Many amateur golfers grip the club tightly and swing at the ball using their arms, hands and shoulders. This perception becomes their reality and they never become good golfers. In reality, the golf swing is powered by the lower body with relaxed arms, wrist, and hands. In the video below, Ben Hogan demonstrates the power of the lower body as illustrated on pages 81 – 83 in his well known book “Five Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf.”
Ben Hogan explains the use of the “lower body” to power the golf swing!
Fundamental Swing drills for learning the golf swing
There have been many books and articles written about the use of swing drills to learn the proper golf swing. The drills below emphasize use of the lower body as Ben Hogan taught more than 60 years ago. Each drill lead to the most important point in the golf swing – Impact. Impact position is the moment of truth, when the face of the club meets the ball.
Swing drills teach you how to take the club away in one motion, set the club at the top of the swing, start the transition, and swing the club to impact. Use of the “lower body” is the foundation. I believe that distance and control is regulated by the tempo of the lower body. The lower body essentially controls the speed of your arms and hands as you complete a swing. The “swing drills” you will learn in my class emulate the sequence of movements that comprise, or build the golf swing in a step-by-step process powered by your lower body!
Basics … of all swing drills
Grip and arm extension – make sure you are gripping the club as you would when setting up to hit a shot. You want to be able to rehearse the swing and control the club. Relax your grip pressure as this will also relax your wrists, arms, and upper body. The less tightness and proper tension in your muscles is key to remaining relaxed and producing a fluid swing.
Extension of the arms – shoulders turn in and stretch out; cups of arms turn up and elbows get closer to hips; extend your arms to the max – feel the tension in the shoulder joints and the back of your neck/spine – then relax your muscles.
Left side dominates – I can not stress the importance of the left shoulder and side of the body enough. We will practice swinging club in left hand only, then place the right hand of top of the left – so it can dominate the swing.
Stance – to begin all drills, make sure your stand with your feet at least as wide as your shoulders with your knees bent to cushion your weight inside and between your feet. Your should never feel your weight out and over your toe line and on your toes.
As you practice your stance wiggle your toes – as you repeat this over and over it will become automatic and part of your setup routine before every shot!
Use the illustration below for a review, and better understanding of the setup.
Henrik Stenson does this drill every day …