Hip turn and shoulder turn are two terms used frequently in the golf world when talking about the body mechanics of the swing. Hip turn refers to the amount of rotation your pelvis (or belt-buckle) does from the setup position during your backswing. Shoulder turn refers to the amount of rotation a line though your shoulders (looking down from above) does from the setup position during your backswing. These points are helpful to know when your swing instructor or trainer is trying to find more power in your swing.
Why Does This Matter?
First let’s start by looking at how the golfer generates power. The backswing is a series of “winding up” different joints in a sequence. You start can start your backswing however you want. The final product should end with your hips being fully rotated, followed by your spine, then shoulders, then finally your wrists. This loads the kinetic chain to then sequentially unwind. The most efficient swings start by unwinding the hips. This is followed by the spine. Then the shoulders turn, with the hands finally bringing the club to the ball at a very fast speed. The best players in the world have mastered this pattern, and can do it flawlessly almost every time.
This is important for golfers who want more speed and power. Often times we will measure the difference between two of the major parts of that unwinding chain – the hips and the shoulder. To get very technical, it’s actually measuring the difference between the pelvis and the ribcage. The shoulder blades have a very large range of motion, and can throw this data off significantly. In a lab or with very highly sophisticated software we will get exact measurements of the pelvis and ribcage. For the purposes of this article we will continue to use hip and shoulder.
The reason this relationship is so important is that this area is where all of the whipping effect of a golf swing comes from. Think of a medieval catapult. You have the big counterweight at the bottom which slowly and powerfully swings down first. Then, the arm comes up and the little cloth bucket whips hard to throw the stone over the wall. The trunk is the big counterweight at the beginning. This sets the stage for the arms and wrist to act as the little cloth bucket and whip very fast as the end.
Great, So Start Stretching My Trunk And I’m Hitting Bombs, Right?
Not so fast. For the typical amateur, this is likely the first step. Most amateurs have a day job or lifestyle that requires them to sit for long periods of time. This is not a great environment for gaining and retaining a lot of trunk rotation. A stretching program is a great first step. Range of motion in trunk rotation is the baseline requirement to be able to achieve a consistent and full swing.
It is not, however, a determinant of a great swing. On a recent episode of the Hack It Out Golf podcast (link here), they compared the pelvic (hip) turn and ribcage (shoulder) turn two tour players, Rory McElroy and Tony Finau. These golfers are very different body types, and their swing data showed it. The taller golfer (Finau) did not turn as much as the shorter golfer (McElroy), but they both achieved a significant difference in their hip and shoulder turns. They also happen to have the exact same swing (or clubhead) speed.
The important takeaway here is that just increasing your hip and shoulder turn may work for some golfers, but it won’t be the ideal for all. Keep in mind as well, all good swings have two major things in common when it comes to hip and shoulder turn. There is a significant different between the body parts, and they can control it.
Hip/Shoulder Disassociation
If you are looking to improve this part of your swing, it’s as important to work on your ability to turn your hips while your shoulders stay still – and vice versa. This is called disassociation, or moving one part while holding the other. If take our catapult example from before, I want you to guess which rock would go further. Would it be a catapult where everything moved all at once, or one where the big weight moved first, then the arm, then the basket? It wouldn’t matter if you had the loosest hinges and the biggest catapult in the world, the stone would barely go anywhere if the timing wasn’t sequential.
This sequencing is the secret sauce to leveling up the amateur swing. It can’t just be done with stretches and weightlifting. To work on this motor patterning, get into an address position (hips and knees slightly bent as if you are over a 5-iron approach shot) in front of a mirror. Now, see if you can hold your shoulders completely still while twisting your hips each direction. Keep in mind you want to twist or rotate your pelvis, not shoot your hips out side to side. We aren’t on spring break here. If you can do this, great, but if you can’t hold onto a counter or doorframe and try again. The stability of holding onto something will help your nervous system ground your upper body. Practice this for a week or so. Re-try without holding on, and it should improve.
Get Out There And Crush Some Balls!
On my YouTube channel, I post all of our Clubhead Speed School exercises as shorts. It’s easy to watch them on your phone in the gym. We cover strengthening, flexibility, and motor control. Start working through these drills and you will be swinging faster for longer in no time!
