Bingo!!! I paused this at the 6:07 mark....went and stood in front of a mirror with my training club and tried my swing turning my hip the way you said. Voila I could see my swing right on plane. I used to think I was turning my hip into my right leg when in fact I was just pivoting over my right leg. ( I am a right handed golfer).When I tried it that way it makes a huge difference in the plane of the swing. YOu are absolutely correct ....there are only 2 ways you can hit the ball ...come over the top ....or pop your front hip up and change your spine angle. I never had consistently good contact so now I have a better understanding of why. A huge epiphany moment!!!! Thanks sooo sooo much!! All the way from Canada ...can't wait to get back out on the course!!
Russell, believe it or not, this one video changed my golf life! Like many amateurs, I struggled coming over the top. I purchased aids, I videoed my swing and analyzed it, I tried to force drop my arms into the slot all the while distorting my body which resulted in sore ribs on my left side every gold season bla bla bla and then I came across this video. I was trying to keep my hips quiet and your video made me realize that by trying to hold my hips still, I was not turning my pelvis into my leg and this caused my over the top issue. It took a couple days on the range to get comfortable with this new initiation move from a muscle memory and timing perspective and once I did - pure magic. I am fairly strong and flexible but could not leverage any of this with my old swing and even when I got lucky and manipulated my club on plane, the inefficiency and forced movement robbed me of distance. This one move now lets me naturally whale away with effortless ease which gives me much more confidence that I know what to expect and can actually feel the club dropping on plane. I have the new Callaway Epic driver that worked ok when I got close to on plane, but now it does what it is capable of doing. I can now take a big turn and let it rip. At the range, I was landing 70-80% of my drives on the furthest green. When done, I took out my rangefinder and scoped the distance as 258 yards with no exaggeration. I am not using this post to brag about my drives but provide a sense of what I truly experienced after taking in your video and adjusting my swing accordingly. This was so satisfying and exponentially improved the amount of time I get that feeling of "golf joy" we experience when we hit good shots. A huuuuge thank you Russel!! This video - pure gold.
Thank You Russell!! This advice has changed my golf swing overnight. I have been playing for 15 years and learned to compensate for pivoting over the trail leg. Needless to say my timing had to be dead on. Visually I looked like a Pro, swing on plane with a pull, pull draw at my miss with a vertical or slightly past vertical club shaft. NOW having you describe the feeling of turning INTO the hip pocket instead of over the leg, I strike the ball perfectly, shaft still on plane with forward shaft lean. I’ve gained 5 yards on each club and most importantly, consistency!! Out of all the various instructors I’ve watched, you were the only one to discuss this. THANK YOU 🙏🏻
Hi Russell, I came across this video and others you have uploaded on hip movement and I just wanted to say thanks. The round I played before watching these videos I shot 97 off a 16 (up from 10 a good few years ago) handicap (a very very bad day). Since watching these videos I have shot 86, 83, 82. I played today and despite a treble on the first which has its own story, I walked off with a 6 over, 78, the first time I have ever broken 80 on a par 72. The only change I have consciously made is to do with concentrating on hip movement, especially making sure my hips stay back, as you have described in this and other uploads - the result being that my iron play has become so much more consistent. I am really kind of dumbfounded that not one single professional in all of the lessons I have taken has ever specifically highlighted to me the role of the hips in the golf swing and what I needed to change to achieve more consistency. I realise that such a dramatic improvement in scoring will seem implausible, but I have always felt that my game was greatly hampered by iron play inconsistency resulting in too many missed greens, and now it just feels like that all I need to do is check the distance, select the club, align and then hit the green and even if I miss I am generally on or close to the fringe. It is honestly kind of surreal for me to be watching the ball fly so regularly towards the green I am aiming for.
Russell am a 10 handicap who swings between mid single figures on a good day to 15/16 over on a bad day. Always been ok iron player and good putter and chipper but a good day vs a bad day all depended on how I got off the tee.....implemented the tip around being more intentional around rotating into the back leg rather than letting it go and everything lined up and shot 2 over. The over the top move disappeared completely and I could shape nice little 5-10 yard draws and fades almost on command......best tip ever! Forever grateful
You are spot on with your findings. It took me me 5 years to unlearn the sideward sway of my pelvis. I still sometimes rotate my upper body over the ball to compensate when I don't rotate my hip. This is the best golf video I have come across so far in terms of content.
Yes..I agree your the only teacher that is developing the swing on a step by step level....for example the swing shoukd start from the basic posture and how to swing keeping your posture....then the next level....other than that you can become an expert in the swing intellectually...if that is your goal that’s fine....but to incorporate it into your body us the real goal....understanding it’s a never ending process that must always go back to the basics...thanks
This is one of the best explanation of the pivot I've ever seen. This is coming from someone who started golf late and has only just realised that the pivot should've been something I focussed on first.
Just started to learn to play and of course as well as lessons I am seeking decent content on the beloved TH-cam...and hands down Russell is my favourite source of golf knowledge and advice. I love the way things are articulated and I don't get the impression he is trying to show how good he is...unlike some! Great stuff thanks for the super content.
This is great. My coach pounded this into my head when things went haywire after a tournament last year, topping the ball, getting "handsy" to save shots. He had me put my right hand on my right knee and my left hand just above my left knee and simply slide my right hand up my leg while sliding the left hand down. You can't help but pivot correctly. It felt like a reverse weight shift at first but it was actually creating pressure under the right foot to push off of..
Great info. This really addresses a swing fault I've been fighting for a long time. I have always struggled with clearing my hips on a consistent basis. Learning how to correctly make this move is a game changer.
I’ve been trying to get the left hip back more at the start of the transition which has greatly helped ball striking and got me a club up but I still have bouts of inconsistent face contact and pulls. This piece of advice is what I was missing. I rotate more around the trail leg on the way back and you summed up exactly what’s going on. The left hip turning into the right makes it a piece of cake to get the left hip back coming down. Great contact and straight shots. Thanks man great video👍
After a lot of time spent watching your videos.......it's become clear that you are spot on with your assessments, especially the hips role in the swing, and I have become a subscriber. Your efforts are greatly appreciated!
