Honored to be the model for this video! Historically have fought the hook. Have a tendency to try to fix with technical thoughts and positions in trial by error mode. Usually goes south from there. Eventually, I find some combination that works for stretches, but the hook is always lurking. Met Alex a couple of weeks ago on the range in one of these sessions trying to find a combination that would work. He got me to "turn the core" and move "right shoulder up and back". These are more feels to me vs technical positions and were easier for me to digest and incorporate into my swing. Hook not conquered yet, but making great progress! Thanks Alex!
Watched this yesterday. Tried it out on the course today, no practice. It worked well with irons, was hitting them much cleaner. But the real surprise was chipping and putting. By turning my rib cage and my arms as a unit, but not rigid, I was able to hit nice crisp chips, and putting was next level for both line and length. So thanks Alex.
Alex , credit where credit is due ! As a former T.P. , I know how good this instruction is ! As one who had too much emphasis on the forefinger and thumb in the right hand grip , I realized from your segment at the end that like Hogan said, to practice with them off the club for awhile . For me , it pulls the club up across the chest and really helps to get the left teet staying in front and a 3/4 backswing . Practicing w/ my driver into my outside net , spot on ! Thanks , John
Well that is good to hear and thanks for the validation on your part!. It really does make a big difference but rarely shared or taught. Or if it is, it’s confusing for many. Cheers!
This video is right on time. I was struggling at the range today as you described by placing the hands in position letting the arms cross over the chest. This is something that I struggle with. I like your description on how to fix it. I will work on this.
An excellent video on a backswing fault Alex! I, for one, am guilty of this movement. I fall into a "stupor" of forgetting to rotate my core! This leads not only to weak shots but higher scores. I'll definitely have to keep reminding myself to "rotate the core" on the backswing as well as the downswing.
I couldn’t find what was wrong at first because it looked like videos of my swing. The hardest thing is assessing one’s own swing which is what makes in-person instruction so valuable. Having just finished up a lesson working on the backswing I learned what was wrong, got several suggestions from my LPGA pro on how to fix it but just couldn’t do it physically, at least during the in-person lesson. But then I returned to your AOSG site and ran through all the backswing videos. Then on RU-vid I ran into this excellent video. The combination of an in-person assessment followed by exercises, drills and ‘feels’ on video is the perfect recipe for improvement, along with some range work to lock the improvements in. One ‘tell’ my instructor gave me was making sure I was pushing off on the inside of my left foot on the backswing. For whatever reasons, I was either just lifting the heel up or pushing off on the outside of the left foot (I’m a bit duck footed and very flat footed). During the lesson I just couldn’t get the inside of my left foot involved which indicated the backswing would be handsie and inconsistent at best. Watching your various backswing videos and practicing on the range provided the insight required to set the inside of my left foot pushing off for the backswing. That ‘tell’ indicates that I have the right ‘feels” for a good swing. But that’s just me. Wish you would load your pay site with some of these videos more quickly. I find the ability to go through a whole series of backswing videos valuable but this one should be there already if it isn’t.
Indeed and very true! It sounds like you are on the right path for sure! Remember using the ground will help. Yes, we add a new series every few weeks and some similar will be there. Keep at it Bill!
thanks for this, yes, I have been doing this snd despite doing all the other things right, this practice us a killer and why all my swings are different
100% what I do. I can shoot under par and then the next day 85. I'm taking time away from golf right now so I can come back with a fresh feeling and clear mind.
Great video Alex! This is exactly where I have struggled for years guess I need to get in front of the mirror and practice this over and over to break this awful habit
Subbed to your channel bc you talk about the takeaway and backswing more than anyone else on yt, which for me, the first 2 foot of club head movement is the hardest part of the swing.
Great for those that are fit or young, but I'm 63 and it's not quite so easy to turn like a pro golfer. I am working on my fitness with drills etc. Indeed I had a lesson recently and the pro said much the same thing as you Alex.
Alex, look forward to speaking with you more at the club… I’m the big guy who talked to you about your hogans on the range… Love simple concepts for golf and I’m always looking for an excuse to play.
