Instruction
Four essential movements for a better golf swing
Everything I teach comes from studying the best golfers in the world. I don’t necessarily teach the “Fundamentals of Golf” that I learned growing up as a junior golfer, because I’ve found they don’t apply to all golfers universally.
I prefer to teach what I call the “Tour Fundamentals of Golf,” which I’ve seen seen the majority of golfers on the PGA, LPGA, European, and Champions tours adhere to and apply in their own games.
I’ve found that four movements — rotate, tilt, shift and extend — have a huge effect on club face orientation, swing direction, low-point control, and club head speed. They are essential to playing golf at a high level, and are used by the best players in the world. The difference between an elite golfer and a higher handicapper can also typically be found in one of the four areas.
Let’s break down each fundamental to garner a better understanding of each.
Rotate
The initial move away from the golf ball is very important, as it sets the tone for the rest of the swing. The best players in the world begin the swing by rotating the buttons of the shirt (center of sternum) until they point at the trail knee. This will place the hands just past the knee, with the club head just slightly out in front of the hands. The average tour player has 27 degrees of rotation prior to the club becoming parallel to the ground in the backswing. There will be tilting going on as the player rotates also, but that is setup by forward bend at address. I like a player to think “rotation” in the first few inches away from the golf ball, and then the thought of “tilting” follows.
Tilt
Once the buttons of the shirt, or center of sternum, are pointing at the trail knee it’s time to begin adding tilt. For a right-handed golfer, that means feeling your left shoulder working down and across, moving the hands and arms inward. The average tour player begins with their trail shoulder tilted 11 degrees downward at address, and by the time they reach the top of the backswing the forward shoulder is tilted downward 36 degrees. That means from the time the buttons reach the trail knee in the rotation phase, the shoulders tilt another 20-plus degrees before the player reaches the top of the backswing.
Shift
Movement in the transition and into the downswing should begin with a lateral bump of the hips towards the target. This initial move is key to facilitating the plane in which the golf club will be moving into impact. From the top, Tour players shift and sit down into the ground so that they can then spring up and create maximum force into impact. The average golfer typically does the opposite; they begin with a spinning of the hips, and with most players not being able to disassociate the hips from torso, the golf club is out of balance and on top of the plane. This also leaves them on their trail side coming into impact due to the spinning action, creating both thin and heavy mishits.
Extend
The extension (straightening) of the arms, club, and body after impact is a key characteristic all great ball strikers have in common, and each movement is produced by what happens prior to impact — so the first three movements are very important! The best players in the world use the ground to push off of just prior to impact, causing the legs and pelvis to straighten post impact. This is why they are able to hit the golf ball as far as they do. This movement is also what controls the positioning of the golf club. Don’t be afraid to feel the front knee straightening through impact. The backside will then begin to tuck under and the arms will extend. Unfortunately, I see 95 percent of golfers trying to do the opposite, which robs them of power and the consistency they want.
For more information on what I call the “Tour Fundamentals of Golf,” I’d welcome you to read my book, The 5 Tour Fundamentals of Golf. Click here to purchase.
The LPGA Tour is kicking off its 2026 season this week at Lake Nona Golf and Country Club in Orlando, and the pros are dealing with something most Florida golfers rarely face: freezing temperatures.
“It’s colder here than in the UK at the minute, which is a first,” said England’s Charley Hull during Wednesday’s media day at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions.
Even Lydia Ko, who lives at Lake Nona, seemed surprised by the cold snap. “We’re pretty much getting to below zero in celsius here, which maybe in other parts of the country they would be thankful, but when you’re in Florida it is a little bit of a surprise,” she said.
If the world’s best players are adjusting their games for cold weather, recreational golfers should, too. Here’s how to play smart when the mercury drops.
Understand What Cold Does to Your Game
Before you change anything, you need to know what you’re fighting against. Cold air is denser than warm air, which means your ball won’t fly as far. Period.
Hull noticed this immediately during practice rounds at Lake Nona. She mentioned hitting a gap wedge into the 18th hole during a previous win but needing a 4-iron during Tuesday’s practice round. That’s a difference of four or five clubs for the same shot.
