s not hard. You just have to know the 3 things and watch your ball.
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16 Responses to “Set The Backswing”
August 9, 2015
WillCooperAnother swing element that I check before I make the backswing is whether my grip is relaxed and my arms are tension-free. I try to stay conscious of that all the way through the backswing. To help avoid tensing my arms coming down, I practice the following: I stand straight up with a club in my hands. I coil my body so that my arms wrap back around my trunk. Then I uncoil around my longitudinal axis, letting my arms drag around my body until the weight of the club head snaps them straight, and they wrap up on the other side. It helps promote what you call “powerless arms”.
August 10, 2015
RonCalabresePaul, this tip is particularly pertinent to me, because my mind frequently goes blank at the top of the backswing. The Nancy Lopez stop at the top has always seemed like a good technique if you have trouble with the transition from backswing to downswing. Since I have considerable trouble moving the hips before the arms, the slow backswing should help me. I’ll try it at the range and hen I play on Tuesday.
Thanks, Ron
August 11, 2015
Paul WilsonRon,
Very good. Just pick out a few things you need to fix. Then work on them 1 at a time. Go slow and make sure that 1 thing is perfect then come down. Once you get that move on to the next and so on.
August 10, 2015
MarkHancockPaul I wanted to take a moment and say I have been playing golf for twenty years plus and like most hackers have never found the swing I’ve always wanted. My game has improved a lot in the last few years from much practice but the hitting reflex that I’ve been using just doesn’t work. There never has been the consistency in my swing, a la army golf… left right left haha. My main problem has always been to hook the ball. Long story short I’ve been watching your videos on YouTube for quite some time, finally took the plunge and bought your video lessons and book and can only say that recently my game has an effortless quality that I never possessed before. So much more to learn working on my swing positions daily with great excitement and hope for the near future. My distance on some shots are just mind blowing for me haha. I’m overhauling my swing and its at times mortifying lol but I can see that your method is the real deal. Thanks very much Mark Hancock
August 11, 2015
Paul WilsonMark,
Thanks for the kind words and comments. I truly appreciate it.
It does take work. People looking for the instant fix are going to keep looking forever because in order to do this you need to learn to hit the ball the opposite to what you have done for your whole golfing life. Glad you are on track. Just stick with it.
Watch:
Hooking: https://ignitiongolf.com/cure-hooking
August 10, 2015
JamesChapleauOutstanding lesson. Goog advice. I tend to short circut my back swing. What was the phrase you used or how many seconds from start to top? I’m hitting virtually everything straight with appropriate loft, but I’m still 40 shorter with my driver (200) 30 yards short with my 5 iron and 25 yards short with my 7iron (120). In February I was turning at only 67 mph where I used to turn at 87 mph.
Thanks so much for your help
Jim (ole 67)
August 11, 2015
Paul WilsonJim,
Glad you liked it. Thanks.
You really need to be cranking up the speed of the legs and hips. I keep telling people it is an unmistakable feeling of using my legs and hips to hit the ball. In other words I am not pussy footing around. I am driving them super hard and fast. Until you work on this and get good at driving them you will never get it. This will not happen on its own. You need to be doing the drills below every night. Just realize this is leg drive. To go hard with only the legs will see you hitting pushes and push fades. You need to hook it first before increasing leg drive.
Watch:
DRILL: Listen to Club Swinging: https://ignitiongolf.com/drill-listen-to-club
DRILL: How To Really Increase Power: https://ignitiongolf.com/how-to-really-increase-power/
DRILL: Swing Up with Driver: https://ignitiongolf.com/drill-swing-up-driver/
DRILL: 2 Ways To Work On Your Hip Rotation:
DRILL: How To Get Your Hips Moving: https://ignitiongolf.com/drill-hips-moving/
Golf Swing Timing For More Distance: https://ignitiongolf.com/timing-more-distance/
Driving Hips Harder But Hook It First: https://ignitiongolf.com/driving-hips-hook-first/
So put a driver beside the door to your backyard and do these drills nightly.
August 10, 2015
PeterEspositoPaul, excellent instructional video.
A fast, short back swing for me is a nervous swing caused by silly things like at the first tee being over-anxious and self-conscious when a starter is present or other golfers are waiting to tee off. You are in a hurry and don’t set up and execute right and make a bad tee shot. It does not happen too often but when it does is due to anxiety. Usually I’m able to shake the starting jitters when I get into the round. Golf is very much a mental game. The biggest enemy is poor concentration usually the result of anxiety.
