Activate your lats

[Chris_P]

Listening to Sirius golf radio this afternoon on the way to the course, I think maybe Inside the Ropes, when one of the commentators offered that most amateurs play from the front of their bodies (pecs, quads) while most pros play from the backs of their bodies. He said everybody had fun with Tiger's glutes not firing, but, just for grins, try playing with the thought of activating your lats.

 

I thought, what the hell, and played the front nine of my course in even par, two birdies, one double (after a flushed five iron flew the green and left an unstoppable pitch back down). Which might not be all that momentous except that I'm an 11, never shot close to par before. Every single impact felt solid and heavy, every iron flew more or less straight, wedges were dead on.. Now, it's quite possible that this feeling will evaporate tomorrow, but if I suck it won't be because I didn't activate my lats.

 

Maybe worth a try.

 

Love it! I had been struggling all year after our 7 month winter and finally last week on the range i started playing around with my balance in the swing.

 

For me and I assume most of you this means:

1. Soften your legs with both heels and toes on the ground, back flat & straight, until you feel your glutes activate. (Your glutes come into play when squatting with weight in your heels)- test this out: squat on your toes and you will not feel your glutes! all quads
   
2. Freeze your leg position and adjust the tilt of your flat straight back as appropriate to deliver the club to the starting position.
   

Then I concentrated on keeping my glutes in play for most of the swing.

 

For me I improved 6 shots(47 to 41) the next day, just working on repeat-ability now because this is exactly what I needed. My new swing thought is butt-back-swing... GL!

[Millbrook]

Question for those doing this. Is the stretching of the lead lat achieved solely in the backswing or does it increase in transition by moving the hips before the torso? I think the latter but a busted knee is preventing me trying it out.

[John Kreese]

Interesting topic but lacking any actual detail on how to do it.

 

I'm with you here - OP how do you "activate the lats"?

[Chris_P]

Interesting topic but lacking any actual detail on how to do it.

 

I'm with you here - OP how do you "activate the lats"?

 

Lats would be activated if you could simulate a pull up by making the same movements while resisting against your muscles. aka antagonistic movements

 

In the swing this would equate to bringing the club down from the top of the back swing. I didnt hear the segment in question but would bet the comments equated to controling your arm movement downward in coordination with your rotation.

[John Kreese]

Interesting topic but lacking any actual detail on how to do it.

 

I'm with you here - OP how do you "activate the lats"?

 

Lats would be activated if you could simulate a pull up by making the same movements while resisting against your muscles. aka antagonistic movements

 

In the swing this would equate to bringing the club down from the top of the back swing. I didnt hear the segment in question but would bet the comments equated to controling your arm movement downward in coordination with your rotation.

 

Almost like flexing them while you swing?

[Chris_P]

Interesting topic but lacking any actual detail on how to do it.

 

I'm with you here - OP how do you "activate the lats"?

 

Lats would be activated if you could simulate a pull up by making the same movements while resisting against your muscles. aka antagonistic movements

 

In the swing this would equate to bringing the club down from the top of the back swing. I didnt hear the segment in question but would bet the comments equated to controling your arm movement downward in coordination with your rotation.

 

Almost like flexing them while you swing?

 

Lightly flexed to promote control, yes

[Nard_S]

At times, I've tuned into this sensation of triggering the lats but to me it feels like I'm firing all my back muscles down into my gut. My abs also feel like they fire too. Done correctly the arms feel loose and yet they motor. You essentially throw the arms out, down and forward, end up lower and in front of your torso while maintaining angles. The left arm becomes unpinned from chest during this.

[Hilts1969]

That's it for me years of nonsense. Drills micro movements of body parts. Complete madness. If I had a dollar for every poster who had a light bulb moment then sneaked back on here days.weeks or months later I could afford a lesson from a pro who could make me worse.