This guy is the best golf coach on TH-cam. The concise instruction and fundamental breakdown of the golf swing into digestible pieces that can be EFFECTIVELY worked on and altered, combined with the voice of the Geico gecko, is just awesome! :-D
I have been playing golf for 40+ years I honestly have never moved my hips like Russell explains. I stumbled upon this video youTube and I have discovered a gem! I was a hip tilter/swayer and I have just been out and hit a few balls. What an awesome difference this correct hip move has made it is unbelievable how consistently I hit the balls earlier. This is an incredible revelation and I cant understand why, over 40 years of playing and having recieved dozens of lessons from many different Pro's none of them have ever even mentioned how to move your hips correctly. Thanks a million!
Thank you Russell. Been playing for a while, decent ball striker,, but have always struggled with this. Thing is I didn't know it until I watched this, went to the range and hit some balls with this thought. Without a doubt the single most influential help I've ever received for my iron play. Great video!!
Russ. You are absolutely great at explaining the hip rotation. No one has ever explained this fundamental other then you. It has allow me to be more confident in my swing thus my game. Thank you!
What a great breakdown of the hip movement. - I have always thought that if you mentally know how the correct movement is supposed to be done then you have a great map of what is the correct swing. Glad I found you on TH-cam. Thank you.
I love how you don’t try to overload with information. Not a video on how to fix your tee shot but to try and explain what our minds are doing as we mis-hit the ball. This is essential in that you cannot really fix your shot until you can understand why. Thanks for this.
I love in his videos the first 9 minutes you think he is about to hit the ball, but doesn't. Then he finally does at the end. Other funny thing is how those times he does hit it at the end to demonstrate what happens when you do it wrong, that even then his ball flight, while off target, is still way better than the hits I get when I do the same mistakes. :D I really wish I could do this on the course. Thanks for the great information and videos.
Russell has built my swing. Through youtube. Ive gone away from it and tried other things, but keep coming back to this and i hit it better than ever 👍
I’ve only recently come across your videos. Extremely impressive. I watch a lot of videos and feel as though the “instructor” is kind of making it up as he/she goes along and tends to say things that just sound good but don’t have much substance. You’ve clearly put a tremendous amount of thought into your explanations which are very clear. I’d like to talk you into doing a teaching tour of the US. Maybe a week at a time in different US locations. I’d sign up!!!
Understanding what you are saying...will try to see if it helps...more often than not I top it or hit fat. Score yesterday was 118...which is my about my average.
Russell, the fact/observation that one can't separate one's hips properly if most of their weight isn't over the right leg (and flexed) makes so much sense. Thanks for pointing that out. I've already noticed that my normal turn (just as you said), while shifting weight well to the right, tends to avoid really loading that right leg. A lazy move with a natural consequence of coming over the top. The problem being that visually there's almost no difference between the two. Thanks!
Great video Russell thank you, also adjust your shutter speed mate on your video camera the flickering light is caused by the power freqeuncy being 50hz in the UK (Nothing worse than flourescent lights for causing this). Check your camera settings are correct if you are shooting at 25fps make sure your shutter speed is double so 1/50 of a second, if you are shooting at 50fps your shutter speed should be 1/100 of a second :)
Great piece. This is the key to the golf swing so many instructors have failed to focus on as it means a deconstruction of your swing (aka not a quick fix). Get it wrong and you are just trying to hit the ball any way you can ... and differently every time. I've been working on this for a year ...
Great explanation about keeping the trail hip back. I've been doing it wrong for half my life. I think the expression "clearing the hips" and misunderstanding what it means is possibly the problem.
Very helpful. It also suggests why I often flip my hands (my #1 fault) to compensate and keep the ball on target, to the detriment of contact and distance.
I found that when I start my backswing with a little left side bend I stay centered! I can then separate and rotate so much better! Thanks always- never miss a video🏌🏼♂️⛳️💸💸💸🥃
I haven't even attempted to implement the items yet but already i know that this channel will greatly assist me. I'm a second year player, 30 yrs old, so a late starter. Well done in breaking things down in an easy to understand manner
Damn dude, I spent 300 dollars on lessons and got slightly better and I watched a few of your uploads for free and learned a lot more and my game has alleviated from it. Thanks man can't wait for more uploads!
That was actually a very informative video - having had a few lessons and the pro identified issues but did not put these into the context as you have explained. I have been an habitual 'over the top' swinger that becomes exaggerated in competition when trying that little bit harder to get better length, hopefully this advice can be put into practice and get a more consistent swing. Thanks
John Holmes look out for "ignition golf" as complimentary to this. They both talk a lot of sense i.e take the thought of hitting with your arms out of it and start with your hip rotation and the arms will follow!
Good advice and totally get it, but I’m 58 and played cricket all my life as a fast bowler and batter, so hip movement isn’t so easy these days, any advice and or help or any drills would be appreciated..
Think I saw this on your channel a while ago but the best drill for getting the feel of correct rotation and weight distribution was the drill where you take your normal stance, then point you toes in toward where the ball would be. Then make the rotation, for me at least this gives a great feeling of how your weight should be distributed. I find it difficult to get it wrong when my toes are pointed inwards.
"Turn pelvis in towards the leg (right)" - That's the one everyone! Mostly forget about those steering hands and the top half driving the start (just connect it to the movement). Great vid!
Thanks for the video, this tip greatly improved my consistency. Never realized how much I was actually sliding in my backswing which obviously was resulting in a lot of early extension.
right time for this video, i tweaked my left knee one cold day, lost the ability to flex and since than I guess I've been doing all the wrong movements to compensate. my solid ball striking I thought was coming from that slight giving in of the left knee on the back swing almost like setting a spring, but I guess it was just as much allowing for my hip and pelvis to rotate. I will go back and start working on figuring out how to get that knee back involved otherwise my swing is really non existent.