Action item: Expect to lose 5-10 yards on every club in your bag when temperatures dip below 50 degrees. Plan accordingly and don’t be stubborn about club selection.
Layer Up Without Restricting Your Swing
Hull admitted she wore three pairs of pants during practice. While that might be extreme for most of us, staying warm is critical to playing well in cold conditions.
Your muscles need warmth to function properly. When you’re cold, your body tightens up and your swing gets shorter and faster. Neither of those things help you hit good golf shots.
Action item: Wear multiple thin layers instead of one bulky jacket. Look for golf-specific cold weather gear that stretches with your swing. Keep hand warmers in your pockets between shots. And don’t forget a good hat because you lose significant body heat through your head.
Take More Club Than You Think You Need
This is where ego gets in the way of good scores. When it’s cold, the ball doesn’t compress as well off the clubface. Combined with denser air, you’re looking at serious distance loss.
The pros at Lake Nona are dealing with a course that measures 6,642 yards but plays much longer this week. If they’re adjusting, you should too.
Action item: Take at least one extra club on every approach shot. In temperatures below 40 degrees, consider taking two extra clubs. It’s better to fly the ball to the back of the green than to come up short in a bunker.
Adjust Your Expectations on the Greens
Cold weather affects putting in ways most golfers don’t consider. The ball is harder and doesn’t roll as smoothly. Your hands are cold, making it harder to feel the putter. And if there’s any moisture on the greens, they’ll be slower than normal.
Ko mentioned that she still sometimes reads the greens wrong at Lake Nona despite being a member for years. Cold weather makes that challenge even tougher.
Action item: Hit putts more firmly than usual. The ball needs extra speed to hold its line on cold greens. Take a few extra practice strokes to get a feel for the speed before you putt.
Embrace the Mental Challenge
Hull said something interesting about cold weather golf: “I like the mental toughness of it.”
That’s the right attitude. Everyone on the course is dealing with the same conditions. The player who stays patient and doesn’t get frustrated by the extra difficulty will come out ahead.
Action item: Lower your expectations by a few strokes. If you normally shoot 85, accept that 90 might be a good score in 40-degree weather. Focus on solid contact and smart decisions rather than perfect shots.
Warm Up Longer and Smarter
This might be the most important tip of all. Cold muscles are tight muscles, and tight muscles get injured easily.
World No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul revealed she’s been protecting a wrist injury that bothered her late last season. Cold weather makes those kinds of injuries more likely if you don’t prepare properly.
Action item: Spend at least 20 minutes warming up before your round. Start with stretching, then hit easy wedge shots before working up to your driver. Keep moving between shots on the course to maintain body heat and flexibility.
The pros at Lake Nona this week will adapt and compete at the highest level despite the cold. You can do the same at your local course by following these tips and keeping a positive attitude.
PGA Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer. You can check out his writing work and learn more about him by visiting BEAGOLFER.golf and OneMoreRollGolf.com. Also, check out “Playing Through” now on R.org, RG.org’s partner site, each Monday.
Editor’s note: Brendon shares his nearly 30 years of experience in the game with GolfWRX readers through his ongoing tip series. He looks forward to providing valuable insights and advice to help golfers improve their game. Stay tuned for more tips!
Brooks Koepka is back on the PGA Tour, and whether you love him or hate him, the guy knows how to win when it matters. After his LIV Golf stint, the five-time major champion returns this week at the Farmers Insurance Open.
What makes Koepka fascinating? He doesn’t fit the mold. His swing isn’t textbook. He doesn’t obsess over mechanics. Yet he’s won three PGA Championships and two U.S. Opens, regularly making it look easier than guys with prettier swings.
So, what can average golfers learn from someone who treats the game so differently? Quite a bit.
Stop Overthinking Every Shot
Koepka describes his approach as “reactionary” rather than mechanical. While most tour pros grind over swing thoughts, Brooks sees the target and hits it. No mental checklist.
This might be the most valuable lesson for weekend golfers who’ve watched too many YouTube swing videos.
