How long is your backswing?

[Londoner]

I've just shortened my backswing to hands just reaching shoulder height.

I've gained a club and 1/2 in distance and more central impact with improved accuracy.

I think it's because I stay "connected", which I don't do with a full swing.

Thoughts and observations please?

[Pepperturbo]

I have always had a shortened backswing, about shoulder length. A moderately fast transition and accelerate my right side through the ball which contributes to distance. I look at where I want the ball to go then hit the ball, as opposed to swinging the club.

[kekoa]

I've had a short'ish backswing for years. Partly due to a bad shoulder and just not being flexible. It works for me, but I swear a full bs with wrist more hinged at the top looks so much better.

[Mcgeeno]

Probably a little too long on full shots. If I'm playing loose I can go a little past parallel.

 

I've always found I control my shot better taking what feels like a 3/4 swing with a sawed off finish.

[Londoner]

> @Pepperturbo said:

> I have always had a shortened backswing, about shoulder length. A moderately fast transition and accelerate my right side through the ball which contributes to distance. I look at where I want the ball to go then hit the ball, as opposed to swinging the club.

 

Your description is just the feel I now have. The timing needs bedding in but for me I think the shorter swing is a "keeper".

[Londoner]

> @kekoa said:

> I've had a short'ish backswing for years. Partly due to a bad shoulder and just not being flexible. It works for me, but I swear a full bs with wrist more hinged at the top looks so much better.

 

I agree a longer swing looks better but with the results I'm getting I don't care how I look.

[Londoner]

> @Mcgeeno said:

> Probably a little too long on full shots. If I'm playing loose I can go a little past parallel.

>

> I've always found I control my shot better taking what feels like a 3/4 swing with a sawed off finish.

 

With my shortened swing a sawn off finish is a no no. It works because I rotate and fire my right side to a full finish.

[rich_s2]

My backswing is much shorter now but my shoulder turn is greater than it used to be. My club never gets to parallel and I could not get it there without overrun

[Brennanf]

Shoulder height. More rotation for torque

[jjmurry]

I'm in the process of doing the same, shortening to what feels like shoulder height. The only issue I am having with it is a lack of feeling like I am shallowing it out and it causes a block. Anyone have any advice? I feel as though I slam on the brakes and come over the top a little bit. I'm a good enough golfer (2 handicap) so I can get away with it from time to time but want to eliminate it as much as possible. Overall I love the shorter backswing. More solid contact and a little more distance!

[MadGolfer76]

Top-5 long...

[andrue]

Not very. It's longer than it was a year ago but still a bit short. It's a work in progress.

 

 

I'm currently working on sorting out the release though. That was a good swing but sometimes I cast, probably because the old back swing was so short. With my old swing my arms would barely reach parallel before I started down so it was almost impossible to be accused of casting :)

 

Oh and I need to work a bit on that chicken wing. And I look as if I'm leaning a back there at the end although with the camera angle that might be an illusion. But hey, the ball went 230 yards uphill from what I remember.

[justasgood]

This long:

 

 

[vinprun71]

Relatively short back swing here. Arm parallel to the ground maybe a little further. I'm looking to shorten it a little bit too to avoid any elbow break. The consistency is definitely there with a shorter backswing. Too long and things go wild. Great power with the longer backswing but not predictable. Bad shoulder and previous bicep tendonitis don't like me going to far with the lead arm unfortunately. :(

[Nard_S]

I used to be across the line long, now it's to parallel of ground but still too long. Arm over run is big problem and practice earlier transition move a bunch. It's glacier slow to reel it all in.

[malarijm]

I fight a tendency to lift my arms/hands at the top without a full turn resulting a long looking swing, Once I felt the sensation of making a full turn without lifting my arms at the top i.e. a full coil to generate speed instead of firing arms, my hands probably don't get much past my ear anymore. I didn't specifically try to shorten my swing, but the other good stuff I was working on resulted in a "shorter" swing.