Hi Russell, firstly thank you for another great video. I think you have really summed up the issue most of have with the swing (including myself). What really hit home is how I can play a round and when I hit a bad shot blame a different fault every time. Was it my grip? Did I come over the top? Did I get stuck behind? and so on. As you suggest though it all stems from the same fault which is lack of, or improper, rotation in the back swing. Can I ask if there are any decent drills to work on this? I would happily come and see you for a lesson but unfortunately you are around 3 hours away. Thanks again.
So the hardest thing to do is get the feeling that the lower body turns first so your hands can come down in the slot and you create more room to get back to the inside of the ball. I’ve had the hardest time feeling the difference between over the top and coming inside because of the slight differences you were talking about.
I'm getting a general understanding but I struggle with my rotation. This video has made it more visual to me. I will definitely hit the range. I can start even par or 1 either way and always start slipping halfway through the round. It's very frustrating to shoot an 83 which is below my handicap but know I could have done better. Keep the tips coming please.
What a clear and easy explanation. Thanks Russel this is exactly what I've been working on. I kept trying to create tension but the hip makes so much sense. 👍👍
Interesting and worthwhile. I'm wondering what you think of what guys like Leadbetter and Haney (among others) say re the movement of weight toward the right heel (for a RH player) and into the "rear axis" on the backswing, but with the insistence that 1) the knee stays flexed and resilient; 2) it's not a big move -- it's more a bump than a heave or a slide, so that the "turning weight transfer" involves moving more or less to the inside half of the rear leg (essentially below the hip socket); and 3) it's followed by a bump of weight and/or pressure from somewhere around the right heel (or, to be painfully accurate, possibly the arch side of the heel -- that is, not at the very back end of the foot) diagonally toward the ball of the left foot (again, not a big move, to the inside of that foot, not the outside edge), then moving in a tight curve back toward the left heel, and moving to the edge only after impact and release. This is much easier to see in a diagram or graphic-enhanced vid than to describe in words. That's all terribly specific, of course, but it needs to be, since -- as I think you're essentially saying here -- there's a big difference between just a couple of inches this way or that. I guess the shorter version of what I'm asking is whether you've read what those guys say about turning and moving through the backswing, transition, and downswing, because it seems very compatible; or whether you see significant differences between what they've said and what you're saying.
That’s difficult to answer to be honest. I feel like the answer is yes but maybe I’ve covered it in more detail that most have come across. I’ve got plenty of videos on hip action for people to judge for themselves
@@russellheritagegolf Appreciate the answer. I actually understand the need to keep your own stuff as touchstone, and not to react to other people's formulations and way of communicating something. It's pretty easy to get on that road, and before you know it somebody chimes in with "no, you're getting it wrong, they said something slightly different," or "who the hell are you compared to them," and before you know it you're off your own track and outside the stuff you're trying to teach -- more of a reviewer of other people's stuff than an advancer of your own. So I get your reluctance here. Your stuff is really smart, btw. I'm still getting through all of it, but it's just....smart.
Russell you get to the meat of the matter very well. Why haven't any other teaching pros that I've been to broken it down like this. While I haven't had the time to implement these movements into my game consistently yet (it takes time and dedication to develop the muscle memory) I know that by the end of the summer my ball striking will be that of a single digit handicapper. The videos on the hip movement alone is priceless. The inability to separate the hips from the upper torso as being a function of initial hip turn has been a revelation and should be the first thing a novice golfer be taught. It would save a lot of heartache and frustration. Thank you Russell
Really great video content. I like the color and contrast of the late evening videos too...draws the eye in. If you can get rid of the light flickering effect, I think you'd get more views.
This is my biggest problem! I cannot seem to get the hip involvement correct. As a result I either push the ball or I do not get any distance on the ball. Thanks for the video
Russell, why shouldn't we get the hip rotation of the over the top swings and the arms down movement of the hip extension swings and mix them? Shouldn't that get the correct arms and hip movement?
Every unschooled golfer I’ve ever met, many of them ‘militantly’ unschooled insisting can figure it out for themselves, swing how they think the golf swing works from watching the pros on TV but not understanding what the pros are doing doing or way. I was in that category in the beginning not understanding the cause and effect underlying the Vardon grip and how to properly execute it to create inward the counter-rotation of the forearms which automatically guides the clubhead to the ideal position relative to hands and center of balance over the feet 45° into the rotation. My golf swing epiphany occurred at a TJMaxx store book bin thumbing through a book of golf quips by 1920s - 1950s golfers in which I read a Jimmy Demaret quote that, “The golf swing isn’t difficult to master once one learns to keep the club head outside the hands in the takeaway then stay in balance.” At that point I had read dozens of golf instruction books and never heard the “outside the hands” thing or why it was important, so I tried it and realized I had been pronating and swinging the club inside and around my body instead and that is what caused all the compensations during the rest of the swing. When I followed Demaret’s advice I felt the club force pull both arms backwards so much I fell off balance backwards until my subconscious brain figured out how to brace my back leg and adjust body mass to counter it. At the point I had another epiphany-I realized the reason I started pronating and swinging too far inside (besides ignorance) was because it was my subconscious brain’s solution to keep from falling on my ass when swinging a golf club and when that caused the club to wind up too low and laid off the subconscious brain used everything heretofore in the first 30+ years of my life (I started playing at 31) to maintain balance and use hand-eye coordination to “steer” the face back square from the outside-in path getting pulled off balance on my toes put the club head on. I realizes that Demaret’s advice about the “outside the hands in takeaway” automatically extended the club forcefully enough to make the wrist cock up because I had learned to brace and keep it from pulling me backwards instead. The laws of physics compelled the club to swing up because it could not swing back and the wrist is a very efficient hinge which can be calibrated to function quite predictably when the Vardon or Interlocking grip is applied correctly to cause the forearms to counter-rotate against each other as the club is lowered to address. The club swung up as if pulled skyward by a ballon directly over my center of balance over my feet! As I swung it down my trail elbow tucked into my side like Hogan and made contact with the center of the ball and hit it dead straight. I tried it again and damn, it worked the same way! The test the theory of whether just correcting that first move, the takeaway extension outside the hands, would cure a bad swing I convinced a few of my friends to try it showing them how to grip properly and where the club should be. To improve their balance I had them extend and hold then pulled on their club with about 2x the force I feel when swinging I properly. After 2-3 times their subconscious and conscious brain working together figured out how to change their relaxed “static” address posture into a “dymamic” athletic one which was prepared to react and counter the pull backwards. The result were the same as what I experienced, a much better but not perfect swing with pull and pull-hook missed to the left not pull-slices to the right due to loss of balance.