Peter
August 11, 2015
Paul WilsonPeter,
Right but you have to realize that swing is way too hard to generate power. So think of this tip next time out. Also, follow these tips:
How to Pull The Trigger: https://ignitiongolf.com/pull-trigger/
Are You Nervous On The First Tee?: https://ignitiongolf.com/nervous-on-the-first-tee/
August 10, 2015
StianOttersenHi Paul,
Is it a good idea to have a practice net in the backyard? I struggle with the transition from practice swings to the ball in front of me. Maybe a net would help as you have no distance to look for?
I think my practice swings are good, but when I swing at the ball it is not 🙁 its hard to do the same swing standing up and down vs having the ball and being on a tilt.
August 11, 2015
Paul WilsonSitan,
A net is okay but you still need to be doing practice swings. Too many people (especially with nets) just hit ball after ball. This is a waste of time.
You just have to keep doing the positions and looking for the feedback. You need to do them so much that you don’t know any other way to swing. This is about repetition and checking it. Forget the ball and make each position perfect. If you take it to the course swing so slow that you can actually do the positions. If you keep doing your old swing on the course you are not changing anything. As you can do it on the course you will get used to it then you can go faster.
August 11, 2015
StianOttersenYes I will continue the practice swings and your 3 vs 1 practice swings/ swing with ball. But thought that the transition from practice swings to swinging at the ball would be easier as there is no distance or strength to look for? 🙂
August 11, 2015
johnhoyleGreetings Coach Just an update from northeastern ohio/ I have slowed down my back swing/i say out loud SLOW in my back swing AND EASY in the down swing/ I know it may sound crazy but it has helped me with my timing and tempo/ The only thing that goes wrong is in the down swing/ i still sometimes go to fast / When the whole thing feels like SLOW MOTION i know it is right. Thanks Coach
August 11, 2015
Paul WilsonJohn,
Glad you’re doing well.
Fast is you hitting. Just keep going easy for now. You will go faster in the future with your legs and hips. This needs to be work on though because it’s different and you are not good at it. So do the leg drills nightly at home. Once you get better at them they will enter into your swing and voila you get more power.
Here are the drills:
DRILL: Listen to Club Swinging: https://ignitiongolf.com/drill-listen-to-club
DRILL: How To Really Increase Power: https://ignitiongolf.com/how-to-really-increase-power/
DRILL: Swing Up with Driver: https://ignitiongolf.com/drill-swing-up-driver/
DRILL: 2 Ways To Work On Your Hip Rotation:
DRILL: How To Get Your Hips Moving: https://ignitiongolf.com/drill-hips-moving/
Golf Swing Timing For More Distance: https://ignitiongolf.com/timing-more-distance/
Driving Hips Harder But Hook It First: https://ignitiongolf.com/driving-hips-hook-first/
August 11, 2015
AnthonyAdairPaul,
Thanks again for getting me back online with the site. This past weekend of golf was just confusing. I shot 85 on friday, had a good swing going thru the whole round. Had just swing 50% in my head all day. Go out on Sunday and just mentally could not swing my driver, pushing everything right. It was awful, sorry just had to vent. This game just mocks me. If I did nt love golf so much I would have gave my clubs away. Watching this video and just thinking of those 4 things, the finish was killing me and has. I tend to stand straight up at finish,getting the push fade, instead of having the angle. When I try to keep the angle I pull hook. Anyway I will keep working and watching your videos. I believe you have video lessons,right? I really need you to look at my swing and get me in that consistent motion. Thanks for the ear, Paul.
Tony
August 12, 2015
Paul WilsonTony,
So why did you not know how to fix a push? You could have slowed down because it sounds like day 2 you started driving your lower body too hard. You could have turned more because you may been sliding (I think it was the first reason). Why did you not do the roll over and at least get the wrists releasing. Once you loosened the wrists you then think coil uncoil. You really have to know this stuff and exactly how to fix your own golf swing. Watch your ball and it will tell you what to work on. There are 3 things. That’s it.
Body = direction
Wrists = spin
Spine angle = contact.
Hmmm … coming out of the shot and pushing it. Why would you do that? Well if you hit harder you would look to see what you hit. So slow down. If you only drove your legs harder your lower body would be way ahead of the release. I just did a tip on this. So you roll it before your shot to get the release working. Then you think body to hit the shot. Watch your ball. Pull hook = you didn’t start the lower first. Push = you drove the lower too hard so slow it down.
See it’s not hard. You just have to know the 3 things and watch your ball.
Golf Swing Timing For More Distance: https://ignitiongolf.com/timing-more-distance/