Turn right shoulder below left armpit line through your shot
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By Kim Jeong-kyoo
Turning your shoulders properly is key to a powerful golf swing. Turning your shoulders fully, you can speed up the clubhead to the maximum. You can also place your arms and club in the correct positions to begin your powerful downswing. Importantly, a full-shoulder turn encourages you to hit the ball at the right time.
To turn your shoulders correctly, you need to keep your shoulder line at right angles to your spine throughout your swing. Put differently, you need to let your right shoulder turn below your left armpit through your shot and during your follow-through. Done properly, you’ll feel your right shoulder staying under your head instead of spinning out in front of you.
Avoid striving to hold your right shoulder back to swing from inside to outside. This can produce pushes and weak slices and prevent you from swinging the club through your shot. Failing to release the club fully, you’ll suffer a poor swing that stops at your ball rather than following through it.
To enjoy long, straight shots, you need to turn your right shoulder freely through your left armpit line on the downswing. This ensures you fire your right side through impact and release the club fully down your target line. You’ll finish in balance. Critically, you’ll keep your right shoulder from mistakenly spinning out toward your ball. You’ll stop coming over the top, purging your game of pulls and slices.
Briefly, for a solid, powerful golf shot, you need to keep your right shoulder resting below your left armpit through your ball.
To turn your right shoulder properly below your left armpit, practice this drill. Hold your driver with your left hand and place it in front of your left foot. Extend your left arm so your left arm rests horizontally, your club shaft standing straight up and down. Swing your right arm to the top of your backswing. Swing your right arm down the way you swing your club. Then, turn your right shoulder below your left arm.
Turning your right shoulder "under and through," you’ll make a powerful release, enjoying solid shots that travel far and straight. Granted, you’ll finish your swing in balance as you won’t use brute strength.
When you’re playing for real, start your backswing by turning your right shoulder behind your head. As you go back, you need to aim to turn your right shoulder below your left armpit on the downswing. Once you’ve completed your backswing, start your downswing by turning your right shoulder under your left armpit. Of equal importance here is leaving your arms and hands quiet or passive.
To turn your shoulders correctly, you first need to address your ball properly. Place your weight under your shoelaces, with both feet flared out.
Having a simple picture in your mind can help you set up properly. Just imagine your left hand resting in front of your body and you slapping it with your right hand. That will ensure you line up your body square to your target line and turn your shoulders properly on the downswing.
That is, you’ll be more likely to keep your shoulders square when your club strikes the ball. Leaving your shoulders excessively open, you’ll incur pulls and slices; leaving your shoulders closed too much, you’ll suffer pushes and push-slices.
A study says great players swing their club on a ratio of three to one. Your backswing needs to take three times as long as your downswing. If you swing your club back as you count “one-two-three,” you’ll turn your body fully. This ensures you complete your backswing and puts you in position to slot your club into the correct downswing path.
To groove this three-to-one tempo, you need to think of phrases you can whisper during your swing. You may use any three-word phrases going back and one word coming down. Whispering the right phrases during your swing, you’ll improve your tempo and rhythm and hit your ball far and straight.
Murmur “turn right shoulder,” “relax your hands” or “relax your wrists.” Trying to get your left shoulder under your chin, you’ll have difficulty achieving your full body coil at the top. To coil your body properly, you need to turn your upper body. To this end, you need to focus on turning your right shoulder behind your head. Forget about your left shoulder rotation and turn your right shoulder behind your head. Turning your right shoulder correctly, you’ll increase your body rotation and set your club in the proper position at the top. Eventually, it will put you in position to slot your club into the correct downswing path and hit your ball full tilt.
Similarly, relaxing your hands and wrists, your wrists will hinge and unhinge freely and fully, helping you speed up your club. Failing to keep your wrists soft and supple, you cannot create the whip-like action to increase your power and distance. Your power, or speed, mostly comes from your hands, wrists and arms.
A good word you can murmur on the downswing is “armpit.” You need to turn your right shoulder through your left “armpit” line on the downswing.
Or simply take your club back and complete your backswing as you whisper “Hana-Dool-Set,” and hit your ball, murmuring “Hana.”