Applying the correct Golf Swing Sequence

Two questions you may be asking yourself right now are, what is the correct golf swing sequence? and how do I achieve it?

Ben Hogan said that the" golf swing sequence starts with the club, hands, arms, shoulders, hips, and knees on the back swing, in that order."

The down swing is the reverse of that order, starting with the knees first, then the hips, shoulders, arms, hands, and then the club.

This is probably the best description of the swing sequence ever written.

But most golfers struggle to accomplish the correct golf swing sequence. Why?

There could be a number of reasons why, but the most prominent one that comes to mind is, the upper body is too dominant in the swing. This destroys any chance of achieving a correct sequence the way Mr Hogan explained it.

I think a good way to understand the correct swing sequence is to first understand the important role the hands play in delivering the club head in a square position at impact.

Your hands are effectively the club face, because what ever they do the club face will do the same.

Take your grip and swing the club back to hip high on the back swing and through to hip high on the follow through using your hands, allow the weight and movement of the club head to hinge your wrists naturally. There is no need to take up you address position or your posture at this point just swing the club as freely as possible.

Besides the club, hands, and arms swinging back and forth notice how the hands are rotating first clockwise on the back swing and anti clock wise into the impact area.

TIP: keep the elbows as close together as possible all the time. This will automatically move your shoulders along.

This whole motion should be felt and created through the hands swinging the club.

It is important to take note that the hands rotate clockwise to their maximum in the back swing when they reach hip height.

This rotation action of the hands gives added freedom to the motion. It should feel effortless!!

Your arms will follow this action, which in turn will pull the shoulders along turning them for you.

The freedom of swinging the club head as free as possible with the hands is the first step to a good golf swing sequence.

Secondly, you need to groove the feeling of how the body responds and turns to the arm swing exercise I have just described.

Take up a good posture and address position and cross your arms over your chest. Follow the movements as shown on this page. and over here.

Practice the body turn correctly till you understand how it moves. Once this is achieved add the arm swing exercise.

A good feeling to get when you practice the body turn is how the weight transfers to the right instep and back into the left foot on the follow through.

My belief here is that the body performs a rotary movement with no sideways sway.

Lastly, you want to feel the body turn move together with the hands, arms and club back and through the ball. It must feel like one movement and not two separate movements.

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