Instruction
Testing Brandel Chamblee’s “Restricted Hips” swing theory on Trackman
Brandel Chamblee — a famously controversial, but tremendously knowledgable golf analyst — has taken a very firm public stance on the way golfers should use their hips during the golf swing. He believes that golfers should let their front foot come off the ground in the backswing, allowing the hips to turn mostly unrestricted, rather than the new-age philosophy of restricting the hip turn for control and power. In fact, he says that restricting the hips may be the cause of long-term injuries that have become common on the PGA Tour.
Watch his take in the video below.
And I agree with Chamblee to a point, although I often teach the golf swing both ways to my students; and let me tell you why.
If I have a person who is lacking clubhead speed, tends to lift the club with their arms to the top, has issues with an over-the-top delivery, requires more swing width at the top or needs more distance, I will allow them to have a more unrestricted motion to the top, as Chamblee suggests.
Above, you can see a full hip turn to the top with a left heel that has come up off the ground, creating a fuller shoulder turn and a deeper club position at the top. This allows the hips and shoulders to move into a more rotated position and thus keeps the club in the air longer and should produce more clubhead speed.
However, if the player has radical misses, rips the club inside their body on the takeaway, gets stuck on the way down, needs more stability at the top or lacks control not distance, I will often “shorten” them up a touch. In other words, I restrict their hip turn.
In this photo, you can see a tighter overall turn the top, a shorter and wider arm-swing, a more center body position over the ball, and a reduced hip turn (compared to the photo above) to the top.
Let me make it clear that, to me, there is a huge difference between a true “restriction” and simply tightening up the backswing. While I don’t believe in full restriction in most any circumstance, since it hampers the body’s natural motion, I might reduce it slightly if necessary to gain control. As you can see above, the hips have still turned but they are tighter than the free-flowing hip actions seen with Jack Nicklaus or Mickey Wright, to use Chamblee’s examples. Neither are incorrect, just different, and have different roles for different player issues.
So let’s examine the Trackman data with a 7 iron using the two different concepts: hip restriction vs. unrestricted hips.
The white circle on the Trackman screen shot above show the shots with the more restricted hip action (RH = restricted hip action) while the yellow shots were hit with unrestricted hip action (UH = unrestricted hip action) to the top.
- RH produced a carry average of 148.4 yards, a short shot of 141 yards and a long shot of 155.6 yards giving us a dispersion of 14.6 yards.
- UH produced a carry average of 157.9 yards, a short shot of 152.8 yards and a long shot of 164 yards giving us a dispersion of 11.2 yards.
- RH produced a club-head speed of 80.7 miles per hour, while the UH gave the golfer 84.5 miles per hour.
- The path of the RH was -1.1 from outside to inside and the path of the UH was 0.8 degrees from the inside.
- With more clubhead speed, we saw higher shots as shown by the graph of the shot patterns.
NOTE: In each of the data tiles you will see a number in the lower left hand corner. This is the average for all shots hit, and the +/- is the difference off the average the current shot is overall.
The Restricted Hip Turn Swing
What I like about a tighter hip turn:
- More control for the longer hitters.
- Variances in clubhead speed and carry distances are smaller.
- Big misses are diminished.
What I don’t like:
- Easier for arms to dominate the swing.
- Over-the-top motions are more prevalent.
- Shorter-and-tighter swings can easily become immobile if over-cooked by the player.
The Unrestricted Hip Turn Swing
What I like about the unrestricted hip turn:
- Easier to get loaded and behind the ball at the top for the less flexible players.
- More clubhead speed and more distance.
- Easier to come from the inside.
What I don’t like:
- Easier to transition “back,” but harder to get forward.
- Easier to get the weight on the outside heel of the rear foot.
- Misses tend to be much worse (long and left is a killer).
So… what’s the best way for you to swing?
- If you hit the ball far enough for the courses you play and you lack control, you might want to consider tightening up your hip your hip turn.
- If you need more distance and higher shots into the greens, you might want to consider releasing your hips to the top.
For more information regarding the fuller hip rotation, pick up Chamblee’s book “The Anatomy of Greatness.”
There may be no more painful affliction in golf than the “yips” – those uncontrollable and maddening little nervous twitches that prevent you from making a decent stroke on short putts. If you’ve never had them, consider yourself very fortunate (or possibly just very young). But I can assure you that when your most treacherous and feared golf shot is not the 195 yard approach over water with a quartering headwind…not the extra tight fairway with water left and sand right…not the soft bunker shot to a downhill pin with water on the other side…No, when your most feared shot is the remaining 2- 4-foot putt after hitting a great approach, recovery or lag putt, it makes the game almost painful.
