We hear all the time that we need to turn our body to increase club head speed. While I won’t disagree with this however, all too often a primary ingredient to speed gets lost in this discussion. It is important to remember what is attached to the club. OUR HANDS and ARMS.
The body’s primary function in the golf swing is not speed; it is synchronization of the golf swing. What does this mean? It means the body rotates to provide the room for the arms to do their function of swinging the club up and down and releasing the clubhead through the back of the ball. The club needs to swing in a circle that goes to the inside in the backswing and up to the top of the backswing. (Photo 1).
This creates a necessity for the trail side of the body to begin a rotation with the lower body and the upper torso. This will bring the club to the inside in the arc and allow the arms to do their job of moving the club up and over the shoulders. Once the club is up in the correct location in the backswing the club now has sufficient room to begin its descent in the downswing. However if the arms and club simply start down without the lower body rotating they would run out of room quickly. Thus as the arms begin to drop the lower part of the body will need to begin to unwind towards the target making room for the club to return to the ball. The upper torso lags this action leaving sufficient room for the club to start down from the inside. (Photo 2).
As the club arrives at the strike of the ball there is a need for the hips to have already begun to make room for the club to move back to the inside on the through swing. (Photo 3).
After the strike the club must have room to begin its movement to the inside on the through swing so the hips are required to continue to rotate making room for the handle of the club to begin to move back to the inside through impact and follow through. (Photo 4).
While the hips are working their way back to the inside the torso follows this action. As the club begins its movement back to the inside there is now a requirement for the club to begin moving up to the finish. This requires the upper torso and shoulders to rotate to a complete finish providing the room for the club to reach its finish up and over the shoulders. (Photo 5).
The speed of the swing comes from the arms swinging in a manner that they use the room provided by the body rotation in the right sequence of events. When the room is used efficiently the synchronization of the body and the arms will maximize the club head speed generated.
Tip provided by Jim Endicott, PGA Specialized in Teaching and Coaching Professional
Contact Info: Ph# 407-460-9420, email: jim@endicottgolf.com
