Golf Tips - 4 Keys to a Good Backswing Turn

Most of the problems golfers have stem from not turning properly. When you make a poor turn, the club never gets into good position at the top of backswing, and poor position at the top is almost impossible to recover from. Another neat feature is that my students rarely have problems with the turn after they learn the Half and Half Drill and the Three Quarre and Half Drill, but I still want to make it clear, just in case you ever run ins problems.

Keys to a Good Backswing Turn:

At the top of the backswing:
Important: It is OK for your head to move as much as two inches to the right as you make your backswing. Do not try to keep your head perfectly still. Doing so may cause you to make a poor turn.

1 - Spine tilts slightly to the right.
At address position, your spine tilts slightly to the right. At the top of your backswing, your spine should still tilt to the right. The correct feeling is that your spine is the center of your swing and that you turn around your spine. You want to maintain your spine angle throughout your swing.

2 - Left shoulder is lower than the right.
A line across your shoulders is perpendicular to your spine, right? Imagine the letter "T." That's what your shoulder line and spine look like. When your shoulders turn, they will remain perpendicular to your spine. From address position, your shoulders "seesaw" around your spine. The left shoulder is lower on the backswing and the right shoulder is lower on the forward swing.

3 - Left shoulder is behind, or at least even with, the ball.
How far you turn is a matter of flexibility. You may find that, due to a lack of flexibility, you cannot get your left shoulder to the ball without lifting your left heel off of the ground. In this instance I suggest allowing the left heel to come up a little, but no more than necessary.

4 - Your weight is firmly on your right leg.
It is vitally important that you maintain the flex in your right knee as you turn to make the backswing. If you do not, your weight shift will be thrown off, and you will invite a whole bunch of problems into your swing. Your right leg is the main support of your backswing. As you turn back to the right, your weight should move to your right heel. Your right knee must maintain its flex in order to receive your weight. You want to feel like your upper body is leaning over your right leg just a little.

Important: Your legs are the foundation of your swing. Just as your house needs a solid foundation, so does your golf swing. Your right leg is the main support of your backswing and your left leg is the main support of the forward swing.

Watch your hip movement. Your hips should rotate as though you had a barbecue skewer right on up through your body in place of your spine. Do not let your hips slide to the right or left.