Golf Rotation – Like a Knife?
Hi, Dave Cahill here with Cahill Golf in Palm Springs. Today I will talk about the forward turning motion in the golf swing and the correct rotation of the shoulders. I often see golfers turning at the ball incorrectly, experiencing all kinds of misfortune on the golf course producing slices, shanks, pulls.
The correct way to turn is to turn the shoulders perpendicular to the spine. When I turn my shoulders I am going to do my weight transfer. When the shoulders turn around the spine, down and forward, the hands can move directly into the shot.
Note we do not want to force turning the shoulders out and across because it pushes the club outside.
We do not want to swing the shoulders underneath like a knife cutting through butter because it leaves the club face wide open. Underneath may initially look OK, but it is not as it forces ineffective solutions such as a forced rolling over of the hands or a turn which pushes the club way outside.
Correctly the shoulders turn around the spine, the right shoulder will move down and forward around the spine, not out and across, not underneath like a knife cutting through butter. When the shoulders turn around the spine, down and forward the hands can move directly into the shot.
Key Point: Your shoulder line is perpendicular to your spine angle throughout the swing.
Shoulder Rotation Drill
- Stand up straight.
- Put a club over your shoulders, across the back of your neck.
- Rotate your shoulders so the club stays horizontal on your backswing turn and your follow-through turn.
- Now transfer this motion to your address posture.
- Turn your shoulders back and through on a level line, the way you did standing tall.
Shoulder Rotation in the Golf Swing
PGA Instructor Mike Cahill and PGA Master Instructor Dave Cahill are here to help you play better and enjoy the game more. If you would like to learn more about shoulder rotation in the golf swing come see us in Palm Springs for golf lessons or visit us for a Palm Springs a Golf School.
PGA Instructor Mike Cahill 612-501-9015 mikecahill@cahillgolf.com.
PGA Master Instructor Dave Cahill 952-994-0387 davecahill@cahillgolf.com