And I’ve been fighting the yips (again) for a while now. It’s a recurring nightmare that has haunted me most of my adult life. I even had the yips when I was in my 20s, but I’ve beat them into submission off and on most of my adult life. But just recently, that nasty virus came to life once again. My lag putting has been very good, but when I get over one of those “you should make this” length putts, the entire nervous system seems to go haywire. I make great practice strokes, and then the most pitiful short-stroke or jab at the ball you can imagine. Sheesh.
But I’m a traditionalist, and do not look toward the long putter, belly putter, cross-hand, claw or other variation as the solution. My approach is to beat those damn yips into submission some other way. Here’s what I’m doing that is working pretty well, and I offer it to all of you who might have a similar affliction on the greens.
When you are over a short putt, forget the practice strokes…you want your natural eye-hand coordination to be unhindered by mechanics. Address your putt and take a good look at the hole, and back to the putter to ensure good alignment. Lighten your right hand grip on the putter and make sure that only the fingertips are in contact with the grip, to prevent you from getting to tight.
Then, take a long, long look at the hole to fill your entire mind and senses with the target. When you bring your head/eyes back to the ball, try to make a smooth, immediate move right into your backstroke — not even a second pause — and then let your hands and putter track right back together right back to where you were looking — the HOLE! Seeing the putter make contact with the ball, preferably even the forward edge of the ball – the side near the hole.
For me, this is working, but I am asking all of you to chime in with your own “home remedies” for the most aggravating and senseless of all golf maladies. It never hurts to have more to fall back on!
Over the last couple of decades, golf has become much more science-based. We measure swing speed, smash factor, angle of attack, strokes gained, and many other metrics that can really help golfers improve. But I often wonder if the advancement of golf’s “hard” sciences comes at the expense of the “soft” sciences.
Take, for example, golf instruction. Good golf instruction requires understanding swing mechanics and ball flight. But let’s take that as a given for PGA instructors. The other factors that make an instructor effective can be evaluated by social science, rather than launch monitors.
If you are a recreational golfer looking for a golf instructor, here are my top three points to consider.
1. Cultural mindset
What is “cultural mindset? To social scientists, it means whether a culture of genius or a culture of learning exists. In a golf instruction context, that may mean whether the teacher communicates a message that golf ability is something innate (you either have it or you don’t), or whether golf ability is something that can be learned. You want the latter!
It may sound obvious to suggest that you find a golf instructor who thinks you can improve, but my research suggests that it isn’t a given. In a large sample study of golf instructors, I found that when it came to recreational golfers, there was a wide range of belief systems. Some instructors strongly believed recreational golfers could improve through lessons. while others strongly believed they could not. And those beliefs manifested in the instructor’s feedback given to a student and the culture created for players.
2. Coping and self-modeling can beat role-modeling
Swing analysis technology is often preloaded with swings of PGA and LPGA Tour players. The swings of elite players are intended to be used for comparative purposes with golfers taking lessons. What social science tells us is that for novice and non-expert golfers, comparing swings to tour professionals can have the opposite effect of that intended. If you fit into the novice or non-expert category of golfer, you will learn more and be more motivated to change if you see yourself making a ‘better’ swing (self-modeling) or seeing your swing compared to a similar other (a coping model). Stay away from instructors who want to compare your swing with that of a tour player.
3. Learning theory basics
It is not a sexy selling point, but learning is a process, and that process is incremental – particularly for recreational adult players. Social science helps us understand this element of golf instruction. A good instructor will take learning slowly. He or she will give you just about enough information that challenges you, but is still manageable. The artful instructor will take time to decide what that one or two learning points are before jumping in to make full-scale swing changes. If the instructor moves too fast, you will probably leave the lesson with an arm’s length of swing thoughts and not really know which to focus on.
As an instructor, I develop a priority list of changes I want to make in a player’s technique. We then patiently and gradually work through that list. Beware of instructors who give you more than you can chew.
So if you are in the market for golf instruction, I encourage you to look beyond the X’s and O’s to find the right match!
Most pros take months, even years, to win their first tournament. Lottie Woad needed exactly four days.
The 21-year-old from Surrey shot 21-under 267 at Dundonald Links to win the ISPS Handa Women’s Scottish Open by three shots — in her very first event as a professional. She’s only the third player in LPGA history to accomplish this feat, joining Rose Zhang (2023) and Beverly Hanson (1951).
