Hands on backswing

[ChadCash]

I have a simple question. What is the role of the hands on the backswing? Do they rotate or do you just swing back? I don't care about the downswing right now just the backswing. It is a conscious rotation or should it happen on its own. I say this because I feel if I just swing back with no rotation then I feel closed at the top and have a tendency to come over the top. Any thoughts or drills.

[msklar92]

Re: Hands on backswing

Remeber - hand equal club face. Half way up on the backswing the toe of the club is up and the thumbs are up. This is achieved through rotation of the body.

[pnearn]

Re: Hands on backswing

Over-use of the hands on the backswing is IMHO the most common mistake high handicappers make. It leads to all sorts of problems as trying to take the club back with your hands means you have to get the club on EXACTLY the right swing path everytime and whilst doing this, stop the clubhead from becoming shut or close due to over or unde rotation of the forearms depending on where your hands go

If you learn to give control of your hands ( and therefore club face) to your body on the backswing, then the club will always be on the right plane, at least the plane you would have established with your set-up

The best way to practice this is by getting set at address feeling as though your upper arms are pressing on your chest ( to your nipples really ) and you have a good triangle. Hogans 5 fundamentals explains this really well

Then feel as though you just turn your chest so as it is over your right knee. As you do this, try and maintain that feeling of the triangle staying connected to that chest. Halfway back you should feel as if your right elbow is still tucked in close to the body. Of course it will disconnect past halfway but by them you will be on plane.

Doing this you should feel the swing is maybe narrower than youre used to feeling with your hands swing and also maybe slghtly more to the inside but thats OK. From there you can then swing through aggressively with the hands and arms following your transition

This is the theory of connection and is the most under discussed requisite of the backswing IMO

HTH

[ChadCash]

Re: Hands on backswing

Thanks Pearn. So you are saying that I should forget about where my hands should go and in essence forget about the clubhead and just trust my backswing. I am a 4.5 handicap but feel as though I just have a few issues before I can become scratch. My main focus is my transition but I feel if I can get my backswing right the rest will take care of itself.

[Simon Woo]

Re: Hands on backswing

I have this problem too. If I try to do a full swing, my left wrist cups and then I'm at a horrible position at the top.

msklar92 - you gave a very good pointer there. Now I keep note of my right thumb throughout the backswing, and that really helps to put my club (shaft and face) is a good position. Thanks!

[bugs]

Re: Hands on backswing

I have struggled for some time with this very question and a few others. I am a high handicapper! Every year during the winter months I hit the books and try to find advice on how to improve. The biggest thing I noticed is advice out there is cheap. I have been led down so many paths I can not begin to tell. Over the years I have over complex my swing worrying about where my hands should be where my feet should be and where this should be. In just the past few months, I have read Greg Willis “right hand drill” and “impact drill.” Thanks Greg for sharing those tips. For me anyway, those two drills have bought to light many issues I struggle with every time I swing a club. I now set up like Ben Hogan prescribed adding the cupped right hand Greg Willis advises. I developed a pre-shot ritual. I approach the ball concentrating on just hitting it. Now this was only in a golf store but I hit the dang ball straight at a target in a net repeatedly. It felt good. It looked good. Where is spring!! So, what am I really saying? I think the key to a good golf swing is relaxing. Minimize the number of movements in a swing basically keeping it simple. If I let things happen naturally, I think good things follow. I don’t think this will help ChadCash’s question, but for other high handicappers who struggle seeking the Holy Grail, I hope this sheds some light!

[pnearn]

Re: Hands on backswing

I have struggled for some time with this very question and a few others. I am a high handicapper! Every year during the winter months I hit the books and try to find advice on how to improve. The biggest thing I noticed is advice out there is cheap. I have been led down so many paths I can not begin to tell. Over the years I have over complex my swing worrying about where my hands should be where my feet should be and where this should be. In just the past few months, I have read Greg Willis “right hand drill” and “impact drill.” Thanks Greg for sharing those tips. For me anyway, those two drills have bought to light many issues I struggle with every time I swing a club. I now set up like Ben Hogan prescribed adding the cupped right hand Greg Willis advises. I developed a pre-shot ritual. I approach the ball concentrating on just hitting it. Now this was only in a golf store but I hit the dang ball straight at a target in a net repeatedly. It felt good. It looked good. Where is spring!! So, what am I really saying? I think the key to a good golf swing is relaxing. Minimize the number of movements in a swing basically keeping it simple. If I let things happen naturally, I think good things follow. I don’t think this will help ChadCash’s question, but for other high handicappers who struggle seeking the Holy Grail, I hope this sheds some light!

I totally agree with you. In fact I think its the ONLY way many people who become overly consumed with technicals will ever improve. Trust what you have and go with it and only make small incremental changes every now and then. See here for my suggested practice routine

http://www.golf-tuition-online.com/v...ead.php?t=3531

[bugs]

Re: Hands on backswing

PNEARN, I read your link. When I practice, I try concentrating on specific goals. I picked up that habit from reading Pelz. Funny, I never considered setting to practice some of Pelz's short game principles toward the power game! I guess I took it to literal keeping short game and power game separate!

One of my biggest hang ups is determining why and what made that slice take my ball into the woods. Nothing is more frustrating then not being able to make adjustments when things are not going as planned out on the course. Being a high handicapper, I tried all kinds of stuff getting my swing on line. Little did I know, I was pouring fuel on the fire. I am surprised how little changes make such a big difference. I think I read just about every golf mag out there to help. What I ended up doing was combing several flavors to create a hybrid swing. It wasn't pretty!!! I think it was someone here who suggested reading Pelz's short game and putting books along with Ben Hogan's five principles. Now I just concentrate on these two guys. I am still trying to remove a lot of bad habits, but I am seeing some light.