We have spent time in earlier posts discussing the set up. It is very important that you set up to the golf ball properly or what I tell you in this post will not help. Once you are set up properly we must swing the club back coiling the upper body while resisting with your lower body. There has been much written about the take away ( the first third of the backswing ). You have heard to take the club away from the ball with your hands or in one piece (what does that mean??? ). I mentioned in an earlier post that your shoulders turn in the backswing, it is your arms that swing the club up and down. I would prefer you think of swinging the club away from the ball with your arms. Your shoulders are turning in your backswing making room for your arms to swing the club back to a position where we can aim the club to the target. The lower body resists while the upper body ( shoulders ) coils.
The theme of this post is balance. Unless you can master the backswing as I have described it will be very difficult for you to keep your balance. If you recall in the set up we put you in an atheletic stance, slightly bent at the waist and knees flexed. Keep the right knee shightly flexed throughout the backswing. Done properly, you should have a feeling of power like you took a step back and were ready to punch someone. Practice swinging the club back until you have that feeling. It will be nearly impossible for you to keep in balance unless you master this.
There is no secret speed with which to swing the club back. Doug Sanders, Chi Chi Rodriguez and Lanny Wadkins, to mention a few great players, have a rather quick tempo to their backswing. Ernie Els on the other hand has a rather slow tempo in his backswing. All of these players have swung the club away from the ball, coiling the upper body while resisting with the lower body. It is equally possible for you to hit the ball well with either tempo. I might add that it is harder to coil the upper body while resisting with the lower body with a faster tempo. You should be able to tell yourself. If you swing the club back too fast you will not have the feeling I describe as loading up to punch something ( like a spring wound tight )
Work on your backswing. Coil your upper body while resisting with your lower body. Let your arms swing the club away from the ball to a position where you can aim the club at the target. Try to discover the tempo that allows you to do this while you keep your balance. Until next time. Good Golfing !!!