Great video Russell ~ Must admit that as an ex flipper the correct hip moves are essential to avoid injury and sore backs and stop flipping ~ great video as per usual 👍
Another brilliant video Russell have learnt so much from your video's especially about the hip movement no one that I have had lessons with has even mentioned it finding big improvement in my game kept up the good work
Hi Russell. I came to golf late (now a senior), and have been following your videos for several months. I have improved steadily, and now hit a consistent draw with my irons (in to out swing, face open but closed to the path at impact). I have no power however, (9 iron 95-100 carry) but this is not due to physical limitations, but I think rather an inability to hit down on my irons and/or close the face. I am nearly always level, or very slightly up at impact (as measured by GC2 HMT at my local simulator). Since I learned to separate the hips, thanks to your videos, I have gained around 8 yards with my irons (was under 90 before!) and am more consistent, but I assume I am leaving more out there due to the lack of shaft lean. Can you do a video on why that might be happening (even when I rotate and separate the hips) and how to remedy it?
Great video...not nearly enough has been publicized/discussed concerning the importance of the proper way to rotate the pressure onto right side...into right hip and not OVER the right leg. It appears you are basically stating that the ability to consistently strike quality golf shots is drastically reduced from the outset of the backswing without the proper load pressure into the right hip in the backswing. Please don’t stop videos...they are amazingly helpful
Super, comprehensive - thank you! I have been so frustrated that I am tempted to try Moe Normans swing where the hips dont move at all. What are your thoughts about his swing please?
This guy is good at diagnosing the problem. It is exactly how he says. The cause is that the average golfer missunderstands the counterweight of the swing and will pivot in relation to that. The incorrect pivot it a reaction to a misguided task you are setting your brain. You really need to sort that before you can 100% make it work. I suppose it can be taught another way but you at least have to delete what you previously thought was appropriate.
From my perspective the missing link to understanding the very excellent point your are making is understanding the hip turn. When is it done and when is it not done even if you think it is done. The key is the bellt buckle that is a tell tale sign of a good hip movement. Moving the belt buckle to over the rear foot is a good way to stay centered if you cpontrol the upper boody while doing so. That leads to a proper turn and presuure /load.
@@chassy Turning your belt buckle means turning your hips/rotating your hips (clockwise for right hand golfers)whilst keeping your shoulders still (turning lower body while lkeeping upper body still) so that thebelt buckle points down to the rear foot as you rotate your hips.
Hi Russel, I’ve been trying to mirror your pelvic move into your back leg while maintaining a mutual spine but still feel like my shoulders want to fire when I try to start the hip separation move you talk about. Right now, if I were to describe how it feels I’d say it feels like Im turning with my core/ abs and not necessarily feeling my knee come in when I start the pelvic move back. I guess what I’m trying to get at is, when you make your turn, which parts of your body do you feel are engaged in the turn (I.e core, tension in right leg, left knee). Sorry for the long question!
One thing I didn't pick up from this, should the emphasis be put on moving the hands/arm first on the down swing or should one swing through the hips first?
Bingo!!! I paused this at the 6:07 mark....went and stood in front of a mirror with my training club and tried my swing turning my hip the way you said. Voila I could see my swing right on plane. I used to think I was turning my hip into my right leg when in fact I was just pivoting over my right leg. ( I am a right handed golfer).When I tried it that way it makes a huge difference in the plane of the swing. YOu are absolutely correct ....there are only 2 ways you can hit the ball ...come over the top ....or pop your front hip up and change your spine angle. I never had consistently good contact so now I have a better understanding of why. A huge epiphany moment!!!! Thanks sooo sooo much!! All the way from Canada ...can't wait to get back out on the course!!
Russell, believe it or not, this one video changed my golf life! Like many amateurs, I struggled coming over the top. I purchased aids, I videoed my swing and analyzed it, I tried to force drop my arms into the slot all the while distorting my body which resulted in sore ribs on my left side every gold season bla bla bla and then I came across this video.
I was trying to keep my hips quiet and your video made me realize that by trying to hold my hips still, I was not turning my pelvis into my leg and this caused my over the top issue.
It took a couple days on the range to get comfortable with this new initiation move from a muscle memory and timing perspective and once I did - pure magic.
I am fairly strong and flexible but could not leverage any of this with my old swing and even when I got lucky and manipulated my club on plane, the inefficiency and forced movement robbed me of distance. This one move now lets me naturally whale away with effortless ease which gives me much more confidence that I know what to expect and can actually feel the club dropping on plane. I have the new Callaway Epic driver that worked ok when I got close to on plane, but now it does what it is capable of doing. I can now take a big turn and let it rip. At the range, I was landing 70-80% of my drives on the furthest green. When done, I took out my rangefinder and scoped the distance as 258 yards with no exaggeration. I am not using this post to brag about my drives but provide a sense of what I truly experienced after taking in your video and adjusting my swing accordingly.
This was so satisfying and exponentially improved the amount of time I get that feeling of "golf joy" we experience when we hit good shots. A huuuuge thank you Russel!! This video - pure gold.