How to actually do this:
On the range, hit five balls where you stare at the target for three seconds prior to addressing the ball. Don’t think about grip or stance. Just burn that target into your brain. You’ll be shocked at how pure you hit it when your brain focuses on where the ball is going instead of how you’re swinging.
Next time you play, give yourself a rule: Once you pull the club, you’ve got 15 seconds to hit. Koepka is one of the fastest players on tour because he doesn’t give his brain time to sabotage him.
If you feel tension in your hands at address, you’re trying to control too much. Koepka’s grip pressure is famously light. Loosen up until the club almost feels like it might slip, then add just enough pressure to hold on. That’s your swing thought: soft hands, see the target.
This approach works better under pressure. When you’re standing over that shot with water left and OB right, the last thing you need is a mental checklist. See it, feel it, hit it.
Play to Your Strengths (Even If They’re Not Pretty)
Koepka uses a strong grip that wouldn’t pass muster in some teaching circles. But he’s built his game around what works for him, elite driving distance and recovery skills. He doesn’t try to be someone he’s not.
Here’s how to build your game like Brooks:
Look at your last five rounds and figure out where you’re actually gaining strokes. Bombing it off the tee, but can’t hit greens? Lean into it. Play courses where distance matters more than precision. On tight holes, grip down on your 3-wood instead of trying to thread a driver through a keyhole you’ll miss seven times out of ten.
Koepka knows he can scramble, so he’s not afraid to miss greens. If you’re deadly from 50 to 75 yards, start leaving yourself those distances on the par 5’s instead of going for them in two every time.
Know when to take your medicine. Koepka in the trees at the PGA? He’s punching out to 100 yards, not trying to bend a 6-iron around three oaks. You’re in the rough with a flyer lie and water short? Hit your 8-iron to the middle and move on. That’s not playing scared, that’s playing smart.
Save Your Best for When It Counts
Here’s a wild stat: Koepka’s putting average in majors is often more than a full stroke better per round than in regular events. He elevates when pressure is highest.
How does an amateur tap into that gear? It’s not about trying harder, it’s about caring differently.
Here’s what actually works:
Decide which rounds matter to you. Club championship? Member-guest? That annual trip with college buddies? Circle those dates and treat them differently. Koepka doesn’t care much about regular tour events, but majors? That’s when he locks in.
Two weeks before your big round, change your practice. Stop beating balls mindlessly. Play nine holes in which every shot has consequences. Miss the fairway? Hit from the rough on the next hole too. Three-putt? Twenty push-ups. Koepka’s practice intensity ramps up before majors because he’s rehearsing pressure, not just swings.
Develop a between-shot routine that resets your brain. Koepka is famous for his blank expression after bad shots. Try this: After any shot, take three deep breaths while walking, then find something specific to notice, a tree, a cloud, someone’s shirt. That’s your reset button. By the time you reach your ball, the last shot is gone.
The Bottom Line
Brooks Koepka’s return reminds us there’s no single path to success in golf. His “substance over style” approach proves that results matter more than looking good.
You don’t need a perfect swing; you need a reliable one that holds up under pressure. You don’t need to hit every shot in the book; you need the shots you can count on. And you don’t need to play great every time; you need to play great when it matters.
Welcome back, Brooks. Thanks for the reminder that golf is ultimately about getting the ball in the hole, not winning style points.
PGA Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer. You can check out his writing work and learn more about him by visiting BEAGOLFER.golf and OneMoreRollGolf.com. Also, check out “Playing Through” now on R.org, RG.org’s partner site, each Monday.
Editor’s note: Brendon shares his nearly 30 years of experience in the game with GolfWRX readers through his ongoing tip series. He looks forward to providing valuable insights and advice to help golfers improve their game. Stay tuned for more tips!
Blades Brown made a big impression last week in the California desert, and not just because he’s only 18. He put up numbers that would catch any weekend golfer’s attention. Most of us won’t hit 317-yard drives or find 86% of our greens in regulation, but there’s a lot to learn from how Brown managed his game at The American Express.
Here are three practical lessons from his performance that you can use on your own course this weekend.
