00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:05,000
In this analysis video, we're going to look at the back swing.

00:00:05,000 --> 00:00:11,000
So this is the first movement of the golf swing and it basically goes from set up position,

00:00:11,000 --> 00:00:15,000
which we've talked about over here on the left, all the way up to the top of the swing,

00:00:15,000 --> 00:00:17,000
which you can look at on the right.

00:00:17,000 --> 00:00:19,000
Now we're going to divide it into two sections.

00:00:19,000 --> 00:00:23,000
First, this is going to be the takeaway, which ends roughly when the shaft is about parallel

00:00:23,000 --> 00:00:28,000
to the ground and following will be setting the club, which you'll see over here on the

00:00:28,000 --> 00:00:36,000
left, from takeaway position until you go into transition.

00:00:36,000 --> 00:00:41,000
Now the takeaway position or the takeaway movement is going to be controlled mostly by

00:00:41,000 --> 00:00:43,000
the big muscles of your body.

00:00:43,000 --> 00:00:47,000
And then between the takeaway and setting the club is when the smaller muscles of your arms

00:00:47,000 --> 00:00:49,000
start to get a little bit more involved.

00:00:49,000 --> 00:00:56,000
So first, we'll cover the takeaway and then we'll cover the setting the club.

00:00:56,000 --> 00:01:00,000
So in theory, the takeaway is one of the easiest moves that we do in the golf swing.

00:01:00,000 --> 00:01:06,000
It should simply be a rotation of the spine to bring the club into this waist-type position.

00:01:06,000 --> 00:01:11,000
Essentially, you're not going to do very much with your arms and hands at all.

00:01:11,000 --> 00:01:14,000
And the way that we can look at this or the way that we can check this is if we were

00:01:14,000 --> 00:01:20,000
to extend the line out from your shirt buttons, you would see that the hands would roughly

00:01:20,000 --> 00:01:23,000
be somewhere in that space.

00:01:23,000 --> 00:01:31,000
So if Iron Man had his light shining, they would pretty much be pointing at your hands.

00:01:31,000 --> 00:01:34,000
Here we can watch Justin Rose with both the driver and the Iron.

00:01:34,000 --> 00:01:40,000
And as we go through this movement, you will see that there is a slight shift back of the

00:01:40,000 --> 00:01:43,000
upper and lower body.

00:01:43,000 --> 00:01:45,000
The lower body is going to be lester-matic.

00:01:45,000 --> 00:01:50,000
It happens typically a little bit more during the set of the club.

00:01:50,000 --> 00:01:54,000
But if you were to look at the center of the shirt in the center of the chest, there will

00:01:54,000 --> 00:02:02,000
be a slight shift about a half inch away from the target.

00:02:02,000 --> 00:02:09,000
Now we'll take a look at a few amateurs to see where this move can go wrong.

00:02:09,000 --> 00:02:14,000
So as we start going back, you'll see the club gets roughly in that same shaft parallel

00:02:14,000 --> 00:02:16,000
and pointed in the target line.

00:02:16,000 --> 00:02:20,000
But you can see that his chest is still pointed more out towards the ball instead of at

00:02:20,000 --> 00:02:21,000
his hands.

00:02:21,000 --> 00:02:27,000
If we look from the face on view as he goes through that movement, you'll also see him

00:02:27,000 --> 00:02:29,000
get to the outside of the foot.

00:02:29,000 --> 00:02:33,000
So watch the angle in the knee or watch kind of this general area as he goes through that

00:02:33,000 --> 00:02:35,000
movement.

00:02:35,000 --> 00:02:40,000
And you'll see that the knee in the pelvis starts shifting a pretty good amount over onto

00:02:40,000 --> 00:02:42,000
that right side.

00:02:42,000 --> 00:02:47,000
The majority of the weight shift is going to be accomplished mostly through rotation and

00:02:47,000 --> 00:02:51,000
the weight that the pelvis is shaped, not so much through an actual weight shift.

00:02:51,000 --> 00:02:56,000
So I focus more in the second half of the backswing but also here on the early stages of

00:02:56,000 --> 00:03:00,000
keeping the weight and the pressure more on the inside of the foot instead of letting it

00:03:00,000 --> 00:03:03,000
go to the outside of the foot.

00:03:03,000 --> 00:03:07,000
But this has already started a cascade based on what he thinks he needs to do during

00:03:07,000 --> 00:03:10,000
transition and during the release.

00:03:10,000 --> 00:03:14,000
So we don't look at backswing as a cause of problems of the release.

00:03:14,000 --> 00:03:20,000
It's more a sign of what they're going to do on the downswing.