Thank You Russell!! This advice has changed my golf swing overnight. I have been playing for 15 years and learned to compensate for pivoting over the trail leg. Needless to say my timing had to be dead on. Visually I looked like a Pro, swing on plane with a pull, pull draw at my miss with a vertical or slightly past vertical club shaft. NOW having you describe the feeling of turning INTO the hip pocket instead of over the leg, I strike the ball perfectly, shaft still on plane with forward shaft lean. I’ve gained 5 yards on each club and most importantly, consistency!! Out of all the various instructors I’ve watched, you were the only one to discuss this. THANK YOU 🙏🏻
Hi Russell, I came across this video and others you have uploaded on hip movement and I just wanted to say thanks.
The round I played before watching these videos I shot 97 off a 16 (up from 10 a good few years ago) handicap (a very very bad day). Since watching these videos I have shot 86, 83, 82. I played today and despite a treble on the first which has its own story, I walked off with a 6 over, 78, the first time I have ever broken 80 on a par 72. The only change I have consciously made is to do with concentrating on hip movement, especially making sure my hips stay back, as you have described in this and other uploads - the result being that my iron play has become so much more consistent. I am really kind of dumbfounded that not one single professional in all of the lessons I have taken has ever specifically highlighted to me the role of the hips in the golf swing and what I needed to change to achieve more consistency. I realise that such a dramatic improvement in scoring will seem implausible, but I have always felt that my game was greatly hampered by iron play inconsistency resulting in too many missed greens, and now it just feels like that all I need to do is check the distance, select the club, align and then hit the green and even if I miss I am generally on or close to the fringe. It is honestly kind of surreal for me to be watching the ball fly so regularly towards the green I am aiming for.
Russell am a 10 handicap who swings between mid single figures on a good day to 15/16 over on a bad day. Always been ok iron player and good putter and chipper but a good day vs a bad day all depended on how I got off the tee.....implemented the tip around being more intentional around rotating into the back leg rather than letting it go and everything lined up and shot 2 over. The over the top move disappeared completely and I could shape nice little 5-10 yard draws and fades almost on command......best tip ever! Forever grateful
You are spot on with your findings. It took me me 5 years to unlearn the sideward sway of my pelvis. I still sometimes rotate my upper body over the ball to compensate when I don't rotate my hip.
This is the best golf video I have come across so far in terms of content.
Russell, thank you so much especially with the teaching on keeping the pelvis downward facing and turning it into the back leg!
Yes..I agree your the only teacher that is developing the swing on a step by step level....for example the swing shoukd start from the basic posture and how to swing keeping your posture....then the next level....other than that you can become an expert in the swing intellectually...if that is your goal that’s fine....but to incorporate it into your body us the real goal....understanding it’s a never ending process that must always go back to the basics...thanks
This is one of the best explanation of the pivot I've ever seen. This is coming from someone who started golf late and has only just realised that the pivot should've been something I focussed on first.
Just started to learn to play and of course as well as lessons I am seeking decent content on the beloved TH-cam...and hands down Russell is my favourite source of golf knowledge and advice. I love the way things are articulated and I don't get the impression he is trying to show how good he is...unlike some! Great stuff thanks for the super content.
This is great. My coach pounded this into my head when things went haywire after a tournament last year, topping the ball, getting "handsy" to save shots. He had me put my right hand on my right knee and my left hand just above my left knee and simply slide my right hand up my leg while sliding the left hand down. You can't help but pivot correctly. It felt like a reverse weight shift at first but it was actually creating pressure under the right foot to push off of..
Leadbetter has a teaching video doing same!
Great info. This really addresses a swing fault I've been fighting for a long time. I have always struggled with clearing my hips on a consistent basis. Learning how to correctly make this move is a game changer.
I’ve been trying to get the left hip back more at the start of the transition which has greatly helped ball striking and got me a club up but I still have bouts of inconsistent face contact and pulls. This piece of advice is what I was missing. I rotate more around the trail leg on the way back and you summed up exactly what’s going on. The left hip turning into the right makes it a piece of cake to get the left hip back coming down. Great contact and straight shots. Thanks man great video👍
After a lot of time spent watching your videos.......it's become clear that you are spot on with your assessments, especially the hips role in the swing, and I have become a subscriber. Your efforts are greatly appreciated!
You have really helped my swing with your videos. I have seen great improvement with my ball striking . Thank you Russell.
This guy is the best golf coach on TH-cam. The concise instruction and fundamental breakdown of the golf swing into digestible pieces that can be EFFECTIVELY worked on and altered, combined with the voice of the Geico gecko, is just awesome! :-D
Ha! Gecko
Better than finch and me and my golf out fit.
I have been playing golf for 40+ years I honestly have never moved my hips like Russell explains. I stumbled upon this video youTube and I have discovered a gem! I was a hip tilter/swayer and I have just been out and hit a few balls. What an awesome difference this correct hip move has made it is unbelievable how consistently I hit the balls earlier. This is an incredible revelation and I cant understand why, over 40 years of playing and having recieved dozens of lessons from many different Pro's none of them have ever even mentioned how to move your hips correctly. Thanks a million!
Thank you Russell. Been playing for a while, decent ball striker,, but have always struggled with this. Thing is I didn't know it until I watched this, went to the range and hit some balls with this thought. Without a doubt the single most influential help I've ever received for my iron play. Great video!!
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Great explanation...never heard it explained that well 👍
Excellent analysis easy to follow, will try this Tuesday at the range keep central through rotation don't sway.. Great lesson
Russ. You are absolutely great at explaining the hip rotation. No one has ever explained this fundamental other then you. It has allow me to be more confident in my swing thus my game. Thank you!
What a great breakdown of the hip movement. - I have always thought that if you mentally know how the correct movement is supposed to be done then you have a great map of what is the correct swing. Glad I found you on TH-cam. Thank you.
