The condition of the upper body unit.

Most Mid/High handicapper golfers lift the arms to the end of the back swing movement.

However, what they should be doing is holding the elbows as close together as is physically possible whilst using the rotational movement of the shoulders to rotate the compact upper body unit to the end of the back swing movement - thereby using the rotational movement of the shoulders to push the golf club to the top of the back swing movement.

Therefore it is vital to understand that it is the action of holding the elbows close together ensure that the shoulders and arms remain as a compact upper body unit.
Therefore it is vital that during the back swing movement that the elbows remain in close proximity thus maintaining the compact unit as a solid unit, but with the shoulders in total control over the movement of the arms.

During the down swing movement, the magic move pulls the right elbow into the waist.

Therefore if you want consistency in the golf swing, the elbows must remain as close together as is physically possible at all times.

During the back swing movement the shoulders and the arms must move together as if welded into a solid unit, thus using the rotational movement of the shoulders to push the club head to the end of the back swing movement.

During the down swing and the follow through movement, the movement of the hips control the rotational movement of the upper body unit which literally swing the passive arms/club head into and through the contact area.

Therefore at the address position the elbows must be drawn close together thus forming the shoulders and the arms into a very compact unit, and once the unit is formed, it must remain in this compact condition throughout the complete golf swing movement.

In order to hold the shoulders and the arms as a compact upper body unit, you must hold elbows as close together as is physically possible and also keep the biceps held against the chest cavity. This will ensure that the upper body unit retains its triangular shape but also ensures that one of the arms are always straight.

However although the upper body unit is held in this very compact condition, you must focus on the left shoulder as being in over-all control of the compact upper body unit at all times. - i,e, Throughout the back swing, the down swing and the follow through movements.

During the back swing movement you must view the shoulders and the arms as being a solid one piece unit, so that any movement of the shoulders regardless of how slight, causes the instant movement of the arms.

During the down swing the same criteria applies to the upper body unit.
i,e, the upper body unit remaining firmly held together as if the shoulders and the arms are welded into a solid piece.

However during the down swing movement, it is the rotational movement of the hips that control the rotational movement of the shoulders thus using the rotational movement of the shoulders to swing the passive arms/club head into and through the contact area whilst performing the magic move.

You cannot hold the shoulders and the arms too tightly together throughout the back swing movement, the more compact the upper body unit is held the better, whilst

However in order to perform the back swing movement correctly it is important to understand that the lower part of the body must totally resist the rotational movement of the upper body unit so that as soon as you apply pressure to the left foot the hip movement is instantly reversed.

It is absolutely vital that the heel of the left foot remain firmly on the ground throughout the back swing movement with the hips playing a passive role and simply rotating away from the frontal facing position and also pivoting as the back swing reaches its conclusion.

By keeping the heel of the left foot firmly on the ground throughout the back swing movement, you will be forced to twist the upper torso to its maximum in order to make a full back swing movement.

A fraction of a second before the back swing movement is completed and therefore the core muscles are at the maximum torsion, you must press down on the ground with the left foot thus reversing the movement of the hips.

Therfore as the hips begin to rotate towards the target area, the pulling effect of the hip movement will cause the upper body unit to follow the movement of the hips, thereby using the hips movement to force the shoulders to rotate around the central core of the spine.

However although the two parts will eventually move together in complete tandem, the rotational movement of the hips must remain in over-all control to the completion of the golf swing -- however the hip movement must not be so aggressive as to cause the heel of the right foot to lift off the ground before the club head strikes the ball.

(In order for the down swing and the follow through movements to be performed correctly, it is absolutely vital the upper body unit remain passive to the movement of the hips.)

Therefore by keeping the rotational movement of the hips in over-all control, it ensures that throughout the down swing and the follow through movement, the shoulders will rotate around the central core of the spine with a smooth seamless movement.

If you want to increase the velocity of the club head you have to increase the torsion of the muscles during the back swing movement -- but you must develop the basic technique before you begin to increase the speed of the hip movement.
( It will feel strange at first, but once the hips movement is reversed, you must learn to keep the hips rotating towards the target area in a continual seamless movement to the completion of the golf swing, so that the movement of the hips remain in over-all control throughout the down swing and the follow through movements.)

If you have any doubts about the importance of the hips during the down swing, have a look at this video regarding long distance driving.

All these changes to your golf swing will not happen "overnight" -- so remember, the more you practise a new movement, the more natural the movement will become.

However, only practice one new movement at a time until the movement becomes automatic, then you can move on to the next new movement.

Therefore when you have fully absorbed and thoroughly practised the movements as described within this lesson, proceed to Lesson 2, the "Upper Body Turn" --- and learn how take complete control of your golf shots.

The golf swing movement will feel very mechanical and wooden when first performed with the upper body held in this condition and with heels of both feet firmly on the ground and by allowing the hips to pivot, but what you should immediately feel is a sense of control over the club head and what you will achieve is an increase in the accuratcy of your shots.

Do not worry about generating enough energy because as long as you keep the elbows held close together thus holding the upper body unit firmly held together as a one piece unit during the back swing movement - and then during the down swing movement, simply press down on the ground with the left foot to reverse the hip movement thus forcing the shoulders to rotate around the central core of the spine and simultaneously performing the magic move - whilst the heel of the right foot remain firmly on the ground until the precise moment the club head strikes the ball - the ball will sail away into the distance.

Obviously you have to judge the down swing so that the club head strikes the ball at the same time the shoulders return to the parallel to the target line, but hold the elbows close together so that the arms remain an integral part of the upper body unit and see how effective this action is.

However I can assure you that all of this action will be wasted unless you teach yourself:-

1) Keep the left eye positioned slightly behind the ball position at all times, without any lateral movement of the head.

2) Watch the ball move away from its resting place. - you must look at the golf ball right up to the point when the club head strikes the ball and continue to look at the ball position well until after the ball has been struck.

3) Keep the heel of the right foot firmly on the ground until a fraction of a second before the club head strikes the ball.

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