Step 1: Give Priority to Accuracy Over Distance Off The Tee
Brown’s driving stats are impressive. He averaged almost 318 yards off the tee, ranking 12th in the field. More importantly, he hit 76.79% of his fairways, tying for fourth place in the tournament.
Think about that ratio for a second. Brown could have swung harder, chased more distance and tried to overpower the course. Instead, he played smart golf and kept his ball in play.
Your Action Item: Next time you’re on the tee box, ask yourself a simple question before pulling the driver. Do you need maximum distance here, or do you need to be in the fairway? If there’s trouble lurking or the hole doesn’t demand every yard you can muster, take something off your swing. Grip down an inch. Make a three-quarter swing. Do whatever it takes to find the short grass. Brown’s approach illustrates that fairways lead to greens, and greens lead to birdies. He made 22 of them last week, along with an eagle.
The math is simple. When you’re hitting three out of every four fairways like Brown did, you’re giving yourself legitimate looks at the green with your approach shots. That’s when scoring happens.
Step 2: Commit To Hitting More Greens
This is where Brown really separated himself. He hit 62 of 72 greens in regulation, an 86.11% clip that tied for first in the entire field. Read that again. An 18-year-old kid tied for the lead in one of the most important ball-striking statistics in professional golf.
How did he do it? By keeping his ball in the fairway (see Step 1) and giving himself clean looks with mid-irons and wedges.
Your Action Item: Start tracking your greens in regulation. You don’t need a fancy app or a statistics degree. Just mark down whether you hit the green in the regulation number of strokes. Par 3s in one shot. Par 4s in two shots. Par 5s in three shots.
Once you know your baseline, set a goal to improve it by 10%. If you’re currently hitting five greens per round, aim for six. The beauty of this approach is that it forces you to think strategically about club selection and shot shape. Brown’s strokes gained approach number was positive (0.179), meaning he was better than the field average. You don’t need to be perfect. You just need to be on the dance floor more often.
When you hit more greens, you eliminate the need for heroic short game shots. Brown only had to scramble 10 times all week, and he got up and down 70% of the time. That’s solid, but the real story is that he rarely put himself in scrambling situations to begin with.
Step 3: Minimize Mistakes And Stay Patient
Here’s the stat that jumps off the page: Brown made only three bogeys all week. Three. In four rounds of professional golf against the best players in the world.
He also made just one double bogey. That kind of clean card doesn’t happen by accident. It happens when you play within yourself, avoid the big miss and trust that pars are never bad scores.
Your Action Item: Before your next round, decide that you’re going to play boring golf. No hero shots over water. No driver on tight holes just because you can. No aggressive pins when there’s a safe side of the green.
Brown’s performance shows us that consistency beats flash every single time. He didn’t lead the field in any single strokes gained category, but he was solid across the board. That’s how you post numbers and cash checks.
Give these three steps a try. Your scorecard will thank you.
PGA Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer. You can check out his writing work and learn more about him by visiting BEAGOLFER.golf and OneMoreRollGolf.com. Also, check out “The Starter” now on R.org, RG.org’s partner site, each Monday.
Editor’s note: Brendon shares his nearly 30 years of experience in the game with GolfWRX readers through his ongoing tip series. He looks forward to providing valuable insights and advice to help golfers improve their game. Stay tuned for more tips!
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Gene
Nov 18, 2015 at 1:39 pm
Bill, am I missing something? The title of your book is “The 5 tour Fundamentals of Golf”, but in your WRX article you write about the “Four Essential Moves for a Better Golf swing.” I am wondering if it is four or five fundamentals (essentials) for a better golf swing?
Drew
Nov 5, 2015 at 11:37 pm
Bill- great article, very well written. I love the videos. Hopefully, I can get on your waiting list because I would make the drive from ma. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Nick Clearwater
Nov 3, 2015 at 5:20 pm
The swing description and measurements sound very familiar, Bill 😉
Glad to read you are doing well and putting out some good information!
Jerry G
Nov 3, 2015 at 2:59 pm
Great article. One question, I notice you say great players start the downswing with a hip bump toward the target and others use a rotation. The gif of Tiger looks more like a rotation to me, am I missing something? Thanks for the help!
