Starting the backswing with right shoulder changed my game

[i*windows]

Martin Ayres who used to have a thread pinned to the top of this forum also started the swing this way and had a great downswing thought and there are countless other good instructors who advocate the same. I used this method for years, but I sort of misunderstood the concept and got very flat and got my elbow stuck behind me, if you understand that you also need to get your trail arm up and in front of you then this is a terrific way to start the swing.

 

 

[Nard_S]

Good video, agree that shoulders are flatter at the top than coming down but real common fault is folks do not get plane down enough coming back. The blending of left & right bend through it all is fertile ground for me right now. Found the talk on face to plane and "turning the corner left" real interesting.

[PJ1120]

Care to elaborate Alpha?

[Nard_S]

> @PJ1120 said:

> Care to elaborate Alpha?

He thought that comment was aimed at him, when in actuality I was in agreement with his position on a another thread, go figure.

[PJ1120]

**He thought that comment was aimed at him, when in actuality I was in agreement with his position on a another thread, go figure.**

Me?

[Nard_S]

> @PJ1120 said:

> **He thought that comment was aimed at him, when in actuality I was in agreement with his position on a another thread, go figure.**

> Me?

 

Nah, nothing to do with you. I said the very same thing in a thread where he was beefing with another poster. I was not so pleased with other guy's position.

 

[NoTalentLefty]

Every now and then you find a nugget on the instruction forum that fits your game well. This might be it. Used it for my first round of the year and my ball striking has improved from last year, at least what I can remember. My stats on the GIR was 50 pct. My fairways hit was 70+ pct. Now lets take to round 2. And being left handed it was the Left Shoulder that started the swing.

[jbw749]

I started pulling the right shoulder back to start the backswing and dang it has been going really well. As I pull the right shoulder back I steepen the left shoulder, the right shoulder pulls the left. This is the opposite of what I did for years which was push the left shoulder back and for whatever reason my right shoulder stalls doing it this way and flattens my shoulder turn.

If you're wondering why you have a flat shoulder turn and can't figure it out try this it really helps get the shoulders steeper going back. As you pull the right shoulder back guide the left shoulder low pointing somewhere around a foot or two outside the ball.

 

[avidgolfer72]

Golftec confirms this move with their numbers based on measurements of tour pros. They say right shoulder back and up. Don't restrict hips. Works great for me.

[cardoustie]

Love this thread

Very similar to Carl Lohren .. left shoulder forward to start swing

[Chazb]

Wow,I’m sure glad I read this,after a small bucket at the range and starting the turn with my right shoulder,I had one of the prettiest draws I have ever had with a 3 Iron off the ground including my driver teed up.

The vast majority of balls I hit were much better than what I have been doing.

Thank you to the OP who posted this.

[Zizzer]

The left shoulder does down and in toward right knee/moving weight to right heel

[HaggisPXG]

Really keen to review these and try them in practice - I do have a lift in my backswing which makes for a very upright swing and equally steep getting back to the ball. Current coach is working hard with me to flatten my swing and help me to open up at impact, these videos would seem to help, we’ll see.

Thanks for posting.

[Stonedude]

Wow, Chuck brings it.

[Lomo Saltado]

The best video I've seen on this feel

 

[juststeve]

The late Phil Ritson advocated making a back swing with the trail shoulder.

Steve

[RITZ]

Great info here-The recent Golf Channel series Swing Expedition with Chris Como featuring PGA great Chuck Cook breaks down the right shoulder back swing move so it makes it easy to do.

Check it out and let me know your thoughts.

[slantsflood]

Love this feeling/move.  Works great when I do it correctly.  Correct plane, right hand stays over left with both arms straight at waist high, then a slight right bicep curl to finish off the backswing.

 

When I do it incorrectly, it's from tension and feeling locked up from the start.  Is there a way or a thought to relieve tension in the shoulders?  My back right shoulder gets a little weird knowing it has to rotate around the spine and not start a swaying turn?

[harveythomas]

On 3/17/2020 at 3:52 PM, Lomo Saltado said:

The best video I've seen on this feel

 

 

For me this is a killer.  Had multiple pros teaching this over the years including the plane truth pros and a former Ryder cup player turned coach and it’s been an absolute disaster for me that is taking a lot of undoing.  

 

i think the external rotation of the right shoulder is vital on the backswing which keeps the right elbow in front of the right shoulder at the top from a down the line view at the top which I now think is biomechanically correct.  
 

This demonstrates what looks like an internal rotation of the right shoulder on the backswing and lots of separation of elbows with chicken wing looks.  The upper right arm is well behind the right shoulder in the down the line at the top although she doesn’t do this extreme move in her real swing.   I think this teaching is the opposite of a modern good swing.

 

Maybe this works for some as feel v real from a drill may fix some issues although I don’t know quite what this video fixes.  For me this drill and teaching has been pure poison for my ball striking.  

[iacas]

On 3/17/2020 at 11:52 AM, Lomo Saltado said:

The best video I've seen on this feel

 

 

I know your post is four years old, but… ugh, no.

 

One of the single most common lessons I give is to people who get their trail elbow too far around behind themselves. The arms primarily work up and down, not around like the lawnmower drill shows.

 

Kids will do that move because they don't feel they're strong enough to leverage the clubhead up in the air the right way.