This might be the best explanation of how my body should move throughout the golf swing I’ve ever heard. I’ve been fighting this forever because I thought it contradicted the advice about keeping your shoulders level and keep your head still. You just simplified this key aspect for me.
Excellent video Zach. So many beginner golfers have been taught to "Turn" in the golf swing leading to "flat shoulder movement". Yours correctly identifies that it is a "tilt" of the shoulders / thorax that leads to a correct swing. Thanks for the great content 👍🏼
Zach, this is great content. I played golf for 30 years, then took 6 years off. When I started playing again, my flexibility was poor. After working on flexibility, and core strength, I can get my body in the proper positions to swing well, and compress the ball. Actually, this is the best I have ever played. Before my 6 years off, my driver club head speed was 102/105. After working on my body, and getting my sequence smoothed out, I’m playing at 115, and I don’t feel like I’m swinging harder. The more I study the swing, it looks more similar to a form of tai-chi (loading/unloading). Well done, Zach. #EffortlessPower
This upper-body movement created a picture in my mind of what it feels like to move the thorax action of the body; and how it influences the fluid movement of the takeaway and downswing. It also influences the clubface travelling along the target line on the takeaway instead of a movement inside and away from the target line too early. I've always tried doing this too mechanically and never got the feel of a fluid movement. This accomplishes that. Thanks
I totally agree with the last comment, this has transformed my swing thoughts to the upper thoracic region alone, the rest of my swing movement just takes care of its self, when I 'relax' my back muscle and focus on the correct tilting movement everything just slots in to place. I wish someone had explained the importance of the upper thoracic movement to me sooner. Thank you for posting what I think is the single most important feeling/movement in the Golf Swing.
Wow....WOW! I've seen a few coaches over the years and they tried to implement the Jim Furyk figure 8 feeling (which is great) but only with the club/hands which doesn't feel as fluid. I never thought to connect it to how the thoracic area flows. Thank you!
I've watched your instructional videos exclusively, I used to hit all my irons about 100yrds after being away from the game for 26 yrs, through you instruction and explanation of how your body feels, I'm now hitting my irons at different distances about 10 yards short of where I used to hit them, but with more consistency, I'll work on gaining some more distance, but I'm 62 and maybe should just be pleased with were I'm at, my accuracy is 99%, but I've always had accuracy..maybe if I hit other balls besides range balls I could find that extra ten yards..P.S. took me a month of tweaking many aspects of my swing, now it feels effortless and controlled, I think I can go back on the course now..Thx
Wow this should be priority viewing for beginners. Would have saved me. Years and years of frustration. Thank you. I was too focused on my arm and hand position on the backswing. With the correct tilt and side crunch it almost doesn’t matter where the hands are at top of backswing. Can get at least decent contact.
This is the best golf video y ever watched. It has just helped me a lot to understand how wrong I was. I was used to hit with lower ball trajectory. Now I am able to let the ball fly higher with a long iron. Thank you very much. You are a genius.!
If we are too stiff to tilt the side bend in both directions, should we still use the hip tilt in backswing and opposite hip tilt in downswing? So are hip tilts better than a rigid body if one cannot add the side bends?
Question please, with this rapid changing in side bend from address to the top, I'm often amazed how the creation of left side bend nearing 45 at the top is also possible to go from 40 degrees of spine flexion at address to a minus figure at the top (extension), IE now at the top left shoulder is low and spine is vertical? Thanks in advance
Zach, thanks, I'll give this a try. I'm still using your Magic Move and Ballstriking Blueprint videos, because they work. For some reason, I'm hitting most clubs solid except my 7i. Just not making good contact and losing distance. Any thoughts?
I love the dance moves, but I wonder if I could make that shoulder turn at my age (old, very old). Another thing I noticed is how the pros move their heads a little towards target just before the downswing. Perhaps this will help me keep my sternum over the golf ball, and keep me from hitting the ground before the ball. What do you think about that?
