Swing time

Work on rotation and get a swing worth imitating

By Joe Lembo

2008-08-05

It’s common for me to see golfers comparing their swings to other golfers they play with or watch on television. I’ll often be the audience while they do their imitations of other golfers. (Remember: “Imitation is the most sincere form of flattery.”) Most of the time the subject of these impersonations is the style and sequence of the swing.

It’s important for a golfer to be able to rotate their lower body independently from their upper body. This is an important skill to properly sequence the downswing and generate a good x-factor stretch (increased separation between the upper and lower body on the downswing). This requires trunk stabilization.

You can test yourself to see how much stability you have for this movement. Stand in front of a mirror. Get into your address position, maybe a 5-iron stance. Fold your arms on your chest. Now, try to keep your shoulders, hands and head still while rotating only your hips in both directions.

Next, take the same stance, but this time try to keep your hips and knees still while rotating only your shoulders. If you find it difficult to move the upper body or the lower body while stabilizing the other, then you may be losing a lot of power in your swing. Find a certified golf fitness instructor to give you ways to correct this and you may find you have a very powerful swing — one that’s worth imitating.

Joe Lembo is a Titleist certified golf fitness instructor. He can be reached at j5lembo@yahoo.com