But here’s what caught my attention as a coach: Woad didn’t win through miraculous putting or bombing 300-yard drives. She won through relentless precision and unshakeable composure. After watching her performance unfold, I’m convinced every golfer — from weekend warriors to scratch players — can steal pages from her playbook.
Precision Beats Power (And It’s Not Even Close)
Forget the driving contests. Woad proved that finding greens matters more than finding distance.
What Woad did:
• Hit it straight, hit it solid, give yourself chances
• Aimed for the fat parts of greens instead of chasing pins
• Let her putting do the talking after hitting safe targets
• As she said, “Everyone was chasing me today, and managed to maintain the lead and played really nicely down the stretch and hit a lot of good shots”
Why most golfers mess this up:
• They see a pin tucked behind a bunker and grab one more club to “go right at it”
• Distance becomes more important than accuracy
• They try to be heroic instead of smart
ACTION ITEM: For your next 10 rounds, aim for the center of every green regardless of pin position. Track your greens in regulation and watch your scores drop before your swing changes.
The Putter That Stayed Cool Under Fire
Woad started the final round two shots clear and immediately applied pressure with birdies at the 2nd and 3rd holes. When South Korea’s Hyo Joo Kim mounted a charge and reached 20-under with a birdie at the 14th, Woad didn’t panic.
How she responded to pressure:
• Fired back with consecutive birdies at the 13th and 14th
• Watched Kim stumble with back-to-back bogeys
• Capped it with her fifth birdie of the day at the par-5 18th
• Stayed patient when others pressed, pressed when others cracked
What amateurs do wrong:
• Get conservative when they should be aggressive
• Try to force magic when steady play would win
• Panic when someone else makes a move
ACTION ITEM: Practice your 3-6 foot putts for 15 minutes after every range session. Woad’s putting wasn’t spectacular—it was reliable. Make the putts you should make.
Course Management 101: Play Your Game, Not the Course’s Game
Woad admitted she couldn’t see many scoreboards during the final round, but it didn’t matter. She stuck to her game plan regardless of what others were doing.
Her mental approach:
• Focused on her process, not the competition
• Drew on past pressure situations (Augusta National Women’s Amateur win)
• As she said, “That was the biggest tournament I played in at the time and was kind of my big win. So definitely felt the pressure of it more there, and I felt like all those experiences helped me with this”
Her physical execution:
• 270-yard drives (nothing flashy)
• Methodical iron play
• Steady putting
• Everything effective, nothing spectacular
ACTION ITEM: Create a yardage book for your home course. Know your distances to every pin, every hazard, every landing area. Stick to your plan no matter what your playing partners are doing.
Mental Toughness Isn’t Born, It’s Built
The most impressive part of Woad’s win? She genuinely didn’t expect it: “I definitely wasn’t expecting to win my first event as a pro, but I knew I was playing well, and I was hoping to contend.”
Her winning mindset:
• Didn’t put winning pressure on herself
• Focused on playing well and contending
• Made winning a byproduct of a good process
• Built confidence through recent experiences:
- Won the Women’s Irish Open as an amateur
- Missed a playoff by one shot at the Evian Championship
- Each experience prepared her for the next
What this means for you:
• Stop trying to shoot career rounds every time you tee up
• Focus on executing your pre-shot routine
• Commit to every shot
• Stay present in the moment
ACTION ITEM: Before each round, set process goals instead of score goals. Example: “I will take three practice swings before every shot” or “I will pick a specific target for every shot.” Let your score be the result, not the focus.
The Real Lesson
Woad collected $300,000 for her first professional victory, but the real prize was proving that fundamentals still work at golf’s highest level. She didn’t reinvent the game — she simply executed the basics better than everyone else that week.
The fundamentals that won:
• Hit more fairways
• Find more greens
• Make the putts you should make
• Stay patient under pressure
That’s something every golfer can do, regardless of handicap. Lottie Woad just showed us it’s still the winning formula.
FINAL ACTION ITEM: Pick one of the four action items above and commit to it for the next month. Master one fundamental before moving to the next. That’s how champions are built.
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” on RG.org 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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Paul
May 18, 2017 at 2:32 pm
Well done article.
I unrestricted my hips and picked up a little from Kelvin as well. added up to 15 MPH.
miuralovechild
Feb 4, 2017 at 9:52 pm
Patrick Rodgers has ZERO hip turn and he bombs the hell out of it. I wonder if he’s a hack when his timing gets off being that he has to use more arms and hands than others. Spin might be an issue too. A lot of clubhead rotation through the hitting zone.
Ray Kearney
Jan 9, 2017 at 12:02 pm
Tom:
Very insightful information. Having listened to Chamblee discuss and promote his theory/book recently, I came to the conclusion that most of it is geared toward elite players and those who hit many many balls over a long period of time.