Andrew Cooper
Nov 3, 2015 at 10:57 am
Bill, Rotation then tilt… Isn’t the backswing going to be rotation and tilting simultaneously? rather than in two separate phases/moves. And the average angles you mention-with what club is that? and what are the acceptable parameters? Thanks.
Bill Schmedes III, PGA
Nov 3, 2015 at 11:55 am
Yes, good question. It doesn’t happen in two separate phases there is just more rotation then tilt early on with torso thats why it was broken up into two phases. The rotation and tilt section pretty much just explain how the body goes from forward bend into side bend as backswing gets closer to top position. Club being hit is a fairway wood. Hope that helps a bit..
Andrew Cooper
Nov 4, 2015 at 5:18 am
Bill, Thanks for the reply and clarification.
I ask about acceptable parameters because I think this is important. The average numbers you mention are just that, averages. I suspect the range is actually pretty big e.g. Bernhard Langer looks to have a lot of early rotation (more than 27 degrees) while Fred Couples hasn’t much. Or Bubba Watson has a lot of tilt compared to a flatter shoulder turn like Love III for instance. Turning and tilting, to various degrees, is a given; good players, bad players, indifferent players all do this. Therefore elevating these to “tour fundamentals” seems a bit of a stretch.
Mark
Nov 2, 2015 at 8:12 pm
This is the best explanation and video of the bump move I have ever seen. I found with my swing the right leg does NOT move, must feel firm and stacked for this bump to work effectively. I did this playing yesterday. My missing link.
Bill Schmedes III, PGA
Nov 3, 2015 at 11:45 am
Thanks Mark
ACas
Nov 2, 2015 at 12:27 pm
The “Lateral Bump” is a move that when I put it together my distance and accuracy are at its best. But, it also has created a very inconsistent swing for me, more so coming over the top or I’m leaving the face open. Point is it has me hitting more slices than before. Can you elaborate on this move? In particular how much should this lateral bump in length be? how aggressive do you bump forward? etc…
Any added information would be greatly appreciated.
Bill Schmedes III, PGA
Nov 3, 2015 at 11:45 am
Be careful with the bump. Should only be the pelvis early in the transition. If the pelvis & shoulder go together there isn’t separation and that’s where the miss can come from.
RoGar
Nov 2, 2015 at 11:10 am
I love the comments of the non believers, I have been playing golf for almost 30 years and teaching for 5. I have always tried to pick the different moves of better players, not only tour players, but top amateurs also. Mr. Schmedes obviously picked up on the same things I did, let’s say the 4 of many very important positions. He’s not making these positions up, he just has great eyes, and a very different perspective than most. I love the article, job well done!!!
Bill Schmedes III, PGA
Nov 3, 2015 at 11:43 am
Thanks!
Marco
Nov 2, 2015 at 5:01 am
I think to much “TILT” is bad for your back with a high swing speed…so you have showed Tiger…i think he have some back problems? Right?
Bill Schmedes III, PGA
Nov 2, 2015 at 10:09 am
Yes too much would not be good on the body. Over the years I have seen a very small number of amateur golfers with too much. Almost always they show to little. The videos show off each key nicely but for the record I did not pick the golfer to be used that was done by WRX
marcel
Nov 1, 2015 at 6:47 pm
here are 100% proven 4 movements for better Golf:
1. Get a Golf Coach
2. Get a Golf Coach or quit
3. Get a Golf Coach and stop complaining
4. Get a Golf Coach – not new golf set!
if this fails – focus on soccer or running
Alex
Nov 1, 2015 at 11:07 am
This is a recipe for manufactured positions rather than a fluid swing incorporating all of these asepcts, if you taught this to an average golfer they would be a mess. Terrible pros (like this writer) like to break down the swing into parts, (there is tilt already working when you rotate). Please keep teaching these machanical motions to students, they will come to me for lessons to get straightened out. I should actually thank Bill here, the more people who read this, the more will be coming to me for lessons with their garbage swings!
