Hips moving faster than my swing

[Ems]

I just recently went to the range and my ball flight is going to the right, but not slicing (according to my bf). He thinks it might be because my hip is moving faster than my swing, and one of his friends said the same thing.

Could this be a cause and if so, what drills can I do to help align the speed with my swing?

[Grass Roots Tour]

Start your downswing with your hips still pointed out to the right. Let the club drop from the top as if gravity is the only thing pulling it down. Bring the club down to waist high then fire your hips open and deliver the club to the ball as hard as you can.
You should immediately cure any slice and hit it long and straight.
In the event you still hit it to the right, you need to do the drill Shadow posted whereby you place something small and soft under your left armpit and maintain it throughout the swing. This will help ypu return the club to the inside after impact and square the clubface.

[Ems]

anyone have anything small and soft that'll fit in my left armpit? :D

Thanks GRT, I'll try that the next time I go to the range

[Grass Roots Tour]

[QUOTE=Ems]anyone have anything small and soft that'll fit in my left armpit? :D


OMG.... :rofl:


Thanks for the laugh.

[AnnikaFan]

haha..yea i know this drill...
just use one of those driver/fairwood covers..that's what i use..

[Shadow]

I just recently went to the range and my ball flight is going to the right, but not slicing (according to my bf). He thinks it might be because my hip is moving faster than my swing, and one of his friends said the same thing.

Could this be a cause and if so, what drills can I do to help align the speed with my swing? You and Tiger Woods have have the same affliction, a lower body that races ahead of the arms leaving the club face open. While some may disagree, power does not come from the rapid movement of the hips, but from the proper syncronization of the lower body and the arms. Proper placement of the lower body allows the upper body to release its angles at the right time.

Two suggestions:
(1) As you swing down, keep your right foot flat on the ground. As most women are very flexible, this should be easy for you and will prevent the hips from sliding too far forward.
(2) In practice, go to the top of your backswing and stop, for 1 second. Hit the ball at about 60% speed. This is what Butch Harmon had Tiger do when he first began working with him and in part was a reason for Tiger's improved play. Now that he has is no longer working with Harmon, Tiger is back to spending a lot more time in the right rough.

[East Coast Golfer]

I have the same problem. My hips tend to clear way too soon leaving a lot of shots blocked to the right or a "power" draw to the left. I'll give those drills a try.

[Ems]

(2) In practice, go to the top of your backswing and stop, for 1 second. Hit the ball at about 60% speed. This is what Butch Harmon had Tiger do when he first began working with him and in part was a reason for Tiger's improved play. Now that he has is no longer working with Harmon, Tiger is back to spending a lot more time in the right rough.
Thanks Shadow! When I was at the range, I naturally stopped for a split second when I noticed my ball flight was going right, just to catch myself and get my bearings. At the time, I thought it was bad to stop at all and made a conscious effort to not stop, now I'll try it again with your advice. :rolleyes:

[Shadow]

Thanks Shadow! When I was at the range, I naturally stopped for a split second when I noticed my ball flight was going right, just to catch myself and get my bearings. At the time, I thought it was bad to stop at all and made a conscious effort to not stop, now I'll try it again with your advice. :rolleyes: The truth is that when we swing we never actually stop as the lower body begins its forward motion a split second before the upper body starts its. However, if there is the feeling of a pause or a "gathering of the muscles," it just prevents us from rushing sometimes, and the left wrist from cupping which will open the face.

If you can imagine VJ Singh's swing, you can almost read the label on the shaft at the top of his backswing and in practice, the "pause" is even longer. You are probably not old enough to remember the song, "Bird on a Wire," but just imagine that for a split second, a bird could land on the shaft of your club at the top. It may be a silly image, but it works for me.

Keeping the back foot down until impact may be the better idea of the two.

[MSGOLF]

For those of you fighting this problem I have a tip for you that will help.

When your lower body is going faster then your upper body you'll tend to see that your right foot will already be up and knees almost touching eachother because you've fired your hips to soon then your trying to play catch up with your arms and hands. Working on timing is important with this problem but if you try just thinking of your right foot staying planted alittle longer through impact and allowing your arms to have time to square up to the ball you'll stop that push or pull hook shots. Be carefull of not staying planted to long. At impact you should feel your weight on the big inside toe and inside of your right foot with space between your legs. Hope this helps.

Any questions feel free to ask.

Matt Stallone
CPGA Pro
905-264-8800

[Zeuser]

I think I've got this same problem myself. From what I've read this is known as a "Push". Am I correct?

Thanks for the advice guys, I'll try some or all of the tips posted here and see if I can fix this nasty problem.

[KaiShin]

(2) In practice, go to the top of your backswing and stop, for 1 second. Hit the ball at about 60% speed. This is what Butch Harmon had Tiger do when he first began working with him and in part was a reason for Tiger's improved play. Now that he has is no longer working with Harmon, Tiger is back to spending a lot more time in the right rough. This worked really well for me to help sync my lower body and my arms. I no longer need to do it, but I still return to this idea if I feel myself starting to slip.

Just don't develop the Charles Barkley stutter swing.

[Zeuser]

You and Tiger Woods have have the same affliction, a lower body that races ahead of the arms leaving the club face open. While some may disagree, power does not come from the rapid movement of the hips, but from the proper syncronization of the lower body and the arms. Proper placement of the lower body allows the upper body to release its angles at the right time.

Two suggestions:
(1) As you swing down, keep your right foot flat on the ground. As most women are very flexible, this should be easy for you and will prevent the hips from sliding too far forward.
(2) In practice, go to the top of your backswing and stop, for 1 second. Hit the ball at about 60% speed. This is what Butch Harmon had Tiger do when he first began working with him and in part was a reason for Tiger's improved play. Now that he has is no longer working with Harmon, Tiger is back to spending a lot more time in the right rough.
Holy ****! It worked! I got rid of my push. W00T!

My body was getting ahead of my cub, so I changed it a bit so that my downswing started a bit before my weight transfer to the left. It worked!

It took me about 10-15 balls to get it properly coordinated but after that I was able to repeat the proper swing for about 30 balls with the occaisonal slice here and there. But for the most part, my "push" was gone.

Pulled out my 5 iron, aimed towards the 175yd marker and i would get it around that area for the most part. Still needs some work but it's definetly a big improvement.

I got 185-190 yds in a straight line with my 5 iron on the last 10 balls or so. The ball was landing beyond the 175yd marker, so I was carrying at least 180 I guess. Most impressive! I've never hit the 5 iron this good before. This adjustment in my swing + my golfing lessons over the last 5 weeks are really going to pay off next weekend.

Hopefully I can repeat this over the next few days so I can make this change permanent.

Thanks Shadow, it worked!

[Mule56]

I just recently went to the range and my ball flight is going to the right, but not slicing (according to my bf). He thinks it might be because my hip is moving faster than my swing, and one of his friends said the same thing.
Could this be a cause and if so, what drills can I do to help align the speed with my swing?Ems,
A short piece from the Golf Channel Academy. If this in fact what is happening this may or may not help. As always, a teaching pro should be consulted.
Tip of the Day
Stay behind the ball for more power off the tee. Tee up some practice balls and hit them with the heel of your front foot off the ground while your back foot stays on the ground. This setup will restrict your lower body from getting too far ahead of the ball at impact and help you hit the ball on the upswing.
Mule