Jim wrote that he had a 'tendency to come over the top or spin out with the left hip entering the impact zone.' I wanted to share my answer to him with everyone, because my suggestions are all part of the Peak Performance Golf Swing.
Jim,
Let's first address your “tendency to come over the top or spin out with the left hip.” Normally this happens for one (or more) of 3 reasons. Remember, the PPGS is a “limited turn, 3/4 length, vertical backswing. We'll get to 'pulling down' tomorrow.
The first reason that you might be swinging the club to parallel to the ground, or longer, at the top of the backswing. I'll tie that in below.
The second reason is you may be turning your shoulders too much, likely to at least 90 degrees or more, in the backswing.
Third, you might be 'laid off' in your backswing.
Turning your shoulders too much causes the left arm and club to get behind the body in what I call the “Sacred Burial Ground” (SBG) which is everything behind the toe line in both the backswing and forward swing. The key point here is that I have a Surgism that states, “You can stand in the Sacred Burial Ground,” but if you swing in it with your arms and clubs, “You're DEAD!”
The swing issue here is that when the arms and club get behind the body, and you want to hit a straight shot, which means the club must get back to the ball approaching on the aiming line to square the clubface at impact. That cannot happen in a straight line because the body is in the way and the club would be swung straight down out to the right. So the brain figures out the club needs to be pulled back around and in front of the body to swing it in a straight line toward the target, which would be like swinging toward center field.
Next, the PPGS shoulder turn is ended when the left arm is over the toe line when the club reaches parallel to the ground (9:00 o'clock) in the takeaway. Imagine there is a tree behind your toe line, and once the left arm is over the toe line, the swing is all lift of both arm and the club straight up the tree to a 3/4 length backswing. The key is that the club is lifted vertical, or straight up, pointing to 12:00 o'clock, directly above the hands. I call this the light position, as the club is straight up versus being laid off, or leaning backwards toward 10:00 o'clock, which feels a lot heavier. (Note: you can swing a light club easier, faster and with more control than a heavy club because it is in harmony with gravity.)
In all three swing issues here, when the club is at or past parallel at the top of the backswing, deep or behind the torso in the SBG, or heavy, the torso is used to help the arms and hands pull the club up from past parallel, or from behind the body, and from the laid off or heavy position. Anytime the body is used to help the arms and club pull up and or around, the shoulders and hips are pulled or turn to the left, which in the chain of motion, pulls the club up and out in front of the torso toward the aiming line. And you have the outside-in downswing.
The simple solution is to keep the arms and club in front of the body in a shorter and more vertical 3/4 length backswing where the turn ends and lift begins when the left arm is over the toe line.
The Surge!
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