t u r f t a l k
Gain Instant Power with a Backswing Coil b y To m F i t z p a t r i c k
Combine a released right side with a wide arc and you’ll gain yardage immediately.
of movies about a boxer. Interestingly, he described the body motion in the downswing as being similar to a right-handed undercut punch in boxing. Here’s the second part of the distance equation: a freer right shoulder and hip sets the stage for a wide arc. Your right elbow can extend away from your side to create width. The completed backswing is where the shoulders turn 90 degrees, the hips rotate 45 degrees, and the arms reach the 10 o’clock position. (photo 1) Combine a released right side with a wide arc and you’ll gain yardage immediately. Try these drills to get the feeling: • Take your stance with your right foot pulled back 3-4 inches. That will give your right side a head start in coiling up. (photo 2) • Invert the club and grip it at the hosel with your right hand only. Whip the club to the top. • Push your right elbow to the top with your left knuckles to create a wide arc to the top. (photo 3) Bryson Dechambeau has taken the coil to an exciting new level. And David Leadbetter says the better a golfer winds up, the better they will naturally unwind. If you do, chances are you’ll be using muscles that you’ve never used before, and that’s a great sign that you are building an athletic swing!
Photo 2
Photo 1
W hen it comes to increasing distance, we often think of simply swinging the arms faster or perhaps turning the hips through faster. hat often gets overlooked is just how important the winding up of the body is on the backswing. When you coil your torso, the club has a running start towards creating speed. An increase of 1 mph in ball speed leads to 2 yards further. What typically inhibits the backswing is a locked right side. A stationary right hip produces a weak, out of sequence hit. It results in a lack of space for the club to
Photo 3
freely swing through impact. The result is a club that is slowing down. The key is to release the right hip and shoulder. When they do, you’ll have more room for your club to travel freely into the impact zone on an inside path. Sylvester Stallone, the action movie actor, told us that he imagined the backswing as a door that opens and the downswing as a door that closes. That’s a good visual picture. Stallone was famous for his Rocky Balboa series
Tom Fitzpatrick is a David Leadbetter certified instructor and an active realtor with Scenic Sotheby’s Intl Realty. Contact him at (850) 225- 4674 or tom@scenicsir.com
Tom Fitzpatrick
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