Its a bit like us average golfers buying the latest driver guaranteeing 20 more yards, yes but only if you move it like the pro’s do, many times there is very little benefit to the average golfer i think…
I play from a 1 HC, am 52 and found that what works for me is actually a blend of both RH and UH techniques. I simply pull my trail foot back a couple inches, which increases my ability to get a full turn, but keep my lead foot essentially planted. It has given me more distance, a much better turn, far better accuracy. Once i moved away from a fully restricted hip turn, the nagging aches i had were (and still are) gone..
Just my 2 cents…
Cheers.
Jack
Jan 8, 2017 at 8:32 am
LOL Chamblee, let’s just ignore that Jack Nicklaus had/has major issues with his hips. These pros play and practice a lot and hit the ball really hard. Basically any swing will cause injuries. All pro players in all sports get injured. Humans break down. The only way they will curb injury is to swing not as hard or just play less. Freddy Couples had the smoothest looking swing but he still had back issues. Why’s that?
Scientific Golfer
Jan 7, 2017 at 7:31 pm
It all comes down to spinal torsion, and the fact that that the upper thoracic spine vertebra slightly allow rotatation while the lumbar lower spine doesn’t. Lock your hips and rotate, then your thoracic spine is highly stresses at T12-L1, or where your thoracic spine merges into the lumbar spine. Sitting a lot will also hurt your spine at T12-L1 (look it up on google image) over time due to poor spinal posture, and where most recreational golfer suffer.
Golfers who cannot create a spread between the hips and shoulders (X-Factor), mainly due to stiff spinal and back muscles… and obesity however slight , will rotate their shoulders in synchrony with their hips…. iow, the hips, torso and shoulders all rotate as one unit…. not exactly a Power Package! This is okay with wedges but really bad with the driver and long clubs.
Most professional athletes will sacrifice their bodies for the big bucks and early painful retirement, but that’s not necessary for recreational and even good amateur golfers. It’s safety first for a long golf life.
La
Jan 8, 2017 at 2:49 am
What about long arms
Steve Wozeniak
Jan 7, 2017 at 5:05 pm
Nope…..The “restricted” hip theory is NOT why this kid hurt his back…..nice try……
Clue, it’s on the other side…….
Steve Wozeniak PGA
http://www.stevewozeniak.com
Forsbrand
Jan 7, 2017 at 2:25 pm
It all comes down to your body build and type of body you have centre f gravity and flexibility.
At the end of the day we all have to play within ourselves. Dear old Seve was a prime example of smashing the ball around the course in his early years and then came back trouble which he had to deal with he could no longer hit everything flat out just the occasional one.
Nice article and Brandel consistently puts his neck on the block, well done Brandel be a shepherd not a sheep!
HaHo
Jan 13, 2017 at 8:47 am
Is your first name Anders?
Frank Gifford
Jan 7, 2017 at 8:45 am
TOM, great article.
Do you think it would benefit all if they used the restricted swing on shorter irons for more control and the unrestricted for the longer irons and woods?
I just realized that I do this.
tom stickney
Jan 7, 2017 at 9:30 pm
It can be done but it would be tough
wrxer
Jan 7, 2017 at 7:34 am
Shamblee measures 176cm or so…what does he know about swings for tall players?
Looking at Mr Stickney’s swing with an #8: he rotates the shoulders in a fairly flat degree.
Wish I could ever do that. My posture won’t let me. Better follow advice from Harvey Penick: mimic a proper swing from somebody with a comparable body frame.
What really works on the back is the angle of the waist in relation to the legs.
That requires a steep rotation of the shoulders. Dustin Johnson is unreal.
Btw Jack Nicklaus had a left hip replacement years ago.
When it comes to Shamblee’s leg action it looks lively but weak. No strength in the left leg at all. In the top of the swing he looks unstable. One soft push and he would tumble over.
Eg Michelle’s arm is wide but not deep. Her legs are fully loaded with energy to keep traction.
Pretty sure she outhits Chamblee by a mile any day in their careers.
Bob Pegram
Jan 7, 2017 at 6:33 am
When hips are not restricted, it is possible to have too little or too much hip turn, especially on the downswing. Letting the hips gets too far ahead of the arms and hands can cause pull hooks. The hips turn so far left before impact that the clubhead is pulled across the line to the left for a RH golfer. Too little hip movement on the downswing leads to leaving the weight on the back foot and also cutting across the target line.
Kevin B
Jan 7, 2017 at 1:52 am
Monte has been saying this for a while on the forums now.