I love how you don’t try to overload with information. Not a video on how to fix your tee shot but to try and explain what our minds are doing as we mis-hit the ball. This is essential in that you cannot really fix your shot until you can understand why. Thanks for this.
I love in his videos the first 9 minutes you think he is about to hit the ball, but doesn't. Then he finally does at the end. Other funny thing is how those times he does hit it at the end to demonstrate what happens when you do it wrong, that even then his ball flight, while off target, is still way better than the hits I get when I do the same mistakes. :D I really wish I could do this on the course. Thanks for the great information and videos.
Always engaging and informative - thanks!
Thanks Colin
Russell has built my swing. Through youtube. Ive gone away from it and tried other things, but keep coming back to this and i hit it better than ever 👍
Found your videos at the right time. Excellent content!
I’ve only recently come across your videos. Extremely impressive. I watch a lot of videos and feel as though the “instructor” is kind of making it up as he/she goes along and tends to say things that just sound good but don’t have much substance. You’ve clearly put a tremendous amount of thought into your explanations which are very clear. I’d like to talk you into doing a teaching tour of the US. Maybe a week at a time in different US locations. I’d sign up!!!
Understanding what you are saying...will try to see if it helps...more often than not I top it or hit fat. Score yesterday was 118...which is my about my average.
Brilliant video Russel, great number of thought processes to process in my own game.
Man, I’ve been golfing for 11 years and this is the first person to explain it so I can understand. What a game. What a lesson.
Russell, the fact/observation that one can't separate one's hips properly if most of their weight isn't over the right leg (and flexed) makes so much sense. Thanks for pointing that out. I've already noticed that my normal turn (just as you said), while shifting weight well to the right, tends to avoid really loading that right leg. A lazy move with a natural consequence of coming over the top. The problem being that visually there's almost no difference between the two. Thanks!
I can't wait to get started working on these movements to improve my game. Thanks for the tips.
Great video Russell thank you, also adjust your shutter speed mate on your video camera the flickering light is caused by the power freqeuncy being 50hz in the UK (Nothing worse than flourescent lights for causing this). Check your camera settings are correct if you are shooting at 25fps make sure your shutter speed is double so 1/50 of a second, if you are shooting at 50fps your shutter speed should be 1/100 of a second :)
Well done! Finally I understood the correct way to turn my hips
Great piece. This is the key to the golf swing so many instructors have failed to focus on as it means a deconstruction of your swing (aka not a quick fix). Get it wrong and you are just trying to hit the ball any way you can ... and differently every time. I've been working on this for a year ...
Wow !! You have just given me a massive light 💡 bulb 💡 moment in understanding what I’m doing wrong I get it now !! Thankyou 😃👍
Great explanation about keeping the trail hip back. I've been doing it wrong for half my life. I think the expression "clearing the hips" and misunderstanding what it means is possibly the problem.
Very helpful. It also suggests why I often flip my hands (my #1 fault) to compensate and keep the ball on target, to the detriment of contact and distance.
Thank you, thank you thank you... I can definitely see the light now... 👍
I found that when I start my backswing with a little left side bend I stay centered! I can then separate and rotate so much better! Thanks always- never miss a video🏌🏼♂️⛳️💸💸💸🥃
Great to hear many thanks
Best golf instructor on TH-cam
I haven't even attempted to implement the items yet but already i know that this channel will greatly assist me. I'm a second year player, 30 yrs old, so a late starter.
Well done in breaking things down in an easy to understand manner
Great videos, thanks Russell
Spot on. Honestly, best free content on the tube
Damn dude, I spent 300 dollars on lessons and got slightly better and I watched a few of your uploads for free and learned a lot more and my game has alleviated from it. Thanks man can't wait for more uploads!
Really good lesson - been turning over my leg for years. Lots to work on but happy for the challenge!
Great message .... I wish I could go get a few lessons from Russell
That was actually a very informative video - having had a few lessons and the pro identified issues but did not put these into the context as you have explained. I have been an habitual 'over the top' swinger that becomes exaggerated in competition when trying that little bit harder to get better length, hopefully this advice can be put into practice and get a more consistent swing. Thanks
John Holmes look out for "ignition golf" as complimentary to this. They both talk a lot of sense i.e take the thought of hitting with your arms out of it and start with your hip rotation and the arms will follow!
Good advice and totally get it, but I’m 58 and played cricket all my life as a fast bowler and batter, so hip movement isn’t so easy these days, any advice and or help or any drills would be appreciated..
I think its a case of using your arms more to marry up your swing
Wow, I'm new to golf and have a problem with inconsistent contact and slicing...you name it but this has never been explained to me! Thanks Russ!
Think I saw this on your channel a while ago but the best drill for getting the feel of correct rotation and weight distribution was the drill where you take your normal stance, then point you toes in toward where the ball would be. Then make the rotation, for me at least this gives a great feeling of how your weight should be distributed. I find it difficult to get it wrong when my toes are pointed inwards.
great vid, working hard on this and the result are starting to show with the irons. always hit them well but know getting less curvature
"Turn pelvis in towards the leg (right)" - That's the one everyone! Mostly forget about those steering hands and the top half driving the start (just connect it to the movement). Great vid!
Now my bad posture is classified. I am now starting to understand where all the bad shots came from. Thanks 👍
Thanks for the video, this tip greatly improved my consistency. Never realized how much I was actually sliding in my backswing which obviously was resulting in a lot of early extension.
Clear explanation of what i needed to hear. Well done boet.
right time for this video, i tweaked my left knee one cold day, lost the ability to flex and since than I guess I've been doing all the wrong movements to compensate. my solid ball striking I thought was coming from that slight giving in of the left knee on the back swing almost like setting a spring, but I guess it was just as much allowing for my hip and pelvis to rotate. I will go back and start working on figuring out how to get that knee back involved otherwise my swing is really non existent.
Best video ever, thanks
best video yet Russell, I think I've finally got what internal hip rotation is in the golf swing. Thank you.
