Why Clearing Your Hips Creates A More Powerful Swing
Plus, don’t miss the bonus exercise to help hip mobility!
When you watch the PGA pros play, you’ll notice that every time they swing to hit the ball, their hips open toward the direction of their target. This rotation is what it means to clear your hips. If you watch even more closely, you’ll notice that every player has a different technique for clearing their hips. This will be based on the pro’s body and their level of mobility and flexibility. The same will hold true for you. How your body moves and how mobile and flexible your upper and lower body are will determine how effectively you can clear your hips in the downswing.
For those unable to properly clear their hips, it could be because they don’t understand what it means to clear their hips or suffer from body limitations. Both can negatively impact swing performance and your body. A common ailment many golfers suffer from is lower-back pain, indicating that they could suffer from poor hip mobility and cannot correctly clear their hips during their swing. Fortunately, there are many drills and exercises you can do to help increase your mobility and improve flexibility. Coupled with working with a golf specialist like myself, I can help you enhance your swing and perfect your clearing, just like the PGA players.
It’s important to keep in mind that the golf swing requires a lot of dynamic movement, but your body doesn’t have to work hard to produce high swing speeds and carry distances when done correctly and effectively. That also means less stress on your lower back, knees, and upper body, which means less pain and lower chances of injury.
When you set up for the swing, your hips should rotate in the backswing and the downswing; this adds distance, speed, power, and accuracy. The hip rotation creates torque and powerful energy that’s transferred to the upper body (particularly the shoulders), which then transfers to the golf handle, thereby transferring to the golf ball all in a matter of seconds. If your hips cannot move effectively, your shoulders won’t rotate properly, destroying your swing and effective body mechanics. As you transition your backswing into the downswing, it’s crucial to shallow out your club and swing inside the swing plane. If you swing steep and over the top, then no amount of hip clearing will help you save the swing. You’ll feel it and see the powerful straight-line release when done correctly.
Bonus Video!
Here’s a great exercise that you can do at home to help increase your hip mobility and flexibility:
Exercise - Standing Hip External Rotation at Table
1 Set | 10 Reps
The Set-Up:
Begin standing upright, resting your hand on a counter or table at your side. Raise your outside leg straight back and hinge at your hip to lean your torso forward, placing your free hand on your back.
The Movement:
Keeping your back and lifted leg in line, rotate your body to face away from the table.
Pro-Tip:
Make sure your pelvis and trunk rotate together and do not lock the knee of your stance leg during the exercise.
The best way to ensure your swing and body mechanics are up to par is to schedule a Golf Performance Assessment with a specialist, like PerformanceAbove. We use state-of-the-art technology to assess how your body moves, assess limitations and customize a performance program that’s unique to your body so you can swing like the pros and keep your body healthy and strong for rounds to come.
By performing any exercise, stretch or other physical activity based on the Company website, You represent and agree that (i) You are physically capable of participating in a strength and flexibility training exercise program and using the equipment associated with such training and (ii) You have either (a) had a physical examination and been given a physician’s permission to participate in this training program, or (b) decided to participate in this training program without the approval of a physician solely at Your own risk.