 

 

[Londoner]

> @malarijm said:

> I fight a tendency to lift my arms/hands at the top without a full turn resulting a long looking swing, Once I felt the sensation of making a full turn without lifting my arms at the top i.e. a full coil to generate speed instead of firing arms, my hands probably don't get much past my ear anymore. I didn't specifically try to shorten my swing, but the other good stuff I was working on resulted in a "shorter" swing.

>

>

 

Snap! Thats how I got there. If ever I lose the feel I make a few practice swings with hands getting no higher than my waist. The only way to generate any power from there is to move your weight correctly, unwind and follow through. It's automatic. Once I get the feel back I'm away again.

[DLev45]

I probably have a lot more speed in me than I get. I'm 31 y/o, 6'2 200lbs with a driver SS of 98 mph and a 7-iron carry around 160. But the short backswing has lead to much crisper contact and accuracy. I have dropped from an 11.5 handicap in March to 7.5 now in 5 months, and this past weekend in my club championship, I hit 24/36 greens.

 

 

 

[Londoner]

> @DLev45 said:

> I probably have a lot more speed in me than I get. I'm 31 y/o, 6'2 200lbs with a driver SS of 98 mph and a 7-iron carry around 160. But the short backswing has lead to much crisper contact and accuracy. I have dropped from an 11.5 handicap in March to 7.5 now in 5 months, and this past weekend in my club championship, I hit 24/36 greens.

>

>

>

>

>

 

Well done.

My advice is use 2 cameras. Are you in both those positions in the same swing?

[DLev45]

> @Londoner said:

> > @DLev45 said:

> > I probably have a lot more speed in me than I get. I'm 31 y/o, 6'2 200lbs with a driver SS of 98 mph and a 7-iron carry around 160. But the short backswing has lead to much crisper contact and accuracy. I have dropped from an 11.5 handicap in March to 7.5 now in 5 months, and this past weekend in my club championship, I hit 24/36 greens.

> >

> >

> >

> >

>

> Well done.

> My advice is use 2 cameras. Are you in both those positions in the same swing?

 

No. Those aren’t the same exact swing. Only have one camera. That’s from a video I paused at the top on each swing. But I have videoed enough to verify that these positions are consistent.

 

Here are 2 more. Different clubs, same day. Notice the additional club in the picture has changed positions from the previous 2.

 

 

 

 

[naval2006]

Very long for today’s standards. Tom Watson or Johnny Miller long. But that’s how I learned in the 80s. You need a lot of timing with those swings. Shorter IS better indeed.

[BenHoganSlam1953]

I've recently stopped focusing on my backswing and now just rotate my shoulders - it is quite the improvement. When I was trying to make my usual backswing I was WAY over swinging and straining my neck ... actually gave myself whiplash a couple of weeks ago ... had to forgo a tournament I already paid for and enjoyed a week of sharp neck pain. No choice but to change my method of swinging if I wanted to continue playing golf.

[Tanner25]

> @Londoner said:

> I've just shortened my backswing to hands just reaching shoulder height.

> I've gained a club and 1/2 in distance and more central impact with improved accuracy.

> I think it's because I stay "connected", which I don't do with a full swing.

> Thoughts and observations please?

 

How do you get it to the 3/4 backswing? Just do it?

[Londoner]

Yes really. If I maintain the shoulder/arms triangle and keep my right elbow connected 3/4 is as far as I can get. It makes me coil and unwind from the ground up. I feel like I'm just moving my weight back and unwinding. It takes away me hitting with hands and arms.

I hope that makes sense. I will try to make a vid.

[PorscheFan]

My backswing length is entirely a function of flexibility. I think the length of functional backswing may be different for different people based on their physical capabilities.

 

For me if I go beyond left arm parallel it means I’m doing it through some sort of manipulation (weird wrist angles, shallow shoulders, whatever) to achieve it, so a longer backswing simply results in my strike going to ‘carp’ with an accompanying loss distance.