On The Tee with Hank Johnson

The pivot (body turn) creates the power of an efficient golf swing. It’s the motor of the swing and does all the work.

This power source is made more powerful by creating coil or elastic loading in the large muscle groups of the upper legs, hips and lower trunk.

Elastic loading or coil is created through motion against resistance. For example; the backswing rotation of the upper body against the resistance of the lower body.

In order to accomplish this, it is critical for the player to start from a balanced and centered address position.

Think of any athlete in the “READY POSITION”. They are “centered” on their feet and ready to move in any direction. Their knees are flexed, their butt is out and their head and chest are up. They are ready for action! A powerful golf set up should include all these elements.

The objective of the backswing pivot in golf is to rotate the shoulders and upper trunk as much as possible while holding the feet legs and hips as still as possible. This creates the maximum elastic loading in the strongest groups of muscles mentioned above.

This is accomplished by “holding the ground with the feet and rotating the chest and shoulders around and over the back leg”

There should be no shifting of the hips and the head should stay steady all the way to the end of the wind-up. Lateral shifting of the hips and /or excessive movement of the head will allow the power of the wind up to be compromised.

Next segment: The role of the arms and hands in the wind-up.