Hi Russell, firstly thank you for another great video. I think you have really summed up the issue most of have with the swing (including myself). What really hit home is how I can play a round and when I hit a bad shot blame a different fault every time. Was it my grip? Did I come over the top? Did I get stuck behind? and so on. As you suggest though it all stems from the same fault which is lack of, or improper, rotation in the back swing. Can I ask if there are any decent drills to work on this? I would happily come and see you for a lesson but unfortunately you are around 3 hours away. Thanks again.
Thanks for your comment, recent videos like the wedge drill on the channel should help
So the hardest thing to do is get the feeling that the lower body turns first so your hands can come down in the slot and you create more room to get back to the inside of the ball. I’ve had the hardest time feeling the difference between over the top and coming inside because of the slight differences you were talking about.
I'm getting a general understanding but I struggle with my rotation. This video has made it more visual to me. I will definitely hit the range. I can start even par or 1 either way and always start slipping halfway through the round. It's very frustrating to shoot an 83 which is below my handicap but know I could have done better. Keep the tips coming please.
What a clear and easy explanation. Thanks Russel this is exactly what I've been working on. I kept trying to create tension but the hip makes so much sense. 👍👍
Interesting and worthwhile. I'm wondering what you think of what guys like Leadbetter and Haney (among others) say re the movement of weight toward the right heel (for a RH player) and into the "rear axis" on the backswing, but with the insistence that 1) the knee stays flexed and resilient; 2) it's not a big move -- it's more a bump than a heave or a slide, so that the "turning weight transfer" involves moving more or less to the inside half of the rear leg (essentially below the hip socket); and 3) it's followed by a bump of weight and/or pressure from somewhere around the right heel (or, to be painfully accurate, possibly the arch side of the heel -- that is, not at the very back end of the foot) diagonally toward the ball of the left foot (again, not a big move, to the inside of that foot, not the outside edge), then moving in a tight curve back toward the left heel, and moving to the edge only after impact and release.
This is much easier to see in a diagram or graphic-enhanced vid than to describe in words.
That's all terribly specific, of course, but it needs to be, since -- as I think you're essentially saying here -- there's a big difference between just a couple of inches this way or that.
I guess the shorter version of what I'm asking is whether you've read what those guys say about turning and moving through the backswing, transition, and downswing, because it seems very compatible; or whether you see significant differences between what they've said and what you're saying.
That’s difficult to answer to be honest. I feel like the answer is yes but maybe I’ve covered it in more detail that most have come across. I’ve got plenty of videos on hip action for people to judge for themselves
@@russellheritagegolf Appreciate the answer. I actually understand the need to keep your own stuff as touchstone, and not to react to other people's formulations and way of communicating something. It's pretty easy to get on that road, and before you know it somebody chimes in with "no, you're getting it wrong, they said something slightly different," or "who the hell are you compared to them," and before you know it you're off your own track and outside the stuff you're trying to teach -- more of a reviewer of other people's stuff than an advancer of your own. So I get your reluctance here.
Your stuff is really smart, btw. I'm still getting through all of it, but it's just....smart.
Russell you get to the meat of the matter very well. Why haven't any other teaching pros that I've been to broken it down like this. While I haven't had the time to implement these movements into my game consistently yet (it takes time and dedication to develop the muscle memory) I know that by the end of the summer my ball striking will be that of a single digit handicapper. The videos on the hip movement alone is priceless. The inability to separate the hips from the upper torso as being a function of initial hip turn has been a revelation and should be the first thing a novice golfer be taught. It would save a lot of heartache and frustration.
Thank you Russell
Really great video content. I like the color and contrast of the late evening videos too...draws the eye in. If you can get rid of the light flickering effect, I think you'd get more views.
Yeah old video! Many mistakes
This is my biggest problem! I cannot seem to get the hip involvement correct. As a result I either push the ball or I do not get any distance on the ball. Thanks for the video
Russell, why shouldn't we get the hip rotation of the over the top swings and the arms down movement of the hip extension swings and mix them? Shouldn't that get the correct arms and hip movement?
You’ve got options I feel maybe more recent videos explain better than this older video in truth.
Love your break down of how the swing should feel...it was worth watching & having an epileptic seizure from that flickering overhead light 😂
Understanding very good understanding thankyou
Love discovering new, quality, golf channels (there's so much crap out there). Great articulation of swing mechanics by Russel.
Nice job Russell
Every unschooled golfer I’ve ever met, many of them ‘militantly’ unschooled insisting can figure it out for themselves, swing how they think the golf swing works from watching the pros on TV but not understanding what the pros are doing doing or way.
I was in that category in the beginning not understanding the cause and effect underlying the Vardon grip and how to properly execute it to create inward the counter-rotation of the forearms which automatically guides the clubhead to the ideal position relative to hands and center of balance over the feet 45° into the rotation. My golf swing epiphany occurred at a TJMaxx store book bin thumbing through a book of golf quips by 1920s - 1950s golfers in which I read a Jimmy Demaret quote that, “The golf swing isn’t difficult to master once one learns to keep the club head outside the hands in the takeaway then stay in balance.”
At that point I had read dozens of golf instruction books and never heard the “outside the hands” thing or why it was important, so I tried it and realized I had been pronating and swinging the club inside and around my body instead and that is what caused all the compensations during the rest of the swing. When I followed Demaret’s advice I felt the club force pull both arms backwards so much I fell off balance backwards until my subconscious brain figured out how to brace my back leg and adjust body mass to counter it.
At the point I had another epiphany-I realized the reason I started pronating and swinging too far inside (besides ignorance) was because it was my subconscious brain’s solution to keep from falling on my ass when swinging a golf club and when that caused the club to wind up too low and laid off the subconscious brain used everything heretofore in the first 30+ years of my life (I started playing at 31) to maintain balance and use hand-eye coordination to “steer” the face back square from the outside-in path getting pulled off balance on my toes put the club head on.