Zach - great content as always - does this also “flatten” the path? I struggle with “flattening” and when I try to do it with my arms and hands leads to some unwanted affects. Thanks for the video!
Is the side bend a cause or effect? If we try to think about getting into a position instead of just naturally swinging the club, are we getting better?
This is a complex set of moves, that when done in a flow, enable the player to make a beautiful finish at impact with head down in rotation with the shoulders just like Adam Scott's image, and prevent the dreaded "Early Extension".
Love your UA-cam but do not understand why you do not refer to standard term of "Mobility" which is a foundation of all exercise, including golf. Mobility is simple. The ability to move through a full range of normal motion freely and without pain. So it just follows that if you lack mobility you will not be able to do a correct golf swing. The solution is fix your mobility first, then and only then worrty about your swing, Is this correct? if not why not? Can anybody swing a golf club properly if they cannot move properly?
Definitely bring up some good points. Mobility is key, but in the correct movement pattern and timing for the golf swing. I know golfers who are not overall very mobile individuals, but have trained their body specifically for the golf motion. And I teach individuals, that take yoga classes regularly, but don’t know how to apply that mobility to the correct golf body motion.
@@ZachAllenGolf I have great respect for you as a golf teacher but I am afraid you are not correct on this vital matter. "Mobility" is not being mobile. It is the ability to move all your joints through a full range of motion freely and without pain. It is one of the 4 pillars of exercise along with CV, strength and stability (the last is often miscalled "core" but is in fact more far ranging and subtle, it is the ability to apply force in an efficient and safe manner and requires mobility as a prerequisite. Much pain is a result of failures of mobility and/or stability.) Yoga may help with this but it depends on how it is done and will not fix some mobility issues. There are formal methods for assessing mobility. They are easy to perform, take only a few minutes, and any coach in any sport should as a matter of practice screen any new student before doing anything else. If you cannot move correctly then any athletic movement will at best be compromised and at worst be harmful. So I do not disagree that someone who is able to move correctly and without pain also needs specialist golf tuition. But if some has say a fundamental issue with hip mobility or shoulder mobility then first and foremost this issue needs to be addressed as failing to do so is the equivalent of building a house on sand. Please do not take this as a criticism. You are not alone, almost every sport fails to cover this topic, I think because those training it started when young when mobility is much less of an issue. But even here many of the injuries suffered by professional sports people are due to compromised movement patterns and adding load in an improper way.
I think this is terrible advice for beginner golfers. While what you're describing is generally what you feel in a proper backswing, its a result from proper spine position at address, spine tilted forward and away from the target. When you move back in your backswing, you naturally feel what your describing in this video. I dont think anyone should try to replicate that feel without proper spine position, which you dont explain. When you're initially demonstrating the side bend 3:31, you've actually started to tilt your spine towards the target, which is absolutely terrible.
This might be the best explanation of how my body should move throughout the golf swing I’ve ever heard. I’ve been fighting this forever because I thought it contradicted the advice about keeping your shoulders level and keep your head still. You just simplified this key aspect for me.
Excellent video Zach. So many beginner golfers have been taught to "Turn" in the golf swing leading to "flat shoulder movement". Yours correctly identifies that it is a "tilt" of the shoulders / thorax that leads to a correct swing.
Thanks for the great content 👍🏼
You are totally right.
Zach, this is great content. I played golf for 30 years, then took 6 years off. When I started playing again, my flexibility was poor. After working on flexibility, and core strength, I can get my body in the proper positions to swing well, and compress the ball. Actually, this is the best I have ever played. Before my 6 years off, my driver club head speed was 102/105. After working on my body, and getting my sequence smoothed out, I’m playing at 115, and I don’t feel like I’m swinging harder. The more I study the swing, it looks more similar to a form of tai-chi (loading/unloading). Well done, Zach. #EffortlessPower
Your descriptions are clear and teach efficiently.