I esp like the way you always combine movements with emphasize on the dynamics (flow). I´ve spent a lot of time on the takeaway, but still can´t get my hands high enough at the top. Recently, I have also explored the impact pushing with my feet against the ground has on my swing. If I start the backswing pushing with my right foot (to stay centered), then swinging my arms back pushing down at the handle with my left hand and rotating my core, this feels like a counterforce (foot pushing toward the target, club swinging away from the target) that enhances the feel of dynamic motion. I was even able to use this as a trigger playing on the course, getting my left shoulder well under my chin (which is normally a problem for me). This also made is easier to get my arms higher by stretching my right elbow towards the top (not collapsing the elbow).
You have my attention with the half swing. Keeping the butt end of the club facing the stomach at the beginning of the backswing and follow through. This exercise also emphasizes a calm almost meditative approach to the golf swing. Just like John Schlee emphasized. He said that tense muscles can’t work. Now after yesterday’s round of golf ⛳️ I need to concentrate upon rhythm and timing in my swing. Yesterday I said I had a Hogan hook. Then I hit on the next hole with my three wood a wide arcing draw or hook that took off to the trees on the right side and drew back across the fairway to about 110 yards from the green. The three wood went as far as my best driver shot on the hole.
Interesting! Sounds like you are on the right road indeed. The 3 wood going further could mean you are delofting your driver a bit or too steep causing excess spin.
Yes! I knew I was doing that. I started working on the shoulder turn a couple weeks ago. Definitely helps me bring the club through. The last 9 holes I played got a lot better once I got it figured out.
One of the best drills I was taught for this connected feeling was standing at right angles to a partner (or wall) and throwing them a medium size ball (similar to a golf swing for the physical setup) but WITHOUT throwing with your arms -- instead using your overall motion to "release" the ball towards them, with enough power for them to catch it, but without it being all about the arms being dominant and out of sync. Hard to explain but simple to do and helped me a lot to imagine the feeling of staying connected. Love your drill too where you pause, turn 45-degrees and then can place the club back down on the ground too.
@@TheArtofSimpleGolf Thanks! Yes, it's so much easier to see visually. Your arms kind of "lock in" to your body turn so it's all in sync, and you avoid "flicking" your arms to send the ball to your partner -- but instead use your whole body in unison. It was very easy but I think very powerful.
This is very insightful. Two weeks ago I played a round with the idea that I needed more wrist hinge, and I slapped the ball all over the course. I must have been making this exact mistake. Last week I focused on shoulder turn and kept wrists flexible. MUCH better.
I am realizing that if I start the backswing with my hands or shoulder I don’t swing correctly, but if I let mr core take the club back their is a big difference. It a great feeling and I think that is part of golf. It’s a feeling and all the parts of the body are working together . Thanks for the lessons
Question Alex. Past been very arms /hand eye focussed on ball. Little hip rotation. Result inconsistent great iron shots, woods hopeless. Now trying to correct and think of moving as a unit on the swing plane to reduce hitting down also trying to not rush backswing. Problem now all timing and tempo is out and hitting worse plus coming out of posture. Can you suggest a drill to help or do I just preserve until fixed. Cheers John
Great advice, Alex. Thank you. I think that the split grip drill helps here. It makes it easier to groove the feel of the body leading the arms on the takeaway
Glad I stumbled across this. I've been trying to focus on the "stack and tilt" which had actually caused me to come over the top. My misses are almost always a pull-hook now.
Most novice players don’t know about or consider how much the upper arm can move in the shoulder socket. You can take what looks like a a half swing just with arms swinging in the shoulders. This is normally the cause of rotor cup damage. What works for me to help avoid this is to press my shoulder down and forward. I discovered that feel using an impact bag.
Sure gonna try this. Playing decent with driver and short irons, i think due to temp fixes, not comfortable. Hitting all my med to long irons starting low moving left, hate it. Thanks, gives me something new 2try.
Hi Alex - for the second time you have hit on the very fault that has been bugging me. I am guilty of trying to place the club into the first club parallel position and then turning. This has been destroying my timing. Having watched your video I now understand why this is happening. I think part of my problem is that I open the club face too early to reach this position and as you say allow the left arm to pass my centre point. On a related issue should i be keeping the club face/back of the left hand looking longer at the ball on the way back? I tend to open, pronate I think is the term, my wrists early and have tried keeping the back of my left (leading) hand looking at the ball which seems to help me rotate much better and sqare the club face better at impact. Great videos, good common sense stuff. You are my go-to RU-vid golf coach now, keep up the excellent videos - thanks!