Double Mocha Man
Jan 6, 2017 at 10:40 pm
Mr. Stickney… is it possible to have an unrestricted hip turn but still keep the left foot firmly on the ground?
Tom Stickney
Jan 6, 2017 at 11:04 pm
Yes you can but few players have the physical ability
Jmac
Jan 6, 2017 at 10:00 pm
I used a “restricted” swing, (actually that referenced earlier here – The Don Trahan 3/4 limited turn) for over 5 years with success as a champ on the range, chump on the course. By putting that ‘governor” on my turn, I introduced a tighter, more suspect to stress nature on my rounds. It also produced horrid golfer’s elbow (an injury not mentioned here!) in my lead left arm. I feel the shorter, more compact swing resulted in a more violent snap down into/thru the ball – elbow micro tears of inner side. But, as mentioned – I was a range wizard, especially the irons.
FFWD to current swing of +3 seasons taught by Shawn Clement, we open up everything turning back, like Brandel Chamblee is talking about in “Anatomy…” My distance is longer, the elbow is not stressed nearly as much due to smoother tempo & flow, but misses are more often.
A final observation from a very fit 53 yo weekly player – By attempting to lift & plant my front heel/foot a lot off the ground using what Chamblee is talking, I have now encountered massive front left knee pain (inner). I don’t need the doctor, I can tell this is a small meniscus tear as a runner since ’83 would know with these knees. So, I have the current dilemma of either re-grooving back into the Restricted Trahan method (prefer not) or hoping I can continue playing better without that injury by keeping my front foot down again. I had quite the turn without this move, got greedy and saw the pics posted of the greats who lifted their front foot and now suffer the knee injury.
chinchbugs
Jan 6, 2017 at 8:30 pm
Saw Chamblee and instantly hit dislike…should I have read the article first? 😛
john
Jan 6, 2017 at 7:43 pm
I agree with Tom.
Years ago when I was 44 (handicap 7) , I noticed teh modern swing kept the heel on the ground. I started doing that and my handicap dropped to 3 – my misses were not nearly as frequent or bad. 3 years later, I ended up with a bad back and unable to golf for 2 years. After multiple back shots, and PT for two years, I was able to play again.
Fastforward to now, I do about 20 minutes of regular stretching and now I am 60 and a 4 handicap, as low as 3.2 this past year. I still keep my left heel very quiet, although I do lift it slightly.
I think the general golfer would be much better off doing a fitness and stretching program for at least one year BEFORE taking any lessons or changing his swing. That way, his body will be ready to perform better.
I wish I had…
JR
Jan 6, 2017 at 5:32 pm
Brandels premise and what you wrote about are two entirely different subjects.
tom stickney
Jan 6, 2017 at 5:45 pm
I wrote about the pros and cons of the two swing which is what BC discusses in his book
JR
Jan 6, 2017 at 5:30 pm
Brandells premise and what you wrote about are two entirely different topics.
Lynn
Jan 6, 2017 at 3:43 pm
Tom, I would like to agree with your statements here but unfortunately the (limited) data you provided here do not support your statements. I dislike Chamblee as much as anyone else but your analysis is wrong. I would call it confirmation bias but it doesn’t even confirm your statements, it goes against them. I ran a quick stats analysis on your numbers.
Dispersion RH 14.6 > UH 11.2 yards
Dispersion RH 4.5 > UH 3.2 MPH
Std Dev RH 4.7 > UH 3.2 yards
Std Dev RH 1.48 > UH 0.94 —Unrestricted more consistent in every parameter you provided.
It also appears that the biggest miss on right AND left side were with restricted hips. I’m just not sure how you can say that “restricted hips” are better in any facet. Would love to hear your thoughts.
tom stickney
Jan 6, 2017 at 5:47 pm
A free hip turn works for certain players while it does not for others…the data is just to show an example
Lynn
Jan 6, 2017 at 6:08 pm
Appreciate the response. I too want to believe that “unrestricted hips” produce less consistent results, mainly just to prove Chamblee wrong if we’re being honest. Do you have any data to support this? The data you showed only furthered the idea that restricting the hips is not a good idea. A study with your students would be very interesting.
Tom Stickney
Jan 6, 2017 at 11:06 pm
Thx. Will see what I can do.
