A Great Golf Backswing Can Be Yours
I’ve played with many golfers who want to know how to make a great golf backswing, but few even come close. That’s because they are missing one of 5 game-changing steps that make up a proper golf backswing. Some golfers perform a few of these but skip one step, and you’ll struggle with the consistency and timing that comes with an efficient backswing. The great thing is, once you master your own perfect golf backswing, the downswing in golf becomes easier. Suddenly, the hardest part of the golf swing becomes a breeze. Using the lag shot golf training aid makes completing a solid backswing even easier.
In this golf instruction post, I’m covering in detail each part that makes up an excellent golf backswing.
I’ll go through the golf swing takeaway, half-way back position, keeping the right shoulder high and pivotal proper leg movement. Lastly, you learn the complete backswing at the top.
You’ll discover a secret golf backswing skill that’s rarely talked about in golf instruction, that when executed right, transforms your golf swing.
All golf backswings are different; however, you’ll have the confidence and knowledge to execute your own perfect golf backswing after implementing the moves outlined here.
3 SECRET MOVES I WISH I WAS SHOWN WHEN I FIRST PLAYED GOLF
All Golf Backswings Are Not Created Equal
As you know, every backswing is different. From weekend hackers to touring professionals, there’s not a single golf backswing the same. This is because we are not built the same and have different swing tendencies. However, you can and should still learn the fundamental sound movements of a great golf backswing so you can perform at your best. Despite some present and past golfing greats lacking some of these fundamentals, they should still form a part of your golf backswing sequence.
Major winners John Daly, Fred Couples, Jim Furyk, and Raymond Floyd all possess unconventional backswings and still had successful careers.
Golfing legend Jack Nicklaus played with a flying right elbow his whole life and managed to carve out one of the most remarkable golf careers.
But remember, Jack was a fantastic talent and learned to play like this and do it well. I’d recommend sticking to the basics for golfers like you and me and making the backswing as easy as possible.
Keep your golf backswing as fundamentally sound as possible, and you’re on your way to many grand rounds on the course.
Why you’re struggling with the backswing?
Before we go into the keys to making an excellent golf backswing, I’ll go through some of the reasons why you might be struggling with your backswing. Most struggling golf backswings result from a lack of knowledge, poor golf set up, posture, grip, and arm movement. All of these can sabotage your backswing, making it challenging to perform correctly. See if you’re guilty of one of these.
Gripping the golf club incorrectly, either too strong or too weak, can result in a lousy takeaway leading to an incorrect position at the top.
A lack of an athletic posture can restrict your shoulder turn, making it challenging to coil in the golf swing.
In the early part of the backswing, overuse of the hands can result in the club getting trapped behind you. This often results in coming across the line at the top.
When the right arm moves incorrectly in the backswing, it often causes a flying right elbow contributing to swing faults such as over the top in the downswing.
The Key Parts To A Great Golf Backswing
The most fantastic golf swings of all time have similar traits in common. They possess identical swing movements that enable them to complete a repeatable and efficient golf backswing. There is no short-cut to making a good golf backswing. Each part works with each other to get the club to the top of the swing. If you swung the golf club and combined these parts, you are on your way to playing better golf.
A great golf swing takeaway starts with the clubhead in line or outside your hands when the shaft is parallel to the ground. This is the first critical step in making the right golf backswing sequence.
We want the right shoulder to remain high (right-hander), ensuring you stay in posture and maintain all the right angles you created at set up.
The wrists need to hinge up at the backswing's half-way back position, keeping the golf club in front of you and on plane.
You want your right hip to turn and move backward, making a more centred turn rather than sliding to the right.
At the top of the backswing, you want a flat lead wrist, cupped right wrist, and the upper torso on a matching plane angle to what it was at set up.
Other small intricacies exist, but these are the 5 essential parts that form a proper golf backswing.
It Starts With The Takeaway
The golf swing takeaway is a big part of learning how to make a great golf backswing. It starts the backswing so getting it right is essential. Get it wrong, and your golf swing becomes a series of compensations trying to recover and make a decent strike on the ball. I keep the takeaway as simple as possible with little movement from the smaller body parts such as the hands.
Making a connected one-piece takeaway is the most effective way to commence your backswing.
The hands, arms, and shoulder all move together in one piece with the hands hinging slightly up, ensuring you maintain the right backswing path.
The butt of the golf club moves straight back or slightly in, with the clubhead in line or outside your hands, keeping your golf swing on plane.
Your hips will begin to open, and your right leg will start to work back behind you with your left shoulder down and your right shoulder up.
This maintains your posture and creates great angles in your golf swing.
WATCH THE VIDEO BELOW TO SEE ME DEMONSTRATE THE PERFECT GOLF SWING TAKEAWAY:
WHAT TO DO HALFWAY BACK
After you have made the takeaway, the backswing's next stage is the golf swing halfway back position. The wrists begin to hinge and bring the club up towards the top of the backswing. Some golfers hinge the club earlier than others. Both are fine, providing they hinge correctly and bring the club up on plane.
