The Basic Steps to Perfect Golf.

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Hip Pivotal Movement. -Master- (Changed - 07/05/2008)

During the golf swing the hips move simultaneously on two planes, they will automatically rotate away from the frontal facing position as the shoulders are rotated to the end of the back swing movement, but to be performed correctly the hips must also pivot.

Back Swing.

During the back swing movement, the hips will automatically rotate away from the frontal facing position as the shoulder/arms-unit is rotated to the end of the back swing movement and also sway slightly, therefore allowing you to fully concentrate on performing the pivotal movement of the hips.

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This upright view is simply to indicate the position of the hips at the end of the back swing movement.

In this photograph the right leg is straighter than it would be when performing the full golf swing, but this exaggeration of the movement is meant to show how the right leg remains in the original address position of being slightly bent, whilst the left leg is allowed to bend further, thus pivoting the hips but you will note how even in this photograph how the body begins to adopt a slight "C" shape.

Imagine a nail hammered through the central point between the two red dots as shown in the photograph, and the hips pivot around this point.

During an actual full swing situation at the end of the back swing movement the whole body achieves a fully twisted condition which must be maintained throughout the down swing and the follow through movement.

Down Swing.

Just as the shoulders reach the absolute limit of the back swing movement, the down swing movement is initiated by pressing the left foot to the ground and simultaneously the hips are forced to pivot/rotate and slightly sway towards the target area, thus setting up the correct down swing sequence of movements.

However as the hips begin to rotate/pivot/sway towards the target area it exerts a pulling effect upon the twisted body unit and forces the twisted unit to rotate about its axis, thus automatically returning the shoulder/arms-unit to rotate back to the original address position.

In the perfect down swing movement, as the shoulders get close to the original address position, the torsion within the muscles around the shoulders region are released thus allowing the passive arms to accelerate back to the original address position to coincide with the actual moment the shoulders return to the original address position.

Therefore by the time the shoulders actually return to the original address position, the hips will practically facing the target area -- --and as the follow through movement is performed, the hips will completely turn to fully face the target area.

(The complete cycle of the hip pivotal movement is from the position at the end of the back swing movement when the right hip in a higher position than the left hip -- to the end of the cycle where the left hip is in a higher position than the right hip, but importantly this pivotal movement of the hips must be performed whilst the hips remain held over the centre of the stance.)

Pivotal Movement.

The pivotal movement of the hips during the back swing movement is performed by adjusting the amount of flex (bend) in the left leg as the shoulders rotate to the end of the back swing movement.

For example at the address position, the amount of flex is exactly the same in each leg, but as the back swing is performed, the right leg is forced to remain in the original address position whilst the left leg is allowed to bend slightly more than at the original address position - this action causes the left hip to drop in relation to the position of the right hip.

However as you reverse the pivotal movement of the hips, you must simultaneously adjust the amount of flex in both legs in order to keep the hips at a constant height throughout the down swing movement.

For example, during down swing movement the left leg is straightened back to the original address position whilst simultaneously the right leg is allowed to bend slightly from the original address position - thus pivoting the hips and maintaining the hips at a constant height.

The benefits gained by pivoting the hips are two fold:-

1) It creates a consistent limit for the back swing movement, thus ensuring that the same amount of torsion is created every time a full back swing movement is performed, but importantly it forces the golfer to twist the upper torso in order to make a full back swing movement.

2) The pivotal movement of the hips allows the golfer to swing the passive arms/golf club on a more upright plane.

** Rotate/ pivot the hips to initiate the down swing movement and I can assure from my own experience, you will begin to play very, very good golf shots.**

This article by Jim McLean, a well known golf instructor, reinforces my interpretation of the hip action within the golf swing movement.

By Jim McLean with Pete McDaniel
Illustrations By Jim Luft And Jason Lee
Photos By Stephen Szurlej
Most people think the only connection in golf is the hands to the club. Of equal importance, however, is the feet to the ground -- a huge power source. This dynamic connection is the key to understanding the lower body's role in the swing.

Many golfers think the hips should turn level. That's simply not true. The right hip moves higher on the backswing, and the left hip even higher on the forward swing. It's this hip rise that creates a power surge, the player springing up from the ground.

At setup, your hips should be level or slightly angled, with the left hip higher. Going back, your right hip should rise slightly as you load your right side, which is a fundamental we teach at our golf schools. As you start down, both hips should lower into a sit-down position before the left hip rises dramatically, producing that burst of power.

Some amateurs have zero hip rise or a fake hip rise because they have an extreme amount of body lift, seven inches or more. These players raise the whole body to start the downswing; they never "sit down," so it's not a true hip rise. As you move through impact, feel your front hip turn to the left and upward to gain power. Feel what the longest hitters feel: Explode off the ground.

DRILLS: LEAD WITH LOWER BODY
Set up in front of a full-length mirror and have a friend mark your hip line with tape on the mirror. Holding a club across your shoulders, practice turning back and through (left). Note how much your hips move up and down. The drill at left shows a small hip shift going back and a much bigger shift through the shot.

Courtesy of Golf World

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