Yes it’s sounding like you have found the core challenge you deal with. I think this will help along with the wind up backswing feel etc too. Less is more. Thank you for kind words and glad you’re with us. Next step is The Club :)
That would be me, Alex! I always think about my hand & wrist hinge and don't turn my core or hips! Lots of hooks, shanks, and generally poor contact. Great video along with your best ever video, "Never worry about wrist hinge"! Thanks!
You may remember me from Victoria British Columbia Canada 🇨🇦 Chris. Need hip replacement things are slow because of Covid. Anyway took your tip with the right shoulder and relaxed my hands and hit it well. Just a small bucket for now but thanks. I only watch you and Danny Maude for tips and he had a similar idea as you did today. Thanks for keeping it Simple.
I always look forward to your easy way of teaching. I am a feel player and can only keep one or two swing thoughts or I play like crap oops 😬. You look like a cricket teammate of mine back in the day. He is from South Africa slighter build but scored many a century and a wicked left arm spin Bowler. In the nets he had me tied up I was always searching. Roger played golf sparingly but would always break 90 so fun to play with and as he would say "is it"
I’ve been told I have a reverse pivot and resulting shot is ugly. I was taught to move the club first then the arms, then the hips. I’m going to try your suggestions. Like especially the concept of the chest moving and right shoulder higher
Little bit of a push off from the lead foot into the backswing is my main feel to get a synched up swing. Lower body leads the way. During the practice swing, swinging a bit into the front first to initiate some torque to take into the backswing. This is actually the main thing I've been working on and it seems to result in much more consistent low point control (my main problem, historically) and better impact/compression.
There is a very good drill to cure that fault which is done with a kitchen boom. Grip the broom like a golf club but with the hands choked down and the butt end of the broom poked into belly. That literally forces the hands to turn with the shoulders and the cause and effect of the butt of the club pointing at the body is observed and felt. In the golf swing hip turn is restricted by keeping the feet on the ground to about 45° closed in the the backswing and 45° open in the downswing, controllable to some degree by the flare angle of the foot. In the broom drill if swinging back with hips, shoulders and hands at the same time as everything including the hands forced by the broom in the gut to stay in front of the hands has reached the 45° limit the hips can turn without lifting the front heel the momentum will swing the heavy head of the broom up and force the butt end of the club to pop out of the gut, hinge the wrists and swing the club up to the ideal parallel at the top position AUTOMATiCALLY. During the downswing move the exaggerated leverage and mass of the broom will AUTOMATICALLY swing the the butt of the club back into the belly as the shoulders come back to parallel with the target line and keep it there until the hips reach 45° and are stopped by resistance from the front leg being restricted by the back foot staying down. Releasing the back heel frees the hips and caused the momentum to again hinge the wrists and pop the butt end out, but only after the momentum has pulled the arm straight. The broom automatically swings up and around pulling right arm, shoulders and hip square to the target. The brilliant part about using the broom for this drill not just a piece of PVC pipe as some do is that the broom once swinging generates more force that even the Incredible Hulk could generate to try to steer it on a path other than the one dictated by the laws of physics. It teaches via the feedback of the butt end popping out, reconnecting and popping out again that letting the physics and mass of the club head steer the hands, arms and body not the other way around is the best strategy for a consistent and well balanced swing path. BALANCE AT ALL POINTS IN THE SWING is really the key factor for consistent ball striking. It happens automatically if the golfer simple executes the first twelve inches / 25 cm of the backswing on a low, wide sweeping path which for wedges and irons is the path the club swings back on if allowed to hang freely at address. It also is a fantastic drill for posture and balance because the length and weight of the broom exaggerates the same unbalancing forces the subconscious brain must reflexively deal with using a combination of muscle contraction, leverage and shifting of body mass in the opposite direction. The action of pronating and swinging the club too fair inside (a fault I had as beginner is actual the brain’s intuitive solution for staying in balance when the takeaway move starts to pull a golfer off their feet. It accomplished that in the backswing but will put the golfer out of balance with hands out of position at the top of the backswing resulting in and unbalanced over the top axe swinging chopping movement. The weight of the broom forces the subconscious brain of the golfer to figured out how to brace the feet on the insteps, angle the legs, laterally shift the hips and tilt the upper body mass to counter the way the club WILL pull the body off balance. The biggest balance problem and one the reflexive brain can’t deal with fast enough is when the club whips around the hands between the time the shaft comes back level with ground (and gravity) and impact. What