Tip From the Archives

Replace Your Tilt with a Turn

Problem

Tilting your shoulders down in attempt to keep your head still. This results in limited turn and distance, an improper weight shift, and picking the club up for an irregular swing. You are more likely to favor your short irons because this problem occurs most when you are using your woods and longer irons. Seniors often slouch their shoulders due to a lack of flexibility.

Cure

You need to learn how to make a full turn while rotating your shoulders on a level plane. When you do this, you should first turn your shoulders away from and then towards the target while maintaining a symmetrical angle. Remember, it is alright to experience a little lateral head movement so please do not stiffen your body in attempt to keep it still.

Therapy

Practice turning with a broom stick behind your back with your arms hooked around the stick to support it. Place the broom stick so that the broom handle is pointing towards your imaginary target. Keep your shoulders back as you take your normal golfing stance and practice pivoting. Now, imagine that you are standing in front of the face on a giant clock. Practice turning slowly so that when you are at the top of your backswing that the broom handle is pointing at the 4 and the broom is pointing just above the 10 on the clock. Now take a forward swing so when you are at the point of contact, the broom should be at the same angle but now the broom is pointing towards the 4 and the broom stick is now pointing just above the 10 on the clock. Slowly increase your speed as you practice this drill until you are turning quickly at full speed. If you find that you are having difficulty balancing while taking a full turn, you probably need to work on flexibility and strengthen your back and abdominal muscles. This is a great exercise to help improve flexibility and rebuild these muscles, so try to repeat this exercise a couple times each day, even when it is not during golf season. For the time being, try a slightly wider stance and sticking your bottom out a little further until you have regained the muscle strength necessary to maintain balance during the full pivot.

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