Why hip sway matters more than you think in the golf swing

When it comes to the golf swing, there are quite a few components that need to work together to properly function. And if even one of them is just a tad off, it can wreck the whole thing.

You likely know (and focus) on a few of the main ones. Club path. Face angle. Shoulder turn. You get the picture. However, hip sway is one that is equally important — yet it’s often overlooked.

So, what makes hip sway so crucial to the swing? And how can you make sure you’re doing it correctly? GOLFETC‘s Director of Teaching Quality Josh Troyer explains below.

Why hip sway is important

If you’re serious about improving your golf swing, it might be time to take a closer look at something most amateur golfers overlook: hip sway. The reason hip sway is so important is that it plays a huge role in where the low point is in your swing. If you get it wrong, it can have disastrous effects on the quality of your strike.

Low-point control — where the club bottoms out in your swing — is a major key to consistent ball striking. According to Troyer, the best players move their hips approximately 6.5 inches toward the target from the top of the backswing to the finishing position.

“The best players go from 0.3 inches at the top of the swing to 3.1 inches toward [the target] by the time they hit, to 6.5 inches toward by the time they finish,” Troyer says.

That forward shift of the hips helps get the low point if your swing into the proper spot at impact. Players who don’t consistently make this move often struggle with contact, hitting behind the ball or catching it thin.

Swing direction is also influenced by hip sway. In fact, it can be a huge reason that golfers struggle with a swing that is too far out to in.

“If you don’t move your hips towards the target from the top of the swing all the way into the follow-through, you’re gonna start to see your turns open faster than they should,” Troyer says. “That’s when the club starts to shift too far out to in.”

But be sure not to overdo it, because if you do, you’ll eventually start swinging too far in to out, which can lead to problems of its own. Chief among them: struggling to create solid contact out of the rough.

From the thick stuff, it’s important that you increase your angle of attack and hit down on the ball. But when you’ve got a swing that is too far in to out, you’re typically shallowing the swing out, which can cause the clubhead to get caught in the rough prior to impact.

“Tour players, a lot of times, don’t know why they’re doing stuff — they’re just really good at golf,” Troyer says. “But when you start to understand the dynamics, it all starts to make sense.”

So, next time you find yourself struggling with low-point control or swing direction, check on your hip sway. There’s a good chance that fixing it will lead to better ball-striking and more consistent play on the course.

If you want to get some expert insights into your swing — and learn how to properly sway your hips — book a swing evaluation with GOLFTEC below.

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