Mat
Jan 7, 2017 at 4:42 am
Thank you, Lynn. I was thinking the exact same. What I think is missing here is a point Tom made in the article. When you go UH, your misses are terrible. There were not any terrible shots in the data. Therefore, the super-preliminary hypothesis might be UH is better if you don’t fire hard left. (Guess what my miss is…)
tom stickney
Jan 7, 2017 at 9:35 pm
Mat-
Good point that I forgot to mention, I often take out the mishits in the series of shots I hit in my articles in efforts to show the readers what the main shot patters are in general
John
Jan 6, 2017 at 3:40 pm
I just recently realized that I was unconsciously restricting my hip turn when playing outside on actual golf course. For some reason when I play inside on a simulator I don’t restrict my hip turn. Seems like on the actual golf course I’m trying to shorten & tighten up (maybe tense up) my swing whereas on the sim I just let it rip.
Lance
Jan 6, 2017 at 3:28 pm
Cmon people it’s more the jump up at impact than hip turn that is devastating on backs. If you want a hurt back you will straighten your lead leg while retaining spine tilt. Compression and twisting equal bad back
Arik
Jan 6, 2017 at 12:55 pm
There is no correct way to swing a club, just as there’s no one way to throw a dart. You either have a mind and determination that allows you to “score” and “win”, or you dont. There are however ways to injure and damage your body through repetitive motion. In youth you may posses the ability/flexibility to learn any way to swing. eventually it will catch up in age. Some players peak early with a beginners mind, and then cant perform ever again after a monumental meltdown. Others peak later after much perseverance and practice, but never dominate. And some, well….they just have it. Snead, Nicklaus, Tiger, Phil Taylor, and now Michael Van Gerwen. You cant teach a prodigy’s throw like you cant take a prodigy’s swing, just like you cant teach someone who cant pick up and throw a baseball with any velocity how to be a major league pitcher. Simple as that!
TIm
Jan 6, 2017 at 8:17 pm
Agree, the 2 or 3% of golfers that REALLY play to a zero or better handicap are just simply born with what used to be called hand/eye coordination…same with all pro sports..the best are simply the best…what makes golf worth it’s salt is the amateur doing what ever he can to make a few pars, and the best at that are the ones that figured out how to do it with what ever swing or hit they can figure out.
BIG STU
Jan 7, 2017 at 4:18 am
Exactly you nailed it in a nutshell
DaveMac
Jan 6, 2017 at 12:47 pm
Never watched the video because of this!
“PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR AD BLOCKER
This video is unavailable if an ad blocker is running. Please disable and reload the page to start the video.”
Forcing me to watch adverts will drive me away.
Ray Kearney
Jan 9, 2017 at 11:53 am
Agreed.
Brian
Jan 6, 2017 at 12:42 pm
I personally like the unrestricted hip turn swing. I’m plenty flexible and hit the ball far enough for my tastes (250 – 270 carry, depending on strike quality). I actually find it easier to “get forward”, which is listed as a con, with the raised heel. At the start of the transition from back to downswing, I plant the heel and that act immediately starts my weight to the front side.
Rob
Jan 6, 2017 at 11:48 am
This is interesting to me. I grew up playing golf with the “restricted hip turn.” and years of trying to drive a ball 350 put a heavy strain on my back. A few years a go I slipped a disc in my lower back (in an incident unrelated to golf) and after much rehab I am pain free but I started to dread playing golf because the restricted hip turn swing was wreaking havoc. I have tried many times unsuccessfully to change to an unrestricted hip turn swing with little success as it just felt wrong and unnatural to me so I was forced to improvise. I still play with a restricted hip turn but I have shortened up my swing and try to swing as smooth as possible without any lurching at the ball to try and kill it. I picture David Toms, DLIII, or Ernie Else before every swing. Enjoyment is the name of the game now, I’ve certainly lost some distance (but I haven’t moved up a tee box yet as I like the challenge of a longer course) but I typically play in windy conditions and that swing lends itself well to solid contact and lower and controlled ball flight.
Its all about finding a swing that works best for you.
TIm
Jan 6, 2017 at 8:23 pm
try the swing as sold by the Trahan’s perfect for restricted swingers….a swing that lets the older folks use the power they still have in their arms to get the ball out there. Just go to a tournament D J Trahan is playing in and watch him hit balls on the driving range…long straight shots with out all the turning.
Steve
Jan 6, 2017 at 11:14 am
As a back pain sufferer (I have arthritis in my lowest 4 vertebrae) I can tell you from personal experience that the unrestricted hip turn is the one of the 2 ways I play without pain. The other is a version of Natural Golf/Moe Norman style with a greatly restricted backswing, no hip turn, and a slight hip “bump” to transfer weight to the left side. The problem with the former is a little less control, the latter is a loss of distance, regardless of what Graves Golf(the current “owner” of the “Moe Norman method” claims. I actually use both depending on the shot and course conditions.
