Find the top of your golf swing

 

By Geoff Redgrave, PGA Director of Golf and Instruction

What does the top of your back swing look like?  Is it parallel as many books and magazines want it to be?  Does it look like John Daly’s or does it look like John Cook’s?  And how did Tiger Woods finally get his backswing in shape on his way to three recent victories?

Use the following guides to find the top to your swing and use these simple set up tips to add or shorten your backswing:

Body Typing

Taller, longer arms and thinner chests equate to longer swings.  Vijay Singh, Davis Love III and US Open winner Webb Simpson all possess longer golf swings.  They are able to accomplish this merely through genetics.  Shorter, more stocky players like Kevin Stadler and Brendon DeJonge look more like football players and their thick torsos and shorter arms provide the perfect recipe for a shorter, wider backswing.

Flexibility

How flexible or inflexible you are will also have a bearing on length of swing.  Generally, women tend to be more flexible than men.  Because of this, most women have golf swings that are too long.  Conversely, men with limited flexibility, through the shoulders in particular, will have problems with a swing that is too short.  A flexibility routine will do wonders for those whose backswings get shorter by the year.

Setup

Before and after pictures of Phil Mickelson reveal a major change in his posture position.  Swing coach Butch Harmon got Phil taller at his address position.  What this did was give Phil’s arms a chance to “run out.”  His chest acted as a governor to the length of his swing and the difference meant hitting more fairways during a recent stretch of tournaments.  Mickelson’s “shorter” swing matches up perfect with his body rotation. When everything “syncs” up and he gets hot with the putter, he could very well walk away with an Open Championship.

Need to add length to the backswing? Try bending more from the hips in your address position.  

How do I find my top of swing?

Now that you understand more about the length of the backswing and the contributing factors involved, let's find your perfect backswing by using the following test:

Without a club in your hand, assume your golf posture position and swing your left arm up as far as you can without changing your posture position. 

Bring your right hand up to meet the left hand.  If your hands cannot meet, lower your left arm until the hands can meet. 

You have now found the limit of your backswing.

Let the Wintergreen Golf Academy assist you with your game.  Half day to three day schools are available year round.  Please call (434) 325-8255 for more details.