00:03:20,000 --> 00:03:25,000
Here is another golfer demonstrating a little bit more of a lateral movement where

00:03:25,000 --> 00:03:32,000
movement where the swing is controlled mostly by the knees and hips and the arms but not

00:03:32,000 --> 00:03:36,000
doing very much in the actual thoracic spine.

00:03:36,000 --> 00:03:43,000
Here from down the target line you'll see a similar movement where his chest is pointed

00:03:43,000 --> 00:03:45,000
more out towards the golf ball.

00:03:45,000 --> 00:03:51,000
Even though his hands reach that ideal chef parallel and pointed at the target position

00:03:51,000 --> 00:03:55,000
because it's getting there in a way where it's not being driven by the spine.

00:03:55,000 --> 00:04:01,000
He's already setting himself up for some trouble during transition and then ultimately

00:04:01,000 --> 00:04:02,000
the release.

00:04:02,000 --> 00:04:08,000
But again this is a sign of what his brain thinks it needs to do to load what he is going

00:04:08,000 --> 00:04:09,000
to do on the downswing.

00:04:09,000 --> 00:04:14,000
This is not a cause and effects that because he shifted his weight to the outside of his

00:04:14,000 --> 00:04:17,000
foot he only had one option.

00:04:17,000 --> 00:04:22,000
So we look at the takeaway and then we can correct it but not until you fully understand

00:04:22,000 --> 00:04:26,000
the transition and downswing will it all makes sense.

00:04:26,000 --> 00:04:31,000
Now let's start looking at the second phase of the backswing and then we can put it all together.

00:04:31,000 --> 00:04:36,000
So during the second phase of the backswing if you look over here at Adam Scott you will

00:04:36,000 --> 00:04:41,000
see that the spine is going to continue rotating as well as extending which I talk about

00:04:41,000 --> 00:04:43,000
in the cons of video.

00:04:43,000 --> 00:04:48,000
At the same time that the spine is bringing the hands up into position the right arm is

00:04:48,000 --> 00:04:55,000
going to begin folding and positioning the hands for what we want to do during the transition.

00:04:56,000 --> 00:05:01,000
We'll look over here at Jason Duffner and you can see he has a little bit of a shorter

00:05:01,000 --> 00:05:07,000
swing but he has gotten into a similar position with his spine.

00:05:07,000 --> 00:05:11,000
So when we're looking at the spine at the top of the swing if you were to draw a line

00:05:11,000 --> 00:05:16,000
down from the back of the neck to roughly the belt line that's going to give you a pretty

00:05:16,000 --> 00:05:23,000
good indication of the amount of flexion or extension in the spine.

00:05:23,000 --> 00:05:29,000
So you'll see is that most good golfers will reach this neutral position where it's a fairly

00:05:29,000 --> 00:05:30,000
straight line.

00:05:30,000 --> 00:05:36,000
Even if you see this golfer here over on the right which is Jason Duffner it looks like

00:05:36,000 --> 00:05:40,000
he has a very short swing and that his chest is stayed pointed down towards the golf

00:05:40,000 --> 00:05:46,000
ball but he has extended his spine back to neutral and got it ready for what we want to

00:05:46,000 --> 00:05:50,000
do during transition.

00:05:50,000 --> 00:05:54,000
Here are a couple more examples so that you can start really visualizing what's happening

00:05:54,000 --> 00:05:55,000
with the spine.

00:05:55,000 --> 00:06:00,000
So as we approach the top of the swing with Graham McDowell over here on the left you can

00:06:00,000 --> 00:06:05,000
see that his spine is still somewhat flex because there's a little bit of a curve right

00:06:05,000 --> 00:06:07,000
there or an angle or a hinge.

00:06:07,000 --> 00:06:12,000
Now as he approaches the top of the swing and starts in that transition you will see that

00:06:12,000 --> 00:06:17,000
he finishes his spine extension to where the point is roughly that straight line that I've

00:06:17,000 --> 00:06:18,000
mentioned.

00:06:19,000 --> 00:06:23,000
Here's another golfer on the right with a camera that moving all over place but there's

00:06:23,000 --> 00:06:30,000
Tommy Gany and you can see that even though he is very much flexed forward from the hips

00:06:30,000 --> 00:06:37,000
which we'll talk about his spine as very much approached and extended or neutral position

00:06:37,000 --> 00:06:40,000
he's lost the curve that he started with.

00:06:40,000 --> 00:06:44,000
That curve is generally going to be replaced by side bend which we'll look at from

00:06:44,000 --> 00:06:45,000
the down the line view.

00:06:45,000 --> 00:06:50,000
But from this face on view you can pay attention to how much the spine has actually

00:06:50,000 --> 00:06:56,000
extended and whether or not the person shifts off the ball or onto the outside of the

00:06:56,000 --> 00:06:59,000
foot.

