Most golf swing faults for amateur golfers typically begin either in the hands, or more centrally in the hips. For seasoned golfers, the hands are usually well trained. They have spent years repeating the same motion and can really navigate the swing well. The part that tends to deteriorate as we age, is the hip. How the hips affect the golf swing is complicated.
How The Hips Affect The Golf Swing
This doesn’t happen all at once, and can be multifactorial. Think of this scenario. You have been trying to hit driver a little longer and you changed your club. This had some improvements, but overall your swing just isn’t where it should be. Fast forward a few years and a few more drivers, still the same distance relative to your peers. The equipment only gets better, and you didn’t move back a tee box. What gives?
Well, over those years you kept working at your desk job, and switched between workouts to keep your chest sticking out further than your stomach. Over that time, I’m willing to bet you weren’t training your hips at end-range, and you ended up losing some mobility. Bonus points for you if you didn’t skip leg day over that time, but in my experience, lower extremity resistance training is not commonly done by the average golfer.
Hip Mobility And The Golf Swing
Hip mobility is where the power in the golf swing lies. Yes you need good strength to hold proper trunk posture through the swing, but turning an extra 10 degrees into rotation will generate more clubbed speed than a stronger muscle without those 10 degrees for most golfers.
Hips Generate Power Too
Power in the golf swing is simple at it’s base. Get as much rotation out of each joint as fast and as accurately as possible. If all joints from the ankle on up are moving well, you will get your club head really far around your head in the backswing. The longer it has to go, the more speed it generates. If you are really good, you can get all the motion and control the explosive unwinding so well that you make perfect contact every time.
Bad Hips Lead To Swing Faults
If the hips are not turning during that winding and unwinding, what red-blooded golfer wouldn’t try to find other ways to get that club head way back behind him? This is where swing faults come in. Trunk extension, sway, and chicken wing-ing are all strategies to get a longer backswing if your trunk can’t turn fully on it’s axis.
Conclusion
Do your golf swing a favor as the calendar turns to 2024, and focus on hip flexibility. Improving your flexibility will improve how your hips affect the golf swing. It won’t fix everything, but it will certainly help. Reach out to us if you need a personalized plan!
