by Joe Groch-PGA
Have you ever noticed how people come in different shapes
and sizes? Ever notice that everyone doesn't wear size 9C shoes?
If we agree that everyone is not built the same, we should be able to understand why everyone's golf swing should not look exactly alike.
Many golfers have read that the backswing should swing around until it reaches a point parallel to the ground. This is a benchmark for the average body build with an average amount of flexibility.
This may not be the place you should be swinging to, however. Your body simply may not be made for that backswing.
Stand up straight and hold your left arm out pointing straight ahead. Now move your extended left arm to the right until it is stopped by your chest.
Some of you flatter-chested individuals can move your arm quite far before it meets your chest, but women and men with large chests will run into a roadblock very soon. Their left arms have a much shorter range of motion because of their chests. This is the point that Ben Wright, the golf announcer, was trying to make when he said that women with large breasts have a tougher time playing golf. Wright was criticized for his remarks, but what he said was not altogether untrue.
Nevertheless, there are some things you "obstructed" golfers can do to free up your arms for the swing.
First of all, instead of letting your arms hang down alongside your chest, try putting your upper arms more on top of your chest at address. Secondly, to encourage the body to turn freely in the backswing, we should do two things: Turn the right toe out about 30 degrees, and draw the right heel away from the target line a few inches.
What we're doing is making it easier for the body to stay out of the way of the arms as they go about their job of swinging the club up and down the swing plane.
These are things flat-chested, flexible golfers don't have to concern themselves with. But if you body type doesn't match that of the local club champion, don't think that your swing should look the same someday.
Maybe, to be the best you can be, it shouldn't.
If we agree that everyone is not built the same, we should be able to understand why everyone's golf swing should not look exactly alike.
Many golfers have read that the backswing should swing around until it reaches a point parallel to the ground. This is a benchmark for the average body build with an average amount of flexibility.
This may not be the place you should be swinging to, however. Your body simply may not be made for that backswing.
Stand up straight and hold your left arm out pointing straight ahead. Now move your extended left arm to the right until it is stopped by your chest.
Some of you flatter-chested individuals can move your arm quite far before it meets your chest, but women and men with large chests will run into a roadblock very soon. Their left arms have a much shorter range of motion because of their chests. This is the point that Ben Wright, the golf announcer, was trying to make when he said that women with large breasts have a tougher time playing golf. Wright was criticized for his remarks, but what he said was not altogether untrue.
Nevertheless, there are some things you "obstructed" golfers can do to free up your arms for the swing.
First of all, instead of letting your arms hang down alongside your chest, try putting your upper arms more on top of your chest at address. Secondly, to encourage the body to turn freely in the backswing, we should do two things: Turn the right toe out about 30 degrees, and draw the right heel away from the target line a few inches.
What we're doing is making it easier for the body to stay out of the way of the arms as they go about their job of swinging the club up and down the swing plane.
These are things flat-chested, flexible golfers don't have to concern themselves with. But if you body type doesn't match that of the local club champion, don't think that your swing should look the same someday.
Maybe, to be the best you can be, it shouldn't.
This post was very informative and I learned a lot relating to body types and the golf swing. Very simple and easy to learn.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading this post because it gave me some ideas on how to approach teaching students with different body types.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this blog post and it has given me several tips. I can use these tips for my future students that have this body type. I can also relate to this post since I have a bigger chest and broader shoulders.
ReplyDeleteI really appreciated the information given in this post. The point you made about the backswing being parallel to the ground is significant because the body type plays such a HUGE part on those who can get to that position. A lot of average golfers today look at the professionals swings or even a player out on the range and see what makes them hit the ball. We try to mimic their swing when in reality...our body types might not be the same making our game a little bit more uneasy. The test you provided really gives us a great understanding that not one golfer is the same...we all have different levels of flexiblity, strength and shape to our bodies that make us all swing a little bit differently.
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I agree completely with the idea that a person's body type should help to determine the proper swing for that individual.
ReplyDeleteGood informative post! I completely agree that everyone's golf swing should be built around their natural body type. Every student has their own swing and body type that golf instructors need to build around while taking into consideration about their students limitations and capabilities.
ReplyDelete