In this video, I discuss the common fault of early extension in the golf swing by focusing on the role of the right hip in the backswing and the downswing. Those of you who early extend may find this very helpful:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfeu95BaLlA&feature=youtu.be]
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Guilty of it. Now I have something to work on. If it’s like most changes It will probably cause some mis-hits that I will have to ignore and work thru.
Great explanation! Information was clear on what not to do and what to do with right and left hips.
They call it “early” extension because it’s out-of-sequence. Something else must lead that action. The hip went up because it had nowhere else to go. It ran into a brick wall because nothing was getting out of the way (which accomplished a lot more than just getting out of the way).
Also, when you talk about level to your spine, there’s a bit of a contradiction. You say Plummer & Bennett are smart guys. They’ve studied a lot of swings, so maybe they picked-up something. I could give you a link to Mike Bennett saying that the spine moves all over the place. I think he’s right.
When you talk about level to the spine, that probably introduces a restriction. You can’t turn level to something that’s moving all over the place.
However, what you observe is correct. The only question is whether it can be fixed by referencing the spine. If your fix works, then there’s nothing I can say against it.
Monte tells you what happens in the video, you rotate around your spine level to the ground then as you shift into the downswing, the spine/Hips cant move correctly due to the body isnt functional that way.Its a mechanical error.
You must create an angle in the backswing, once that is created (lift of left heel and drop of shoulder allows a tilt of the pelvis) going back in the down swing you cant create early extension since the body now moves the way it was designed by evolution. and Oh this is really hard to do right using a modern swing (S&T etc…) its a little easier to do with a classic swing, snead etc…
Since the rotation in the back swing has happen the hips cant move into position due to a lack of evolution. Learning to fix it is to make a proper backswing as that sets up a good transition.
Rotate around the spine is a “feel.” If you turn, your spine turns.
Left heel lifting is a response to turning, you should let it happen, but you don’t have to make it happen with a modern swing.
For a right-hander, left shoulder dropping during the takeaway is also a result of turning correctly. You should let it happen, but you don’t have to make it happen.
If a good golfer turns right from a golf setup, his left shoulder drops. It’s how your obliques (torso) works. If you turn left on the downswing (for a righty) your right shoulder drops.
If a good golfer turns to the ball, his right shoulder comes in lower because his external obliques are automatically pulling it lower. You will never, ever see a pro impact photo without this happening. The oblique pulls the shoulder toward the arrowheads. See pic below:
http://www.yorku.ca/earmstro/journey/images/extobliques.jpeg
Bubba did not have to think about bringing his shoulder lower. Impact always looks like this for all pros:
http://www.golfdigest.com/images/instruction/2012-07/insl06_watson_ss.jpg
I’m sorry woody but the spine can’t simply move “all over the place”. If the spine is moving somewhere that the hips and shoulders aren’t, there is only one place you are going. A wheelchair….
Don’t argue with me, argue with Mike Bennett. He works with Tour pros. I’m not an S&T guy, but…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4_YepJ3wSs (4:04) Mike Bennett
Watch from 2:23.
Monte’s talking about the result, I’m talking about the cause. Will it work to try to change the result without fixing the cause? I dunno, I don’t have any students.
That is a great visual, thanks.
Monte, after working on making sure my arms stay in front of the body on backswing, I have identified this exact issue with my right hip being the reason for my continued early extension. For some reason, I start the downswing with a upward and towards the ball movement with my right hip, even when I swear I am trying to lead with left leg/hip!!!
While I get your suggestion re feel, for some reasons feel and what really happens are two different things! Do you have any suggestions for drills to ensure this movement happens correctly?
“to lead with left leg/hip”
In my opinion, if all you want to do with your left hip is “clear it,” then you’d better have a dog like the one in the Travelers commercial. The pooch indicates to his master (woof, woof) that over-rotation of his hips is affecting his clubhead speed.
Woody, sorry I’m genuinely thick! What does that mean?
Er, it means that the left side is involved with the stroke, not just clearing…the way I see it. Maybe Bobby Jones too.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXIo8jj3cl0&feature=related (10:41) Bobby Jones
at 6:00 left side leading the stroke
I interpret that to be more than clearing…but I’m not a guru. If you’re just “clearing” maybe you’ll spin (over rotate), and your body might stay back on your right side.
Possibly something wrong in your backswing, but more likely it takes more than one bucket of balls to retrain your body.
It takes professional level golfers weeks to link this up properly.
I’ve been trying to cure my early ext. over the last few days, and what I’ve tried to do when starting the downswing is to leave my right hip in place while turning the left hip back to the “tush line” that I started with at address. The momentum of this move seems to get my weight over to my left leg. At that point, the right hip can start coming around while the left hip continues to the left and the swing heads for the finish. Kind of puts the bump and turn all together. Not sure if this is right, but it feels pretty good.
Actually, that sounds really good.
I belive the “firing of the right hip” gets taken way to literally.
Maybe it’s a matter what your back leg does, and when it does it.
There is no good instruction in golf and modern theory has made it worse.
There is a pretty obvious disperancy between what you understand cognitively and the feel you need to have.
Good stuff Monte. Thanks.
Monte on my backswing my left hip pulls my head forward and out towards the ball . I think my left hip is the culprit .. Any ideas?
That is normal there be a slight tendency for that to happen, due to lifting the left heel and creating the angle in the backswing.
Sounds like your right hip isn’t turning deep enough.
See “deep hip turn” video
How do you work the right hip up properly in the BS instead of around and too level?
(sofar this feels a bit reverse pivot-ish to me)
People have no idea how to define the golf swing so obviously errors is out there.
what is a reverse pivot? its when more weight is on the left foot at the top of the backswing when it should be on the right foot.
Monte already told you what creates the flaw and the fix is to make a proper back swing with lift of left heel and drop of the shoulder to create the angle.
Thats only if the right hip rotates toward the target and not up, away and behind your right heel.
Thanks, that’s the one feel- behind the right heel- I was missing, even after watching the deep hip turn video and comments again- probably because of the ingrained “turn around a still and bent right knee” myth.
Thank you for all the silliness
One way I like to feel this is that my right knee goes towards my left, or towards my left heel. It’s hard to get the right hip high doing this or out to the ball.
Nice video. This is a problem close to my own heart, as I’ve suffered with an early extension / flip for years. I’m slowly re-building things, thanks to your videos Monte!
Not in any way to re-focus things on one of your Youtube competitors, but there is an excellent Shawn Clement video called ‘Hogan Power Move’ that really helped me on this topic. Basically, he says on the initial part of the downswing the right butt / glute stays where it is (most evident from a DTL view) until the left glute has shifted backwards in a position parallel with it. From there the hips can turn freely with a nice pocket of space in front, again reducing the chances of getting stuck and having to flip at the ball. Not sure I’ve explained that very well, but worth a look. The first time I tried it (in slo-mo) it felt totally and utterly different to anything my hips had ever done in the golf swing before. Might help others struggling with this problem….
Hey Monte,
Is there anything wrong with the thought of pulling your left hip kind of up and around (behind you) to start the downswing? My hip turn is exactly what you’re talking about here, the right hip going out instead of down. Pulling the left hip up and around seems like an easier thought for me than pushing the right hip down toward the ball.
Your teaching is genius.
Whatever feel works for you.