Cannot believe you are not over 60,000 subscribers .Go Zack
This upper-body movement created a picture in my mind of what it feels like to move the thorax action of the body; and how it influences the fluid movement of the takeaway and downswing. It also influences the clubface travelling along the target line on the takeaway instead of a movement inside and away from the target line too early. I've always tried doing this too mechanically and never got the feel of a fluid movement. This accomplishes that. Thanks
You are very welcome, and when done well it makes the swing more fluid, and on plane.
I totally agree with the last comment, this has transformed my swing thoughts to the upper thoracic region alone, the rest of my swing movement just takes care of its self, when I 'relax' my back muscle and focus on the correct tilting movement everything just slots in to place. I wish someone had explained the importance of the upper thoracic movement to me sooner.
Thank you for posting what I think is the single most important feeling/movement in the Golf Swing.
Wow....WOW! I've seen a few coaches over the years and they tried to implement the Jim Furyk figure 8 feeling (which is great) but only with the club/hands which doesn't feel as fluid. I never thought to connect it to how the thoracic area flows. Thank you!
I've watched your instructional videos exclusively, I used to hit all my irons about 100yrds after being away from the game for 26 yrs, through you instruction and explanation of how your body feels, I'm now hitting my irons at different distances about 10 yards short of where I used to hit them, but with more consistency, I'll work on gaining some more distance, but I'm 62 and maybe should just be pleased with were I'm at, my accuracy is 99%, but I've always had accuracy..maybe if I hit other balls besides range balls I could find that extra ten yards..P.S. took me a month of tweaking many aspects of my swing, now it feels effortless and controlled, I think I can go back on the course now..Thx
That side bend view at the end was eye opening. Thanks.
Great video, makes so much sense, will be practicing this tomorrow
Your golf videos are awesome. Thanks so much.
Thank you for this video and all of the content on your channel. I take your tips to the course and my game is better for it!
Woaw, its like a workout for the core. I engage a lot of new muscle. And I also got a smoother feeling and tempo in the swing
Very true, your core and obliques are what are driving the left and right side bends continuously.
Outstanding lesson, Zach. Used to hit balls at the Hoover range when you, Gerry, and Chad were there.
Man that’s awesome, so many good memories there, hope all is well.
Wow this should be priority viewing for beginners. Would have saved me. Years and years of frustration. Thank you. I was too focused on my arm and hand position on the backswing. With the correct tilt and side crunch it almost doesn’t matter where the hands are at top of backswing. Can get at least decent contact.
That's some golden info, Zach. Thanks for this awesome video.
This is the best golf video y ever watched. It has just helped me a lot to understand how wrong I was. I was used to hit with lower ball trajectory. Now I am able to let the ball fly higher with a long iron. Thank you very much. You are a genius.!
I was wrong with the finish too. I ended with my column very straight.
Always new insights into the fundamentals of the golf swing with Zach. Great content!
Thank you for sharing good swing tips👍
looks great, here's hoping I can do it??? Brontyn.
I never saw a coach talk about this before and it is difficult but makes me stay in posture.
This will definitely help correct that, it’s a crucial part of maintaining posture.
Excellent video, thanks!
If we are too stiff to tilt the side bend in both directions, should we still use the hip tilt in backswing and opposite hip tilt in downswing? So are hip tilts better than a rigid body if one cannot add the side bends?
Excellent explanation
Glad it was helpful!
Question please, with this rapid changing in side bend from address to the top, I'm often amazed how the creation of left side bend nearing 45 at the top is also possible to go from 40 degrees of spine flexion at address to a minus figure at the top (extension), IE now at the top left shoulder is low and spine is vertical? Thanks in advance
Do you think sitting on a bar stool while doing that drill would emphasize the feeling more?
Yes I think that would be 👍🏻
Zach, thanks, I'll give this a try. I'm still using your Magic Move and Ballstriking Blueprint videos, because they work. For some reason, I'm hitting most clubs solid except my 7i. Just not making good contact and losing distance. Any thoughts?
