Andrew Rice Golf

Posts Tagged ‘hip drive’

View the HD video lesson HERE

 The speedchain is a tremendous teaching and training aid for just about any golfer looking to get a sense for what the body should be doing throughout the golf swing. And by now you should all know I am a big fan of getting the body to work correctly. While it may not be the easiest aid to use and “operate” it is superb at communicating the feel of the transition and downswing.

Ben Hogan has long been admired for his dynamic golf swing and the effortless ease with which he drove his weight up onto his front foot.  It often looked like he was “cracking a whip” when he swung a club. Training with the speedchain will get you to sense the hip drive and weight shift - just prior to – the arms and the club completing the back swing. A necessity for delivering maximum power and snap into the back of the ball.

The speedchain is made up of a sturdy grip attched to a length (20′) of chain where the links get bigger and heavier as they extend out away from the grip. The weight of the chain forces the body to work as efficiently (correctly!) as possible. I would recommend using or purchasing the XX Strong Model (for all golfers) as the heavier chain limits the amount of whipping in the terminal end of the chain – it just seems a little safer.

Here’s a teaching/training aid that is guaranteed to help your swing and as a bonus it offers an excellent core workout as well - I cannot recommend it enough!

FYI – I am in no way affiliated with the manufacturing or selling of the speedchain.

 For more information on Speedchains and purchasing click HERE

View the HD video lesson HERE

Correct Foot Action through Impact

Correct foot action throughout the golf swing is indicative of a body that is working well. A body that works well will create the opportune space necessary for the arms and the club to get into the slot – the delivery point where the club has virtually no choice but to do the right thing through impact.

Here is breakdown of what to look for:

As the club gets into the delivery position the outside of the back foot raises up off the ground – it banks in towards the target. The heel should not be coming off the ground at this point. The foot works in this fashion due to the forward, sliding/driving motion in the hips.

At impact the heel should start to roll off the ground due to the fact that the hips have driven as far forward as they can and now they have started to rotate. It is this rotation, and only this rotation, that gets the heel to begin ascending.

Into the finish the foot is fully rolled up onto the toe due to the hips fully facing the target. Because the hips drive to the target to start the downswing and rotate to the target to finish the swing the heel on the back foot will never move away from the target.

Here is a very good drill to give any golfer a greater awareness of what the feet are doing throughout the swing. This drill will not only improve your footwork, but also how you shift and transfer your weight throughout the swing. Here it is:

The Bottle/Heel Drill

 If executed correctly the finish should look like this with the bottle still standing due to the proper “bank and roll” action of the back foot.

Ben Hogan's Hip Slide (Ravielli)

The hip slide, weight shift, hip drive or whatever you want to call it is one of the most important, yet overlooked elements in the golf swing. Golfers have become so brainwashed against any form of lateral movement that I believe the vast majority of us are trying to stay as quiet and centered as we possibly can.

Here are a few interesting points about hip action:

• The downswing does not mirror the backswing. There should be no lateral hip motion in the back swing, while the downswing must have a good measure of shift towards the target.
• The weight shift to the front foot is entirely attributable to the hips gliding towards the target in the downswing. The head and upper body must remain over or slightly behind the ball as the hips shift, thus creating body curve.
• Remember that hip action incorporates either lateral motion or rotation (for all intents and purposes!).  The downswing is intiated by lateral motion over to the front foot and then followed by rotation.  This is very important sequencing here.
• Hip slide creates the room necessary in the downswing for the arms and club to drop to the inside.  Too much spin or rotation from the top and you can only come over the top.
• Not only does the hip slide create room for the arms to get to the inside, but it also positions the weight so that the ball can be struck with a descending blow.  The weight must be on the front foot for any golfer to consistently hit down on the ball.

This video from my YouTube channel presents an excellent case as to why the hip slide in the downswing is vital to a proper path and attack angle into the golf ball.

The Hip Slide

Particularly if you slice or fade the golf ball, drive the weight onto the front foot to initiate the downswing. This really is the best slide to have.

Related articles and drills on the Hip Slide:

Sandtrap.com – this is an excellent discussion on the hip slide and its importance to quality ball striking.

Hip Slide - an excellent presentation by Jim McLean as he explains Hogan’s lateral slide.

Hands and Arms at Impact Drill

Drive the Hips into Impact

Golf’s #1 Impact Drill