Bundle Up For A Better Swing

“You need to tighten up your backswing”. If you have heard this from your favorite golf instructor, you’re not alone. A common flaw many golf professionals see in our students is a “loose” golf swing in which the arms/club are wildly swung disconnected from the core/”engine” muscles which create body pivot. It’s this disconnect which causes the backswing to become longer than it needs to be. To create a sound and repetitive golf swing, both the arms/club and body pivot need to be combined in near equal proportions.

Living in Minnesota, we are all aware that winters are sometimes unbearably cold, but that did not stop some golf entrepreneurs from providing avenues for continued golf improvement. Fully enclosed golf “domes” are available for wintertime practice. I give lessons at one of these and discovered an interesting way of helping students feel the “connection” between the arms and body pivot during the swing. Simply leave your winter jacket on while hitting shots. You will notice a few things; your backswing will become shorter and more connected to your body pivot, your balance will be maintained, which is often compromised when a player’s arms outrace their body pivot, and you may get the sensation that even though the clubhead seems to be swinging slower, you actually feel a more powerful impact.

So next time you are stuck indoors, but still wish to work on your swing, bundle up for a better swing!