When I feel the clubhead getting to the end of the golf swing takeaway, I let the wrists hinge instinctively.
When the wrists hinge, ensure they hinge up and not to the right. Hinging your wrists up keeps the golf club on plane, splitting somewhere between both arms.
Depending on your flexibility, your arms should be mostly straight at this stage. Good players usually have a straight left arm, and for some, the right arm remains slightly bent.
Your hips should have rotated with your shoulders while remaining in posture and maintaining the angles created at set up.
WATCH THE VIDEO BELOW TO SEE ME DEMONSTRATE WHAT TO DO HALFWAY BACK IN THE BACKSWING:
KEEP YOUR RIGHT SHOULDER HIGH
Getting your right shoulder high in the golf backswing is a significant move. Yet, it’s rarely spoken about in golf instruction. I’m not sure why, as it’s a super-powerful move. It fixes an inside takeaway and ensures you maintain a good golf backswing plane. Whether you think about keeping the right shoulder high or left shoulder low, make this a part of your backswing movement. Good things happen from this!
If you suffer from an inside takeaway, keeping your right shoulder high will keep the golf club in front of your body and stop the hands from pulling the golf club inside.
It maintains the angles in your golf posture created at address, eliminating early extension in the backswing.
It keeps the head steady and avoids any excessive up and down movement, which changes the distance you stand from the golf ball.
It helps maintain your golf backswing plane, so the club travels on a consistent path from takeaway through to follow through.
WATCH THE VIDEO BELOW TO SEE ME DEMONSTRATE THE IMPORTANCE OF A HIGH RIGHT SHOULDER IN THE BACKSWING:
The Secret Of The Right Leg
This one key move has made a massive difference in my golf swing. It’s the movement of the right leg. How it moves in the backswing largely determines the success of your golf swing. I used to sway or slide to the right off the ball causing the right leg to become unbalanced and make the golf downswing difficult. This is very common amongst amateur golfers. However, if you look at most good golfers, you’ll see quite the opposite movement.
Better golfers move their right or trail leg back or behind them in the backswing and not away from the target.
This creates a centred turn and enables them to stay on top of the golf ball, leading to a smoother transition.
The shoulders and hips rotate more efficiently, enabling a stress-free golf swing that delivers consistent ball-striking.
If you’re struggling with making a proper backswing in golf, start by looking at the movement of your right leg.
WATCH THE VIDEO BELOW TO SEE ME DEMONSTRATE THIS SECRET RIGHT LEG MOVE IN THE GOLF SWING:
The Top Of The Backswing
Most golf backswings are different; however, there are fundamental positions that good golfers achieve. As mentioned above, completing the above keys first makes creating an excellent golf backswing seamless. These critical positions include both the left and right arms and wrists, and your hips and shoulder turn. You don’t have to think about all of these, focusing on getting one right at a time.
The biggest key at the top of the golf backswing is ensuring you achieve a flat left or lead wrist. Most top golfers have their lead wrist in this position.
A flat left or lead wrist gets the clubface square, your swing on plane, and automatically gets your right wrist nicely cupped supporting the club.
You want your left arm approximately on the same plane as your shoulders. It’s not a perfect science, but somewhere at, or slightly above, or below this angle is acceptable.
The right elbow should be pointing either at the ground or slightly behind you. This varies from player to player, but the main thing is to avoid a flying right elbow.
Your hips should have rotated around 45º degrees depending on your flexibility, and your shoulders approximately 90º degrees.
WATCH THE VIDEO BELOW TO SEE ME DEMONSTRATE A FLAT LEAD WRIST AT THE TOP OF THE BACKSWING:
DON’T NEGLECT THE GOLF SET UP
If you’ve tried everything to fix your backswing in golf and nothing has worked, take a step back. Often faults in a golf backswing can be traced back to something you have done incorrectly at set up. Mistakes made in the set-up can have a flow-on effect on the rest of the golf swing. Take the time to perfect your golf set up, ensuring you are in a great position to start the golf swing.
Set up in an athletic posture hinging at the hips with a slight amount of knee flex and your arms hanging down naturally.
Your chin should be slightly up, helping maintain a relatively straight back providing a great base to commence the backswing.
Keep your feet about shoulder-width apart with your irons and slightly wider with the driver, and have your feet angled out, making the backswing easier.
Grip the club in either a neutral or slightly strong grip ensuring the club starts away on plane and is not disconnected from the body or pulled sharply inside.
Getting these golf swing basics in place first improves your chances of performing a solid golf backswing that produces excellent results.
BETTER GOLF BACKSWING FROM TODAY
Now you know how to make a great golf backswing and start playing your best ever golf.
Apply the backswing methods outlined above, and you’ll not only improve your backswing but make the downswing in golf 100 times easier.
If you’re still struggling, make sure you check out the ‘Why You’re Still Struggling’ section and identify the area that’s causing you issues.
Enjoy making a great backswing in golf and playing incredible golf at your next round.
If you have any questions regarding making a great golf backswing, please let me know, and I’ll be happy to help you out.
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