I’ve been able to help my turn by focusing on stretching exercises and on distance by increasing hand, wrist and forearm strength thru resistance training. By spring I hope to be back to the distance I had 10 years ago.
Grizz01
Jan 6, 2017 at 10:56 am
I’m a product of the late 60’s and 70’s swing. I’ve always lifted the heel like a Nicklaus. Something that was not addressed is the shoes. More directly the spikes. Since soft spikes have become mandatory I find replanting the foot harder and the left foot tends to slip more often. Especially in damp to wet conditions.
Bob Pegram
Jan 7, 2017 at 6:21 am
Get the Champ spikes that protrude the most (yellow and black). I had the same problems with Black Window spikes (the first soft spikes) when they were new. I almost threw my back out when my back foot slipped just before impact. Champ spikes solved the problem.
Frank McChrystal
Jan 6, 2017 at 10:48 am
I think the restricted hips swing got started when driver technology allowed the pros to be very long off the tee while still playing the same course distances. So along come some genius coaches who sold the idea of gaining more control with less hip turn since the new equipment allowed this style to dominate while the courses were still effectually shortened. And the lemmings jumped on board with this fatally flawed concept much to the demise of the human body. Check out your anatomy 101 and note the ball and socket joints are at the head of the femur below the pelvis and the entire pelvis rotates on top of these ball and socket joints. The spine above the pelvis was not designed to rotate no matter how much as you want to believe it. The real problem is how easy it is to teach the flawed method of today and get some instant results whereas to teach and learn the body friendly move of the past greats requires a lot of study. Golf, which was once the sport for a lifetime is now simply a cash cow for orthopedic surgeons and chiropractors. Hogan and Snead must look down with sad amusement at the amount of gym time required by the pros just to “get ready and stay strong enough” to play golf. The evidence is clear and the punishment is fitting the crime.
alexdub
Jan 6, 2017 at 10:47 am
Great article, Tom. Thanks for the time you took in putting this all together.
JJVas
Jan 6, 2017 at 10:44 am
Excellent article, but Chamblee’s premise was ignored. As someone with back issues who has done both, and still experiments based on the state of my game, I can assure you (anecdotally, of course) that Chamblee’s point about more movement being easier on the back is accurate. I can also assure you that your point about a restricted hip swing being more accurate is, well… accurate. At 41, if I had to do it all over again, I would learn a move like Vijay and depend on a little fade to control my ball. Equipment is so good these days, you can dial in everything else, and a big loose move along with way more yoga than weights would take care of the rest. As much as I’m amazed by someone like Jason Day, I worry that he’ll be forced into retirement or irrelevant in ten years.
Kevin Johnson
Jan 6, 2017 at 10:01 am
Well, nice article but you didn’t even address Chamblee’s point. He wasn’t comparing UH to RH as which technique makes a better golfer. He was saying that the RH turn adds to the demise of the players health. TrackMan cannot determine the torque being sustained by a golfer’s body nor to what degree damage, if any, is being done.
Ian
Jan 6, 2017 at 10:24 am
+1
tom stickney
Jan 6, 2017 at 5:49 pm
Understood; however to understand both swings it is nice to see how the ball reacts. I think everyone agrees that restricting the hips is harder on the back
Patrick
Jan 6, 2017 at 9:59 am
I do not think that the swing is as large of a factor with regard to back issues on the tour as much as the work out regiments are. A lot of these players go to the gym lift massive amounts of weight then go straight to the range and bash balls for hours. The art of building muscles is breaking them down and then letting them repair, I just don’t know if a lot of the guys on tour who are hitting the weights hard are allowing for the proper recovery. Jason Day and Tiger Woods by golf standards are more bulkier and have worked to attain that through their style of workouts. I just think that is causing them more issues than their swing IMO. Had a friend who saw Tiger Woods in the gym during the Presidents Cup. Said he was over head squatting 185+ that is absolutely insane and no need for any golfer to have to do. Go try just taking the bench press bar lift it over your head and attempt to do a squat while keeping the bar above your head (arms straight) your lower back will be destroyed.
AC
Jan 6, 2017 at 10:45 am
I wholeheartedly agree. There’s a point where the stress becomes irritable. Inflammation occurs as well as imbalances that only add to rate or vulnerability to injury.
farmer
Jan 6, 2017 at 11:46 am
Patrick, this a very cogent point, and one I’ve wondered about. Going to the gym for an hour, hitting balls for an hour, playing a round of golf, hitting balls for another hour, rinse and repeat day after day is an insane schedule, even for a young guy.
