This practice drill you can use at home helps produce a balanced finish position by dialing in your hip movement 

By GOLFTEC Digital

Don’t be alarmed if the following question puts you on edge about your golf game:

Could parts of your swing contribute to the theoretical worst golf swing possible? 

If you’re not sure what we’re referencing, worried the answer could be “yes” or just ticked we even went there, GOLFTEC’s Nick Clearwater recently shed some light on the topic to ease your tension.

As he noted, among other contributing factors, one of the most common components our SwingTRU Motion Study found that directly correlates to skill level is how the hips move in the follow-through.

The Follow-Through Hip Sway Exercise
The GOLFTEC SwingTRU Motion Study found direct correlations to the best (green) and least-skilled (red) golfers.

The image above illustrates the low-handicap golfer on the left finishing with hips more directly under the shoulders and over the lead foot, compared to the high-handicapper on the right finishing with hips well behind the shoulders and more toward the trail foot.

Follow-through hip sway exercise - forward hip movement

When relating these two positions back to cause and effect, the better player’s hips have reached this preferred follow-through position by moving more toward the target early in the downswing, well before the ball is struck.

This good-player move is a big contributor to hitting the ball consistently solid, and one many amateurs would benefit from in their swings.

A simple exercise GOLFTEC Coaches often use to help students with hip movement is one you can practice at home – the Hip Sway Exercise.

Take a look as GOLFTEC Director of Teaching Quality, Brad Skupaka, explains this drill in the video below. He provides some key checkpoints to keep in mind while practicing to create that balanced finish – and better contact – you’ve always wanted.


VIDEO: The Follow-Through Hip Sway Exercise

Editor’s Note: This article is an updated version of the original post from Jan. 31, 2017. 

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Not sure if this drill is right for you? Find a GOLFTEC near you and talk to a Coach who can help today!


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10 COMMENTS

  1. Great analysis as to what your lower body should do.Should golfers with less flexibility open their LF foot for RT handed and opposite for Lf handed.

  2. This seems like a good exercise, but when it translates to the golf course or driving range…things change. The combination of moving your lead hip forward and rotating your hips during the down swing is not cut and dried. I think that putting the three things I just mentioned together, AT THE PROPER SPEED, TIMED TOGETHER PROPERLY, is THE one thing that golfers who are trying to improve have a hard time doing. What should your body be doing(feeling) when this is happening? Your videos are not showing that! If I am missing something, please show me. I want to learn.

    • Hi Jim,

      Thanks for the comment, and we understand that not every problem can be fixed in a single video like these. We’re really just trying to get the ball rolling for you with these. Most golfers struggle because their mental model of a swing is flawed. Hope that is clear enough.

      That said, the sway, turning, and bending backward all need to be performed to compare to how the best players in the game perform a swing. We believe ANYONE can execute all 3 moves to some level that represents what the best golfers do. The ONLY way for us to help you through the situation is to have your swing measured by a GOLFTEC Coach. Those measurements will then tell you EXACTLY what steps you should take next.

    • Hey Cory, sorry we’re a little late to the party 😉

      Yes, the hip sway exercise is a significant variable to understand and perform well with both clubs. With the driver’s ball position being more toward your front foot, the hip sway is even more critical to stay toward the target to hit the driver straight and far.

  3. I have to say this one tip has completely transformed my ball striking. Irons, woods and driver. It gets me in the perfect position to just let it rip.

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