the golfer must learn to do via practice and drills like with the broom is to get the body prepared to counter that force BEFORE it occurs which is why action to transfer support to the inside of the left foot is BEFORE the club whips around the hands it critical for staying in balance during impact. Another strategy for balance at impact is to start at address with balancing back on the heels not the balls of the feet anticipating how the force will pull the entire body mass towards the toes and target during impact. Hogan’s set-up routine was to grip the club in the air with bent elbows down which forces the forearms to counter rotate as the club is lowered and the arms straighten. That literally forces the hands to stay in front of the body during the takeaway just like the broom in the gut does. After lowering the club by hinging at the hips / and letting it hang in the air Hogan let it swing in toward the body, adjusting spine angle and legs until it would swing back from ball and towards it on the same perfectly balanced arc, the same wide low sweeping one he swung his clubs back on. The counterbalancing effect of the club hanging far over the toes is what allowed him to sit down backwards without falling over, keeping lower legs vertical for ideal leverage to push back against the force which pulls unprepared golfers on their toes during impact. If you are on your toes at impact it means your entire body was pulled off balance and your swing plane has tilted and move club head outside of ball more than at your address position putting the club on the path which creates a SLICE ball flight. Lack of side bend to the right in the downswing will also allow the club force to pull the hands out from the body causing a SLICE. A slice is always the result of the club head being outside the ball and swiping inwards across it tilting the backspin axis like the wing of an airplane in a left-to-right banked turn \ Five minutes a day for a week swinging a kitchen broom will cure that slice problem by teaching your SUBCONSCIOUS brain how to deal with the constantly changing unbalancing force PROACTIVELY to stay in balance start to finish. ‘ Credit for the broom drill goes to Hank Johnson, author of “Winning The Three Games of Golf: The Swing, The Shot, The Score”
This is insightful. I learned to “create space” but realize I was using my hands and arms way too much to do so. The hands crossing idea is on the money. Be interested in more insight on stack and tilt, a practice a local pro said was bad need. Thanks for this.
To answer ur question at 5:30 into the vid.......not only does this look familiar to me....it actually IS ME!! LOL. Gotta say ur vids r helping me quite a bit! Thanks coach! (from halfway across the world!)
I was watching a. Video earlier of a tour Pro and even he was doing the towel under the arm pitts, so just goes to show how easy it is to get out of shape, so very important.
I find that having a slight sway to the left as the first movement helps with tempo and prevents problems on the takeaway. I am mid 50s and core flexibility is not as it once was.
Im guilty of trying to get my hands into a certain position, I rotate when my hands get to that position which leads to a hook. I needed this video Seems so simple....... I hope!
i was/am having issues with the backswing and sequence of the whole swing. i was always stuck /out of time thinking about straight arm,hip rotation ,hinge angle etc which then lost any monentum and caused lower then expected swing speed. i recorded myself using onform and did what i thought was 25% backswing ,turns out was 90%- full swing, just faster with all correct positions and sequence . so now i start my hip rotation and foreward swing soon as i start with the backswing and do what feels like no backswing / auto pilot kicks in. its logical really ...it takes 100-300 ms for your brain to act on a thought, i assume with practice that feeling/timing will be later in backswing.
I, too am a model for you! Great points here. I also don't bend(tilt) enough resulting in being too flat. Do you have any lessons addressing not tilting enough?
I played golf for over 30 years and quit because I was so inconsistent. I was self taught and never really learned how to swing the club properly. It was because I could never get the back swing right. I just don't know how to swing the club back properly.
Well I hope that this helps you get a good understanding and feel. You just need some structure but keep your natural flow. I’m glad you’re playing again
@@TheArtofSimpleGolf The right shoulder tip is a big help. Its my only backswing thought now. I've always focused on turning the shoulders in the past which led to a lot of bad things.
That sequence is correct.. BUT... many do a lot better with momentum starting from feet and hips. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Y9Y56-c-dOk.html should help
I think I will like practicing with the right arm along with moving the right shoulder going up a few inches as described. I can do this some in my house on a rainy day like today. It's rained all week and will continue into next. :(
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@@mikelogsdon2241 ok. More weight on lead side at set up. Pull front foot back 3 inches. Flare foot out. Allow more flow with arms. Have a few videos on shorter and easier swings. Steeper back and shorter, open stance
I think I swing the arms across my logo. Alot of the time I feel like my hands don't catch up with my shoulders and I hit lots of thin shots with the irons. Will this help with thin shots?