“Sway”

35.55% Lead arm line doesn’t match lead arm- bent

64.45% Lead arm line matches lead arm- straight

Defined-

A sway is any excessive lower body lateral movement away from the target during the backswing that forces the weight to the outside of the back foot. This fault makes it very difficult to develop a proper weight shift during transition and the downswing. If there is no stable platform to drive their weight off of during transition, golfers will lose power and inadvertently try to develop speed in an inefficient manner.

Causes-

1. Right Hip Internal rotation- is paramount for full rotation into the right hip without any lateral sway for a right handed golfer. If the body is unable to rotate around the right hip due to joint or muscular restriction, lateral movements will dominate the pattern.

2. Separation of Lower and Upper body- Separation of lower and upper body allows the lower body to laterally stabilize while rotating during a large shoulder turn. Limited trunk to pelvis separation is usually caused by reducing spinal mobility and shortened lat flexibility.

(tests- Torso Rotation, Seated Trunk Rotation, Half kneeling Rotation)

3. Glute Strength. The ability to stabilize the right leg during the backswing is directly proportional to the strength and stability of the glute muscles (your booty!) When it comes to lower body lateral stabilization, the glute medius is the king! It helps the right hip from elevating and shifting laterally during an aggressive coil into the right hip (tests- Hip Rotation, Single leg balance)

Other causes-

1. Lack of understanding of proper technique
2. Injury to the hip, knee or ankle
3. Ball too far back in the stance