Let your right hip move higher than your left during the backswing
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By Kim Jeong-kyoo
Your hips should not turn on a level plane. You need to make sure that your right hip moves higher than your left on the backswing. The conventional theory dictates you need to turn your hips level. But it is a myth that you need to rotate your hips flat. If you let your hips turn level on the backswing, you will have difficulties keeping your head steady. Also, you cannot stay centered throughout your swing unless your hips work properly.
Allowing your hips to turn level, you cannot swing your club naturally and freely. You have difficulty swinging your club on plane and on the correct path.
Your hips stay tilted at the address the way your shoulders are sitting. You need to let your right shoulder and hip move upwards as you swing your club backwards. Then, all the good moves necessary to complete your backswing correctly will take care of themselves. Especially, your left shoulder will move correctly--slightly downward if you turn your right hip upward. Also your right shoulder will correctly turn behind your head.
To turn your right hip upward, you must move your hips laterally to the right as you start your backswing. Without the slight lateral hip shift to the right, you cannot move your right hip upward. Importantly, you cannot shift your weight easily to the right as you swing your club back. Also, you will have difficulty turning your body behind your ball.
Of equal importance is shifting your weight to the inside of your right foot, leg and hip joint. Don’t allow your weight to move to the outside of your right foot. That will inhibit you from starting your downswing with your lower body and release properly. You need to make sure that there is equal pressure on the inside of each leg at the top of your backswing.
To swing your club back correctly with the proper hip move, you’d better feel as if you’re moving your hips up and away ― toward the target. Complete your backswing as you count “one.”
You need to shift your left hip or left knee toward the target to start your downswing. That little lower body shift toward the target allows your hands to drop to slot your club into a downswing path. That also makes room for your right elbow to move down in front of your right hip. Your right arm will stay close to your body on the downswing, helping you hit straight shots or soft draws.
After all, you cannot let your arms and hands work properly if your hips are not working properly. If your hips don’t shift to the left on the downswing, your right arm will crash with your right hip. When that happens, there is no way you can let your arms and club drop to the inside.
You must let your hands make a beeline for your ball on the downswing. But your hands cannot do this if your hips are blocking the way. To keep your right elbow from crashing with your hips, you’ll have to move your right arm around your hips.
Succinctly, shift your right hip to the right to start your backswing. Then, let your right hip move slightly higher than your left. Slide your hips towards the target to start your move down as you count “two.” This puts you in position to hit your ball as hard and solidly as you want at a count of “three.”
Or, simply keep your head steady as you start your downswing. That way you will correctly start your downswing with your lower body.
Similarly, think of performing a karate chop move with your left hand through your shot.
You can also focus on squaring the back of your left hand to the target when you hit your ball.
Undoubtedly, to let your hips work properly, you need to move your knees correctly. If you move your knees correctly, your hips will work properly. To get your hips turning properly, your left knee should flex more during your backswing, your right knee straightening. Great players such as Ben Hogan and Sam Snead straightened their right knee a little.
You need to extend your right leg slightly rather than keeping your right knee flexed. If you don’t let your right leg straighten, your hips will have to turn more level. This will push your hips to turn less, thus restricting the turn of your shoulders. That also causes your head to wobble wrongly to the right.
To learn to move your knees properly, swing your hands back and up the way you swing your club back. Once you’ve moved your hands a couple of inches, allow your right knee to straighten as you flex your left knee more. At the top of your swing, your right knee should straighten several inches. You’ve moved your knees too much if your head has wobbled. You must keep your head still.
Doing this correctly, you may feel you are stretching your right side as you move your left shoulder slightly down. You will feel you’re extending your right side from your ankle to your armpit.