Tiger Woods has exceptional swing dynamics. The combination of his power and accuracy is a testament to his World #1 Ranking. He consistently demonstrates an ability to perform the golf swing under the most pressure packed situations. The focus of this article is clearance – how is lower body rotation clears on the downswing.
The fist move from the top is a pull from the left side.
You never want to start the club back down with the hands. Forcing the club down with the hands ruins proper timing and the correct sequence of movements on the downswing. It forfeits all your power in the lower body. At the top of the backswing, you want to feel a pull from your left side. This will properly lower the club to a position about hip level. Remember you don’t have to consciously swing the arms back down. Rotation and the pulling from your left side will lower the hands and arms automatically.
The left hip clears out of the way.
After pulling from your left side, the hands and arms lower to a position about hip level. From this point forward, the hips are responsible for clearing a path for the arms to travel. If they don’t, the hands and arms get stuck in front of the body with nowhere to go. The key is to open your hips at impact at least 45 degrees. This generates all the momentum you need on the downswing. There’s no need to apply any extra force with your hands and arms. You don’t even have to think about releasing the club. The left hip aggressively moves out of the way and swings the arms across the chest.
Tiger Woods at impact.
The photograph in this article clearly depicts the proper position at impact. Keep in mind, not all of us demonstrate the same flexibility and physical capabilities to accomplish what Tiger does. However, we can use his swing as a model and make conclusions based on what we see. We can learn from the photograph and determine what’s important.
Keep in mind, you never have to swing from position to position. The golf swing is not about positional swing technique. It flows from start to finish. We want to build a harmony of swing dynamics that properly deliver the club consistently and efficiently. Tiger Woods proves that clearing the left side at impact is one of those swing dynamics. He demonstrates the correct function of the lower body on the downswing.
Notice the difference between his shoulders and hips at impact. His hips are almost facing the target while his shoulders remain square in front of the ball. This is what flexibility is all about. You probably won’t see anyone achieve this type of action through the ball. But like I said before, this is only a model. We can learn from this dynamic and incorporate it in our swing as best we can.
Long and Straight,
Adam
