The Fault:
You block a lot of shots right, and lack power on the ones you hit straight.
The Cause:
In an effort to slow down your backswing and establish tempo, you're allowing the three things that turn in your swing — your hips, shoulders and the clubhead — to rotate out of sequence with each other. If you slow down your clubhead without slowing down your shoulders and hips an equal amount, the clubhead will be late getting to impact, and you'll either block the ball or, if you manage to turn your hands over at impact, hit straight but weak shots.
Because the clubhead has to travel farther than either your shoulders or hips, it has to travel faster to stay in sync with them throughout your swing. To initiate the proper sequence of events in your backswing, the clubhead must always move back first, before any body movement.
The Drill:
Take your address position and sole your club behind a ball. Now place another ball directly behind your club. Start your backswing by moving your clubhead back first. This will push away the ball that's behind the clubhead. If your swing is properly sequenced, your body should remain motionless until the clubhead has lifted off the ground and stopped pushing the ball back. Now you're ready to get those hips and shoulders turning. Your body should remain still until the back ball is out of the way.
You block a lot of shots right, and lack power on the ones you hit straight.
The Cause:
In an effort to slow down your backswing and establish tempo, you're allowing the three things that turn in your swing — your hips, shoulders and the clubhead — to rotate out of sequence with each other. If you slow down your clubhead without slowing down your shoulders and hips an equal amount, the clubhead will be late getting to impact, and you'll either block the ball or, if you manage to turn your hands over at impact, hit straight but weak shots.
Because the clubhead has to travel farther than either your shoulders or hips, it has to travel faster to stay in sync with them throughout your swing. To initiate the proper sequence of events in your backswing, the clubhead must always move back first, before any body movement.
The Drill:
Take your address position and sole your club behind a ball. Now place another ball directly behind your club. Start your backswing by moving your clubhead back first. This will push away the ball that's behind the clubhead. If your swing is properly sequenced, your body should remain motionless until the clubhead has lifted off the ground and stopped pushing the ball back. Now you're ready to get those hips and shoulders turning. Your body should remain still until the back ball is out of the way.