I realizes that Demaret’s advice about the “outside the hands in takeaway” automatically extended the club forcefully enough to make the wrist cock up because I had learned to brace and keep it from pulling me backwards instead. The laws of physics compelled the club to swing up because it could not swing back and the wrist is a very efficient hinge which can be calibrated to function quite predictably when the Vardon or Interlocking grip is applied correctly to cause the forearms to counter-rotate against each other as the club is lowered to address. The club swung up as if pulled skyward by a ballon directly over my center of balance over my feet! As I swung it down my trail elbow tucked into my side like Hogan and made contact with the center of the ball and hit it dead straight. I tried it again and damn, it worked the same way!
The test the theory of whether just correcting that first move, the takeaway extension outside the hands, would cure a bad swing I convinced a few of my friends to try it showing them how to grip properly and where the club should be. To improve their balance I had them extend and hold then pulled on their club with about 2x the force I feel when swinging I properly. After 2-3 times their subconscious and conscious brain working together figured out how to change their relaxed “static” address posture into a “dymamic” athletic one which was prepared to react and counter the pull backwards. The result were the same as what I experienced, a much better but not perfect swing with pull and pull-hook missed to the left not pull-slices to the right due to loss of balance.
Great video Russell ~ Must admit that as an ex flipper the correct hip moves are essential to avoid injury and sore backs and stop flipping ~ great video as per usual 👍
great easy to understand video
That is me, too. Great video, thanks for posting.
Thanks Russell, very helpful as I make both of those errors with the hips.
By far the best explanation & lesson on how to pivot in the backswing 👍🏼⛳
Hi Russel. Good video. Just a question. What happened to the spine angle tilt? No need for that anymore?
At address?
Another brilliant video Russell have learnt so much from your video's especially about the hip movement no one that I have had lessons with has even mentioned it finding big improvement in my game kept up the good work
Hi Russell. I came to golf late (now a senior), and have been following your videos for several months. I have improved steadily, and now hit a consistent draw with my irons (in to out swing, face open but closed to the path at impact). I have no power however, (9 iron 95-100 carry) but this is not due to physical limitations, but I think rather an inability to hit down on my irons and/or close the face. I am nearly always level, or very slightly up at impact (as measured by GC2 HMT at my local simulator). Since I learned to separate the hips, thanks to your videos, I have gained around 8 yards with my irons (was under 90 before!) and am more consistent, but I assume I am leaving more out there due to the lack of shaft lean. Can you do a video on why that might be happening (even when I rotate and separate the hips) and how to remedy it?
It’s best to send in a swing to my email to a good understanding russell@fourashesgolfacademy.com
@@russellheritagegolf Thanks Russell. I will do that, but may take me a little while to arrange.
Great video...not nearly enough has been publicized/discussed concerning the importance of the proper way to rotate the pressure onto right side...into right hip and not OVER the right leg. It appears you are basically stating that the ability to consistently strike quality golf shots is drastically reduced from the outset of the backswing without the proper load pressure into the right hip in the backswing. Please don’t stop videos...they are amazingly helpful
agree!
Best info yet. When I get tired I move everything to the right, hence I can’t get separation. Something I need to be aware of. Thank you.
Thank you 👍
Super, comprehensive - thank you! I have been so frustrated that I am tempted to try Moe Normans swing where the hips dont move at all. What are your thoughts about his swing please?
I would watch the recent videos on the above perspective this is much more about plane than an emphasis on rotation
This guy is good at diagnosing the problem. It is exactly how he says. The cause is that the average golfer missunderstands the counterweight of the swing and will pivot in relation to that. The incorrect pivot it a reaction to a misguided task you are setting your brain. You really need to sort that before you can 100% make it work. I suppose it can be taught another way but you at least have to delete what you previously thought was appropriate.
I watched twice...at what time in video do you recommend what to do? I a big fan but could find the nugget here.
From my perspective the missing link to understanding the very excellent point your are making is understanding the hip turn. When is it done and when is it not done even if you think it is done. The key is the bellt buckle that is a tell tale sign of a good hip movement. Moving the belt buckle to over the rear foot is a good way to stay centered if you cpontrol the upper boody while doing so. That leads to a proper turn and presuure /load.
What do you mean by 'moving your belt buckle to over your rear foot? Do you mean in your upward movement?
@@chassy Turning your belt buckle means turning your hips/rotating your hips (clockwise for right hand golfers)whilst keeping your shoulders still (turning lower body while lkeeping upper body still) so that thebelt buckle points down to the rear foot as you rotate your hips.
@@pohoresky Thanks for the answer. Have a nice golfing season Harold. ⛳⛳⛳
Hi Russel,
I’ve been trying to mirror your pelvic move into your back leg while maintaining a mutual spine but still feel like my shoulders want to fire when I try to start the hip separation move you talk about. Right now, if I were to describe how it feels I’d say it feels like Im turning with my core/ abs and not necessarily feeling my knee come in when I start the pelvic move back. I guess what I’m trying to get at is, when you make your turn, which parts of your body do you feel are engaged in the turn (I.e core, tension in right leg, left knee). Sorry for the long question!
Keep an eye on upcoming videos should help feelings
Nice and simple explanation....thanks Rus
One thing I didn't pick up from this, should the emphasis be put on moving the hands/arm first on the down swing or should one swing through the hips first?
Hips
thanks again looking forward to the next one
Interesting video. You explain things well,much to consider. I’m going to rewatch and break it down into something I can practice with 👍🏻
Outstanding 🥃🥃🥃🥃⛳️🏌🏼♂️
Good one! Thank you!
Proper hip rotation has totally transformed my swing! Thanks Russell!!
Dude, if you change your shutter speed setting on your camera you can reduce or eliminate that flicker that's on your video here, possibly.
Hi. God tip!
Change your shutter speed on your camera to get rid of the problem with your flickering light.
Good luck. 👍
great info on swing! especially backswing Thanks