00:06:59,000 --> 00:07:05,000
During this second phase you will frequently see different looking positions at the top

00:07:05,000 --> 00:07:06,000
of the swing.

00:07:06,000 --> 00:07:12,000
While they're reaching the same rough spine angle or spine position that I'm talking about

00:07:12,000 --> 00:07:16,000
the reason why Graham over here on the left looks like he's very much vertical and

00:07:16,000 --> 00:07:21,000
Tommy over here on the right looks like he's bent over a lot is because of the amount

00:07:21,000 --> 00:07:27,000
of flexion in the knees and the hips and that's a much bigger issue than what's actually

00:07:27,000 --> 00:07:28,000
happening at the spine.

00:07:28,000 --> 00:07:33,000
I'll show a couple examples of amateurs so that you can see what I'm talking about.

00:07:33,000 --> 00:07:38,000
Here you can see Jason Duffner as he's approaching the top of his swing and you can see that

00:07:38,000 --> 00:07:41,000
his spine has reached that straight position.

00:07:41,000 --> 00:07:48,000
Now over here on the left we're going to see a golfer who reaches a similar arm and club

00:07:48,000 --> 00:07:49,000
look.

00:07:49,000 --> 00:07:53,000
He actually goes a little bit further towards parallel.

00:07:53,000 --> 00:07:58,000
If you were to draw that same line from the base of the neck to the belt line you can

00:07:58,000 --> 00:08:01,000
see that his spine is still flexed forward.

00:08:01,000 --> 00:08:08,000
The way that he was able to get the club to reach that high of a position was more from

00:08:08,000 --> 00:08:15,000
a lateral movement of the lower body not so much an extension of the spine.

00:08:15,000 --> 00:08:20,000
Here's another example of an amateur.

00:08:20,000 --> 00:08:27,000
This golfer is a single-digit handicap so he's a pretty skilled golfer but you will

00:08:27,000 --> 00:08:34,000
still see that he reached that actual longer arm position than Jason Duffner while maintaining

00:08:34,000 --> 00:08:36,000
flexion in his spine.

00:08:36,000 --> 00:08:41,000
Now he has a really rigid ribcage so that's going to be something that's a little tricky

00:08:41,000 --> 00:08:42,000
for him to work on.

00:08:42,000 --> 00:08:47,000
Instead what we would typically work on is getting the arms to be a little bit more in position

00:08:47,000 --> 00:08:51,000
and minimizing the shift of the weight into the outside of the foot.

00:08:51,000 --> 00:08:56,000
I just wanted to provide a few examples so that you can see that not everyone who gets

00:08:56,000 --> 00:09:02,000
into the three-quarter position or everyone who gets in the full swing does it the same way.

00:09:02,000 --> 00:09:07,000
And so as a golf smart academy member I want you to start paying attention as you watch

00:09:07,000 --> 00:09:12,000
golf swings for looking for how they're getting into these positions not just what positions

00:09:12,000 --> 00:09:15,000
they're getting into.

00:09:15,000 --> 00:09:19,000
As we look from the down the line view we can focus on a couple other things.

00:09:19,000 --> 00:09:29,000
So let me take both Jason and Brant's Seneca into their takeaway position.

00:09:29,000 --> 00:09:30,000
Just like so.

00:09:30,000 --> 00:09:33,000
And now you'll see very different lower body actions.

00:09:33,000 --> 00:09:37,000
If you look at Brant's Seneca you can see that his lower body is barely moved at all.

00:09:37,000 --> 00:09:42,000
If you look at Jason Duffner you can see that his legs have rotated quite a good bit.

00:09:42,000 --> 00:09:49,000
But they both maintain the alignment of the club pointed in front of the chest.

00:09:49,000 --> 00:09:51,000
Brant Seneca just tends to have a little bit more upright swing.

00:09:51,000 --> 00:09:53,000
Jason Duffner a little bit flatter.

00:09:53,000 --> 00:09:57,000
Neither is better or worse they're just a little bit different.

00:09:57,000 --> 00:10:03,000
So now as we go up towards the top of the swing you'll see that as he completes his shoulder

00:10:03,000 --> 00:10:10,000
rotation the alignment of his spine appears to maintain a pretty consistent angle.

00:10:10,000 --> 00:10:14,000
Now we know that this is a combination of side bend.

00:10:14,000 --> 00:10:16,000
Whoops let's bring it going to go.

00:10:16,000 --> 00:10:21,000
We know that this is a combination of side bend and that loss of flexion that gives that

00:10:21,000 --> 00:10:22,000
gives this appearance.

