Welcome to Play Smarta regular GOLF.com game improvement column that will help you become a smarter and better golfer.
Every golf swing has its own unique flare, but among the highest levels of the game, there are a few things they all have in common. One such element is how the swing is ordered.
Swing order is the turn in which each element moves. And for maximum efficiency, you need to put things in the right order. You may find a certain level of success without proper ranking, but you will always leave something on the table in terms of efficiency.
This is why all the best players in the world rank their moves in the same order. Although the swings can look different from each other, they all share similar DNA.
If you want to maximize the efficiency of your swing, it is important that you learn how to line up your swing properly. Top 100 GOLF Teacher Joe Plecker explains how in the video below.
How to line up your swing correctly
There are three main components that come into play when we talk about alignment: horizontal forces, torque forces, and vertical forces. For correct ordering, you need these elements to occur in the correct order.
“All good players share this in common,” says Plecker. “Their body will shift, turn and rise.”
As you reach the top of the backswing, horizontal forces come into play. Near the top, you need to shift your weight slightly – or bump – towards the target. Next, are torque forces. This is the turn of the hips and shoulders when you start the swing towards the ball. Finally, vertical forces occur as you approach impact. This is the extension of your lead side, which creates ground reaction forces and helps generate maximum head speed.
“We can’t get past that order,” Plecker says. “It’s a law.”
Most golfers have all of these components in their swing, but sometimes the order isn’t quite right. For example, if you start the downswing by turning, instead of moving horizontally, the clubhead will jump out and create an outward path.
“Shift, turn, lift,” says Plecker. “These are the three forces and this is the order of influence.”
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