Lie angle could be way off; get it checked.
👆🏽
Zack, I tried this sitting down first. Ouch! but sitting really gives a person the correct feeling before trying the exercise standing or with a club.
I love the dance moves, but I wonder if I could make that shoulder turn at my age (old, very old). Another thing I noticed is how the pros move their heads a little towards target just before the downswing. Perhaps this will help me keep my sternum over the golf ball, and keep me from hitting the ground before the ball. What do you think about that?
Zach - great content as always - does this also “flatten” the path? I struggle with “flattening” and when I try to do it with my arms and hands leads to some unwanted affects. Thanks for the video!
Yes this will help steepen the path of your backswing, and shallow the path of your downswing.
Is the side bend a cause or effect? If we try to think about getting into a position instead of just naturally swinging the club, are we getting better?
Great explanation
Hello .i believed that side bend comes from the hips !omg..shocking..i will try this for sure. Thank you
Super thanks.
This is a complex set of moves, that when done in a flow, enable the player to make a beautiful finish at impact with head down in rotation with the shoulders just like Adam Scott's image, and prevent the dreaded "Early Extension".
That’s great imagery!
Great video, so important, so subtke
Glad you think so!
Sidebend an foreward shaft lean at impact separate the good from the bad players.
This is a 2nd derivative of transition/downswing not well appreciated in golf instruction.
The drill-skill is huge for all of us!
But u have to shift the weight first bothway.
So goof
Love your UA-cam but do not understand why you do not refer to standard term of "Mobility" which is a foundation of all exercise, including golf.
Mobility is simple. The ability to move through a full range of normal motion freely and without pain.
So it just follows that if you lack mobility you will not be able to do a correct golf swing. The solution is fix your mobility first, then and only then worrty about your swing,
Is this correct? if not why not? Can anybody swing a golf club properly if they cannot move properly?
Definitely bring up some good points. Mobility is key, but in the correct movement pattern and timing for the golf swing. I know golfers who are not overall very mobile individuals, but have trained their body specifically for the golf motion. And I teach individuals, that take yoga classes regularly, but don’t know how to apply that mobility to the correct golf body motion.
@@ZachAllenGolf I have great respect for you as a golf teacher but I am afraid you are not correct on this vital matter.
"Mobility" is not being mobile. It is the ability to move all your joints through a full range of motion freely and without pain.
It is one of the 4 pillars of exercise along with CV, strength and stability (the last is often miscalled "core" but is in fact more far ranging and subtle, it is the ability to apply force in an efficient and safe manner and requires mobility as a prerequisite. Much pain is a result of failures of mobility and/or stability.)
Yoga may help with this but it depends on how it is done and will not fix some mobility issues.
There are formal methods for assessing mobility. They are easy to perform, take only a few minutes, and any coach in any sport should as a matter of practice screen any new student before doing anything else.
If you cannot move correctly then any athletic movement will at best be compromised and at worst be harmful.
So I do not disagree that someone who is able to move correctly and without pain also needs specialist golf tuition.
But if some has say a fundamental issue with hip mobility or shoulder mobility then first and foremost this issue needs to be addressed as failing to do so is the equivalent of building a house on sand.
Please do not take this as a criticism. You are not alone, almost every sport fails to cover this topic, I think because those training it started when young when mobility is much less of an issue. But even here many of the injuries suffered by professional sports people are due to compromised movement patterns and adding load in an improper way.
I think this is terrible advice for beginner golfers. While what you're describing is generally what you feel in a proper backswing, its a result from proper spine position at address, spine tilted forward and away from the target. When you move back in your backswing, you naturally feel what your describing in this video. I dont think anyone should try to replicate that feel without proper spine position, which you dont explain. When you're initially demonstrating the side bend 3:31, you've actually started to tilt your spine towards the target, which is absolutely terrible.