A consistent, repeatable, powerful and accurate golf swing starts with the knees inside of the feet, the right foot anchored and the right knee bent.
Both legs are actively held stable over an imaginary triangle base.
Backswing
The pelvis is held stable as the shoulders, spine and upper torso turn to the golfer’s right (for a right handed golfer).
As the shoulders and spine turn to the right, the abdominal and other “core” muscles (which are connected between the bottom of the rib cage and the top of the pelvis) stretch. As the shoulders continue to turn into the backswing, these muscles reach the end of their elastic length. As the shoulder turn continues to the right, these maximally stretched muscles will pull on the pelvis, ultimately turning the pelvis to the right.
As the shoulders, spine and pelvis turn to the right, other muscles (which connect from the bottom of the pelvis to the tops of the thighs) stretch and soon reach the end of their length. When their maximum length is reached, these muscles restrict the pelvis from turning any further to the right.
When the backswing is performed correctly into stable legs, a golfer will feel the stretch, load or the feeling of slight tension in the muscles of the quadriceps, possibly in the hamstrings and in the right and left gluteal muscles (butt muscles).
On-Plane Shoulder Turn
It is extremely important to turn the shoulders on-plane! To turn the shoulders on-plane requires the use of the abdominal “oblique” muscles on the left side of the abdominal area. This muscle group works to help pull the left shoulder down and position the spine correctly.
Connected Arm & Torso Turn
In the backswing, the movement of the arms should be linked or “connected” to the turn of the body. In this “one-piece takeaway”, an imaginary triangle is created between the arms and the chest. This triangle moves in-synch with the turn of the body.
Pushers
Many amateur golfers are “pushers” as they do not understand the importance of and/or know how to load the “pull” muscles on the left side of their spine and abdominal area in the backswing. As a result, they often end up having to use muscles on the right side of their body in an unsuccessful effort to “push” the arms and club to the ball.
A typical push swing leaves a golfer often “stuck” or “blocked” on their backside. Ball flights are often a slice or a high, weak fade because their body never really transfers the weight off their back foot (right foot) to their front foot (left). Needless to say, distance, accuracy and consistency are sacrificed by the pushers…
Loading the Pull Muscles
To maximize distance, accuracy and even consistency, golfers need to learn to pull the body and club through the ball and to the finish.
To successfully load the pull muscles (select muscles on the left side of the upper body including the left shoulder, lateral side of the lower-back and abdominal or core region), a golfer needs to ensure that they use select core muscles to start the backswing, versus using the hands and arms which is typical of a lot of amateur golfers.
Assuming the backswing is performed with the core muscles, as the upper body and shoulders turn to the right and as the pelvic and spine turn stops, the momentum of the arms and club continues their movement slightly to the golfer’s right. This movement stretches muscles of the 1) left shoulder, 2) left shoulder blade, and 3) one of the largest most powerful muscles in the back, the (left) “latissimus dorsi” muscle. (The lat muscle connects the left upper arm to the left side of the spine).
Like the muscles of the core, pelvis and upper thigh discussed previously, these shoulder, shoulder blade and back muscles will also stretch to the end of their length, at which point they will stop any further backswing movement of the arms and club to the right.
When the backswing movement is correct, most golfers will feel a stretch, load and sight tension in the left obliques, left lower-back muscles, left “lat” muscles and possibly in the left shoulder blade muscles. (The shoulder blade muscles run from the back of the left upper arm and connect to the left side of the left shoulder blade or scapula).
When the “connected” shoulders and arms stop, the backswing is complete. When performed correctly, many golfers will feel the coiled position of the body in various muscles, such as the thighs (quads and sometimes hamstrings); muscles around the hips and pelvis (glutes); and in various core, abdominal, back, shoulder and shoulder blade muscles.
Downswing
Pelvis Triggers Downswing
When the backswing is performed correctly, the previously mentioned muscles around the pelvis (which were stretched in the backswing) will work in the opposite direction, releasing their elastic energy to “trigger” the start of downswing by moving the pelvis to the golfer’s left.
Conceptually the left side of the pelvis moves first (often referred to as “clearing” the left hip). When a golfer clears the left hip, they move the left hip and left side of the pelvis approximately 45 degrees to the golfer’s left. As this occurs, simultaneously the right front side of the pelvis is moving to the golfer’s left, on an imaginary line parallel to the target line.
Pelvis Turns Shoulders
If all of the elastic stretch, length or “slack” was taken out of the core abdominal muscles in the backswing, then as the golfer moves the pelvis to the left (to trigger the downswing), the movement of the pelvis will pull on the core and abdominal muscles on top of the pelvis (which are attached to the rib cage). This action will turn the rib cage and since the rib cage is connected to the spine, turning the rib cage will turn the shoulders after the turn of the pelvis.
Shoulders Pull the Arms Thru
Assuming the pull muscles were stretched and loaded correctly in the backswing, the ”pulled” turn of the shoulders will pull the arms and club down through the ball.
This is where the shoulders being on-plane is so critical. If the shoulders turn on-plane, the arms are pulled down towards the ball, following an in-to-out club-head path to compress (irons only) the ball on a down and out path.
As the upper body and shoulders turn rapidly to the golfer’s left, (assuming the forearm and hands muscles are sufficiently relaxed), momentum builds in the club and like the end of a whip, the weight of the shaft and club-head move away from the body as the body continues to turn to the left.
This action (using relaxed forearms) rotates the club-head, squaring the club-head through impact and separation.
Follow-thru
As the shoulders continue their on-plane turn past impact and separation, the momentum of the arms, the club shaft and the heavier club-head moves the club-head away from the body, towards the target. This passive action of from the weight and momentum of the arms and club, pulls the arms in the direction of the target, extending the wrists and arms.
As the upper torso and shoulders continue to turn the golfer’s left, the muscles connecting the upper arm to the shoulders are stretched and ultimately reach the end of their length. As they reach their end-length, the continued turn of the upper body pulls these muscles and the connected arms (and club) back towards the body. In the ideal on-plane rotational golf swing, the arms and club will continue to follow the plane established by the on-plane shoulder turn.
Finish
After follow-thru, the active leg, glute, pelvic, core, lower-back and now the muscles of the right shoulder and shoulder blades, begin to sequentially reach the end of their length. This progression, starts from the legs and pelvic muscles, moving up through the core, lower-back, spine and upper body and finally ending with the right shoulder muscles. As this occurs, sequentially the pelvis stops moving, the spine, upper torso and shoulders stop turning and the momentum of both the body turn and club-head respectively, helps to move the body and arms up towards a “tall” finish position.
When the forearm and hand muscles are sufficiently relaxed, the on-plane shoulder turn will pull the arms and club through the follow-thru, back towards the golfer’s shoulders. Arm and club-head momentum will passively move the arms and club up towards the golfer’s left shoulder. As this occurs, the elbows bend and the continued momentum of the club moves on-plane back over the golfer’s left shoulder. With the exception of what’s commonly referred to as the re-coil, this is the end of a good rotational golf swing.
