We all know that the peak Performance backswing is defined by its limited turn, meaning that we turn the shoulders to where the forward arm turns to the toe line and that's the end of the turn. The big problem I see in many students is that they do turn the shoulders to the toe line very well to where we are supposed to lift the arms and club up the tree. The problem is, when they get to the toe line they keep on turning which gets them into the Sacred Burial Ground, which is all that area behind the toe line, both in the backswing and the forward swing.
The problem of turning too much and getting the forward arm into the Sacred Burial Ground is that swinging straight down from being that deep in the Sacred Burial Ground, you're swinging inside and out which will hit the ball dead to the right.
We know that to hit the ball solid and straight, the club has to approach the ball on the aiming line, hit the ball on the line square to it, and leave on the line accelerating, on-on-and-on. So since we're all trying to hit the ball relatively straight, we know that we have to get back to the aiming line. From inside, the only way back to the aiming line is we have to start turning our shoulders which pulls our arms back out. Unfortunately, once we start doing that, the arms and club tend to keep going and they'll get outside the line. Now we have an outside to in swing which causes, if you're square at impact, you to hit pulls. If you try not to do that and you hold on, you can begin to opening the club face up and start slicing and blocks and everything, and all those problems of pulling out of the shot or topping it. It opens up a whole smorgasbord of problems.
So the key becomes that to have a consistent, on line impact, with the club approaching on the line, be on the line and square to the line when you hit it, and make the impact get a square shot and through, you need to have your arms no farther than over the toe line in the swing.
Once you turn to get to the toe line, the backswing turn it is over, it's done, finished, completed. From there it is all just lifting your arms. The key to remember is the turn in the backswing ends when you reach the toe line with the forward arm. The turn is over and it's all lift.
I think the greatest example is a hockey player hitting a slap shot. The forward arm is over the toes and he swings through. Even forehands and backhands in hitting a tennis stroke. You don't turn your back to the target.
I think many of you are having problems coming over the top. The key is to check that you're not turning too much and the key to really controlling the backswing turn and staying out of the Sacred Burial Ground is the turn ends when the forward arm gets over the toe line and the shaft, at that point, is parallel to the ground. Then it's all lift. That is the essence of the limited turn Peak Performance backswing.
If you're having problems with direction control, hitting pulls or blocks or catching solid impact, check out your turn.
(Note for Golf School. Look for details soon on our California PPGS schools at Talega Golf Club in beautiful San Clemente, May 17 – 19 and 20 – 22. It's going to be one heck of an experience. Call: 1-888-84SWING(79464) or 1-864-525-7336.)
The Surge!