Bill Schmedes III
Nov 1, 2015 at 8:31 pm
Thanks for the comments Alex. I see no one taught you any manners throughout your years and I’m sorry for that. It doesn’t appear I know you and you obviously don’t know anything about me based on your comments. It’s simple an article made for golfers looking to see what many of the top players in the world are currently doing. I’m one of the busiest coaches I know with a waiting list so I’d love for you to take some players of mine. May help me get a vacation!
Steve
Nov 1, 2015 at 9:00 pm
I understand both of your thoughts. When i am taught to be in correct positions all i do is think about hitting those positions and not hitting the ball. Completely slows down my swing. But i understand that he is just making a comparison.
KK
Nov 2, 2015 at 5:30 am
Alex, where do you teach and what are your credentials?
Sb
Nov 2, 2015 at 8:34 am
Alex, easy to throw stones from your moms basement in between handfuls of Cheetos. Share with us where you are from and where you teach. Tbh, you sound like a range hack who has all the answers and breaks 90 once a year. Until we know who you are, a hack is how you will be treated. Don’t get any crumbs on your laptop.
J-Rock
Nov 1, 2015 at 7:04 am
I like the term tour fundamentals. Too many amateurs think they can just hit balls and they’ll eventually get the cap down. There’s a reason tour pros have a lot of similarities in their swings. These four fundamentals couldn’t be truer, but…. The vague description of how it’s done won’t help many. A good instructor can recognize these similarities, as you have done. A great instructor can understand, perform and then explain in detail how to perform it. I don’t believe the information given here will help anyone achieve these fundamentals.
I see this pattern throughout the golf instruction industry. It’s probably because instructors are mostly failed tour pros who A: don’t remember how they learned to swing. B: are missing some components of the tour fundamentals themselves.
E.g. the squat and thrust. No tour pro does this. From an outside in view, it looks like they do, this all began with announcers describing Rory’s swing though. The squat and thrust is a byproduct of other mechanical movements in the swing. You need to find and understand the root of the movements which can only be achieved by performing them yourself.
Bill Schmedes III
Nov 1, 2015 at 8:41 pm
Thanks for the comments. It’s just an article with a limited amount of words to use so I can only get so much information in J-Rock. I also completely disagree with your comments especially towards the end about no tour players squat and thrust. If you were to see the data through 6D and force plates you would find your comments couldn’t be any further from the truth. I do agree that specific movements effect others in a player to player basis though.
Mike W
Nov 1, 2015 at 12:34 am
Can you elaborate on the left shoulder working ‘down and across’. I think I know what you mean but can you clarify – down and across….what? Would you say the initial takeaway (ie. the first part of the rotation) is pushing the left hand away from the target, and maybe slightly inward toward the right hip? Thanks.
other paul
Nov 1, 2015 at 7:03 am
Take it away low and slow
-op
Christestrogen
Nov 1, 2015 at 8:02 pm
Imagine there is like 50 nails going into the ground…..and you only have 49 hammers…
-Christosterone
Bill Schmedes III
Nov 1, 2015 at 8:45 pm
Mike,
Left shoulder working down and across is just the movement of the shoulder joint as the body goes from forward bend to side bend. Down would be tilting (side bend) and across would be the rotation of it. Hope that clears things up. Thanks
Mike W
Nov 2, 2015 at 12:58 am
Thanks Bill.
Nolanski
Oct 31, 2015 at 10:54 pm
Great stuff. I have a tendency to spin out and for whatever reason my body/mind doesn’t want to release the club. I’ll work on it this winter!
Bill Schmedes III
Nov 1, 2015 at 8:46 pm
Thanks!
Andy Saunders
Oct 31, 2015 at 3:04 pm
I’ve been going through a major swing change since July. The article sums up my feeling of swinging now, tilt, rotate, swing right down the line(release/extend). Honestly, I’m a 4 cap and don’t really understand how it works, but when I swing “down the line, feeling like I’m hitting a fade” as my PGA Pro wants me to, it results in a crazy powerful slight draw every time, easy to repeat. But, months of repetition to get there, and I’m just beginning to see results over the last month after 4 months of work. It’s exciting! Crazy how the proper swing works.
Bill Schmedes III
Nov 1, 2015 at 8:46 pm
Best of luck Andy!