Amac
Jan 6, 2017 at 11:54 am
Absolute rubbish. Strength and mobility if performed correctly will lengthen a career Just. because it’s insane to you to another it is not, it’s relative.
Tiger Woods swing go try the knee snap and head dive into the ball – that would put me in traction!
TR1PTIK
Jan 6, 2017 at 1:19 pm
The only reason your back would be destroyed in this scenario (apart from an improper movement) is that you have not developed the muscles necessary to support it.
I feel strain on my lower back just trying to putt sometime and I promise you it has nothing to do with my gym routine. It has everything to do with the disproportion of weight to the front of my body (known as a large stomach) and the lack of proper body conditioning.
For any skinny guys who claim to have the same problem and swear that the gym wouldn’t help them one bit, I encourage you to invest in a foam roller, a good massage therapist, and a good chiropractor. Everything in our bodies is linked together one way or another and when one part of the body is weaker/looser or stronger/tighter than another, you can bet there will be issues.
Rick
Jan 6, 2017 at 9:55 am
Hi Tom,
This is the type of article that can help all golfers improve. I thing great teachers understand that there is more than one way to swing the golf club. Nice job and thank you for the great information.
tom stickney
Jan 6, 2017 at 5:49 pm
Thank you for your comments
SD
Jan 6, 2017 at 9:49 am
Interesting stuff, but Chamblee is riding on others’ coat tails and, apparently, getting the credit. Discussions like this and advocating the straightening of the rear knee etc during the backswing to enable greater hip rotation have been ongoing on web sites like ‘The Sandtrap’ for quite a long time.
tom stickney
Jan 6, 2017 at 5:50 pm
I know BC personally and I will tell you that he has a very detailed understanding of the swing- while I don’t always agree 100% with him, I do respect his understanding of the mechanics
CG
Jan 6, 2017 at 9:25 am
I think there’s a 3rd method that Brandel overlooks completely, and that is the player who has plenty of free flowing internal hip rotation but does not lift the front foot. Leaner and more flexible players can easily rotate the hips 45 degrees or more while moving just a bit to the inside of the front foot but without getting up on the toe. I know Chamblee is a good/bad right/wrong guy but he is ignoring the concept of swinging to maximize the body that you have instead of to match someone else.
Scott
Jan 6, 2017 at 9:19 am
The issue with the unrestricted swing is if the hips start swaying or having too much lateral movement, which is a swing killer. It also leads to an increase need for better tempo and timing that you probably do not have. Hence, Tom’s comment on the big pull hook.
I agree with Tom on adding or subtracting hip rotation to improve results, but ultimately, it is going to be up to the golfer and what is comfortable for them. I find excess hip rotation and knee bend uncomfortable and I am trying to eliminate the need for perfect tempo and timing.
Brandon
Jan 6, 2017 at 10:24 am
You make some good points but if you believe the last sentence you wrote then you don’t understand this type of swing. First thing., in order to perform a heel planted backswing rephires MORE knee bend than the heel release, secondly, if used properly, allowing the heel to come off the ground instead of forcing the lift does not require more timing because replanting the heel is the same exact move that players with planted heels do when their knee bend increases at the start of the downswing. No matter what swing you perform, you have to have tempo, in reality, the need for tempo never increases or decreases significantly enough to warrant one technique over the other. It is the same with one plane vs two plane. You need tempo & timing to walk and you need the same internal tempo and timing to run. just because you increase your stride, effort and speed doesnt mean the tempo & timing changes. If the timing difference was that significant the the players of old should be some of the greatest musicians and dancers of all time
tom stickney
Jan 6, 2017 at 5:52 pm
I can hold my knees at any flex and keep the rear knee in the same condition to the top…it’s not about the amount; it’s about the effect on the hips/back
MR B
Jan 6, 2017 at 9:04 am
do you believe restricting hip turn leads to back injury like so many on these forums?
tom stickney
Jan 6, 2017 at 5:53 pm
I will say that true “restriction” is harder on the body unless you have ample flexibility which most people do not have
SV
Jan 6, 2017 at 9:01 am
Very good article. I would think that for the majority of golfer the unrestricted swing would be easier and better. I do have a question though: The data indicates dispersion, at least for this sample, is less for the unrestricted swing. However, you state misses are bigger with an unrestricted swing. Am I missing something or are you talking about really bad swings or in general?
David Hill
Jan 6, 2017 at 8:39 am
This is an incredibly insightful article, thank you so much. I go back and forth between the two, depending on the state of my game, and hope to adapt as needed with this knowledge going forward.