How do you stop lifting up in the backswing ?

Hi

I bought a camcorder a few months ago and I've spent every spare moment filming my golf swing and trying to iron out my flaws.

My main problem is I lift up during the backswing. You can clearly see that my head level rises during the backswing. I don't maintain my posture. I try to swing flat and at home I can but when I'm on the course my swing goes upright again. I have tried everything to stop doing this without success.

Has anybody got any drills which might help me solve this problem ?

Thanks !

That's two things. Swing flat/upright and lift up on backswing. The two are not automatically related. Is there a reason for trying to swing flat and trying to not lift up on backswing?

If you must learn something new or different, try in slow motion at first. Then when you're ready to try full speed, do so. Practice in front of a mirror. Repeat until you are confident that you can do it at will.


A note on the camera.

It lies. The ball doesn't.

Martin has a good point here. What exactly is wrong with your ball flight?

Swinging the club around the body you need the spine tilt, read my tip under shoulders and hips.

Sports: Sackett - Address that tilt

Have the right shoulder just a little too high at address and the left shoulder in the backswing will pull you up if you swing around the body.

It is also the tilt that brings in the right elbow for connection.

The other option is to swing more upright, right shoulder swings up, left shoulder drops down, hands come up over the shoulders in the backswing. With left shoulder replacing the right shoulder remember the hips do not turn in the backswing.

I like to feel the butt end of the club not pointing at the ground on the backswing, nor out to the inside of the ball, but a little in-between the 2 and allow my left shoulder to replace the right shoulder and then I do not have to turn the hips in the backswing, plus I am not swinging too upright nor to flat to where I need to turn the hips in the backswing. Also I do not need to bump the left hip out at address.

I like ringing the bell.

Every action in the swing process became simple when I learned how the hips and shoulders function as an unit.

Martin and Brian

My ball flight is a push shot usually. My online coach as told me the reason is this "lifting up" during the backswing. I am too upright and outside the plane. The result is a push shot.

I practised today and tried to keep the flex in my right knee throughout the backswing. I hit some nice shots with quite a bit of draw. I haven't looked at my swing yet though. I use V1 software so I think it's pretty accurate !

Three ball flights:

Straight: Square
Fade: Open
Draw: Closed

These will combine with the clubhead path alignment to create more ball flights. As an example:

Push: Square + in-to-out
Pull: Square + out-to-in

Note that square is relative to the clubhead path, not to the target line.


Now that we known what is the cause of a push, we can dismiss the lifting up as the cause. So, no need to worry about it anymore. On the other hand, trying to keep the right knee flexed during the swing allows for better control.

The solution is simple, you must align the clubhead path with the target line. When you swing the club, it forms an arc through the air, align this arc to the target line. It is for this reason that when we bring the club to parallel, we advise to align it with the target line at the top. But we don't have to bring it up to parallel. Short of parallel is just as good. It's not the "bring up to parallel" that makes a good swing, it's the "aligned with target line" that makes a good swing. It's a question of purpose and priorities.


A clear definition of the golf swing.

"The purpose of the golf swing is to send a ball to a target using a club."

If I do the above, however I did it, I'm doing the right thing. Don't you agree? To send the ball to my target, I must strike it properly. To do this, I must strike it in the center of the clubface. Or if you prefer, on a spot on the clubface that is as close to the clubhead's center of gravity as possible. I must also strike it with a square clubface. Square to the target line preferably. I must also strike it with the clubhead moving in line with the target line.

We deduce from the above that "lifting up or not" and "swinging upright or not" are not conditions of success. They are merely methods.

__________________
Ultimately, doubt is
what makes us fail.
If we doubt that,
let us take a moment
and consider the irony.

Stick with that thought for a while and see where it takes you. Keeping he right knee flexed is an important concept. Just imagine what happens when you straighten your right knee in the backswing. You must make an adjustment to get the club back to the ball. Your clubhead cannot travel the same path. Keeping the spine angle takes some discipline and keeping the right knee flexed is part of it.

Sounds like you have sorted it, that's good.

No I had a look at my swing and I'm doing the same old things.

I actually take the club away on the outside and my posture is too upright. So I'm going to work on those two things.

I've been studying golf swings using the V1 software. My swing looks nothing like any professionals I can find. I know what my faults are. I think the "lifting up" is a fault since no professional does it.

That's correct. keeping your spine angle and knee flex are two of the most crucial elements of the swing.

This link addresses your problems. Make sure the loop does not tighten though

Golf Schools » Ritson-Sole Golf School » May 2002: The Importance of the "Spine Angle" in the Swing » Top 25 golf instruction

Being a late in life starter an golf, has made me experience just about every swing fault possible and this was one of them. From what you say, that you try to swing flat, tells me that you think it is your arms swinging up that is pulling the body up. With me it was stretching the arms too far in making the backswing, check where your right elbow is at the top, dose it stick out ? if so, try keeping your elbows close to your side in the backswing. I hope this helps.

Thanks for your replies: Brian and The Hud !

I played today and it was a disaster. I also filmed my swing and it's the same old problems. I lift up during the backswing. The result is a horrible push shot.

I've found out the only way to get away from this lifting up is to have a very short swing. However when I do this short swing I have noticed I turn my shoulders 90 degrees, my hips 45 degrees and I have fully cupped my wrists. So I'm going to try this short swing !

OK here's another thing to try.

Make sure your left shoulder is under your chin in the backswing and your right shoulder passes under it in the downswing. This will help maintain your spine angle throughout.

Brian, without telling someone HOW to do that, its not only going to look funny but it won't work.
He will need more details.