00:10:22,000 --> 00:10:27,000
And you'll see that his shoulders have turned on an angle there or his spine is rotated on

00:10:27,000 --> 00:10:33,000
an angle that's roughly perpendicular to that initial spine angle that he created.

00:10:33,000 --> 00:10:36,000
We take Jason Duffner up towards the top of the swing.

00:10:36,000 --> 00:10:41,000
And remember he didn't have quite as much hip extension.

00:10:41,000 --> 00:10:46,000
But his shoulder plane is kind of in that same similar area.

00:10:46,000 --> 00:10:47,000
This is a little flat.

00:10:47,000 --> 00:10:50,000
He uses the flatness the shoulder plane to help flatten out his swing.

00:10:50,000 --> 00:10:56,000
Now you'll also notice a very different looking right arm.

00:10:56,000 --> 00:11:02,000
So I don't speak of whether you keep your right elbow up against your chest or whether

00:11:02,000 --> 00:11:07,000
you let it come off away as one of the key fundamentals.

00:11:07,000 --> 00:11:14,000
But I do talk about the rotation of the arms between the take away and setting the club

00:11:14,000 --> 00:11:16,000
as one of the fundamentals.

00:11:16,000 --> 00:11:23,000
So you'll see that as he goes up that right elbow is staying more or less in front of his

00:11:23,000 --> 00:11:25,000
chest.

00:11:25,000 --> 00:11:28,000
And though it's come up off of it.

00:11:28,000 --> 00:11:33,000
As in, if you were to look at his shirt seam or you were to look at his shoulder blade,

00:11:33,000 --> 00:11:37,000
he hasn't let his right elbow drift too far behind his back.

00:11:37,000 --> 00:11:41,000
Same thing you'll see even in an exaggerated position or an exaggerated fashion over here

00:11:41,000 --> 00:11:44,000
with Jason Duffner.

00:11:44,000 --> 00:11:49,000
Now here we have a couple of amateurs that are demonstrating the loss of posture during the

00:11:49,000 --> 00:11:51,000
second phase of the take away.

00:11:51,000 --> 00:11:55,000
So you'll see that as we get to here, he's pretty close.

00:11:55,000 --> 00:12:00,000
His chest is pointing a little bit more towards the golf ball than at his hand.

00:12:00,000 --> 00:12:06,000
So he's he's done a little bit more arm movement than I would like to see.

00:12:06,000 --> 00:12:11,000
But so as a result, the shoulder is pretty much reached the end range of movement and the

00:12:11,000 --> 00:12:15,000
only way he can get elevation is to then stand up.

00:12:15,000 --> 00:12:19,000
So you'll see his ear come back into a second.

00:12:19,000 --> 00:12:23,000
So I'm going to explain angle at the top of the swing as opposed to what he started it.

00:12:23,000 --> 00:12:30,000
Now over on the left, we have a higher handicap golfer and we'll see his ears relatively

00:12:30,000 --> 00:12:35,000
close, but you can see his chest pointing pretty much straight out at the golf ball while

00:12:35,000 --> 00:12:37,000
his hands have gotten into that take away position.

00:12:37,000 --> 00:12:43,000
So we know that he's done that mostly by the arms and then as he goes to finish his backswing,

00:12:43,000 --> 00:12:50,000
you'll see very much he's using the extension of his hips.

00:12:50,000 --> 00:12:56,000
He's using the extension of his legs in order to create this top of the backswing position.

00:12:56,000 --> 00:13:03,000
If you were to have his hips more tilted and his spine a little bit more left side bent,

00:13:03,000 --> 00:13:09,000
instead of this pointing out at the ocean, it would be pointing roughly down at the golf

00:13:09,000 --> 00:13:13,000
ball and he wouldn't have to make his big adjustment during transition in the down.

00:13:14,000 --> 00:13:20,000
The real key takeaway to understanding the takeaway in setting the club is that what you do on

00:13:20,000 --> 00:13:25,000
the backswing gives us insight into what your brain wants to do on the downswing.

00:13:26,000 --> 00:13:31,000
So working on the top of the backswing position or working on how you set the club and how

00:13:31,000 --> 00:13:37,000
you take the club away can help you understand even better what we're then going to do during

00:13:37,000 --> 00:13:41,000
transition, which is going to be the next analysis video that I'll watch you to watch.

00:13:42,000 --> 00:13:48,000
But for right now it's pretty much a simple spine load during the backswing and an arm movement

00:13:48,000 --> 00:13:55,000
that helps set the club at the top of the backswing. I don't want you to be focused on trying to hit

00:13:55,000 --> 00:14:01,000
an ideal-looking position because the movements are much more important than having a picture

00:14:01,000 --> 00:14:04,000
perfect look to the top of your backswing.