How To Stay In Posture Throughout Your Golf Swing | Early Extension Fix

[@Dreama40]

Proper side bend is so over looked in golf teaching, this is possibly the best way to teach for early extension as so many good things happen if you side bend back n through. Josh your lesson nailed it mate, thanks!!!

[@Grayback1973]

I agree that side bend is the key to staying in posture but I will also say that it is extremely difficult to implement while swinging at full speed. I am working on it now and just hitting balls in slow motion. I'm 51 and have been a standup early extender for the last 27 years so this new movement pattern is quite difficult. I have back pain as well so that makes it tougher!

[@Blue_Dun]

In the middle of all the side bend, chest down etc., was the simple thought of the right ear pointing at the ball through impact. That was a gold nugget of a swing thought for me.

[@darrenwatson3732]

Right ear to right shoulder and chin planted to left shoulder from the top right through impact

[@BigOnGolf]

Best video I have seen on keeping posture which I do struggle with. The ear to the ball thought gives a really clear and simple thought which if you do it, naturally leads to side bend in the downswing (the part I struggle most with). Thanks

[@integrito3323]

Not a golf response but would like to comment in the positive, on how genuine and sincere you sound! Nest of luck with your channel, Josh! Liked and subscribed!

[@DenisAhmet]

This is something I’m working on. Your teaching method is great. Doing the exercise for me will help me a lot (I’m 64 yrs old getting back into golf after a 15 year break), and that final drill in the video should help a lot too I hope. Thanks a lot!!

[@diminishedreturn]

This is the, best and most clear way 🙌🏻 I have seen anyone make of the connection between intuitive rotation (baseball standing up), the importance of side-bend and posture (the angles in play when hitting golf shots). The absolute KEY take-away is: if you are not keeping the chest down, maintaining posture and adding side-bend: the you ARE round-housing/hip-spinning, or whatever you want to call the 'death move' rotation you demonstrated with your body and hand in the beginning. I'm glad I clicked on your video!

[@kevinshoemaker5466]

Side bend is a natural reaction to hip elevation and trail leg extension on the backswing, and upper torso- lat extension from shift, rotation and arm elevation (starting with proper posture). This pressure shift to back middle foot also causes your lead side to go into flexion as an opposite reaction. You demonstrate that on your rotation, as your illiac crest (the top of your trail hip bone) elevates appx 12 degrees on back swing while your lead side goes into flexion). My issue is, if you are going to focus on side bend, the feels should come from the signals these big muscles are sending and receiving. A focus on side bend on the through swing without the transition and shift to the lead side (weight shift) exposes your lumbar spine to additional pressure and can lead to injury. I appreciate anyone who offers coaching, but have piled up enough injuries over the years to focus on how the body works and feels these movements create (lots of PT, surgery and recovery!) Good luck!

[@jamesbond4633]

THat's awesome!! Best explanation for early extension I have ever seen!!!! Side bend is they key. Your demonstration on the swing standing up straight and then when you lean forward how it changes the dynamics was a aha moment for me. I have been trying to cure my over the top move for years and now I know what causes it!! Thanks so much from Canada!!! Will be doing lots of stretching from now on.

[@topneorej]

Finally an honest teacher. Not the 'learn in 5 minutes' crap. It's DIFFICULT is probably a curse word where it comes to golf instructions.

[@jamiesloan7259]

Don’t ever try to right side bend by just sliding your hips forward(towards the target). You’ll just hit the ground behind the ball, or hit the ball extremely high. You gotta learn how to ROTATE the hips , while adding right side bend. The left side bend, or crunch, in the backswing is also very important. I’m glad you mentioned it. Excellent video! It’s refreshing to see someone address this. I’ve been working on this very thing in my own swing. An added bonus to this move is it also allows you to keep a very stable(square) club face through the hitting zone(and beyond).

[@amarug]

Indeed! That stupid "hip-slide-bounce" is my biggest shortcoming. My stupid body does it automatically and to a crazy degree... I lose so much distance and accuracy. I have done this for 20 years (i started golf at 12) and only my most recent pro realized it and tries to fix it. its in my spine, im working hard to eliminate it and when I succeed, I hit it farther than when I was 20...

[@jamiesloan7259]

@@amarug It’s been an issue for me too, my friend(30 years). When I’m “sliding” too much, I often get a high draw, or sometimes a block. Also, poor iron striking, and my ball flight is too high. However, when I get my hips open to target before impact, I’ll hit a penetrating straight ball, or baby fade. It also goes further, when I get it right. The golf struggles are real. I’m in a slump right now. This game is impossible to perfect! For me, anyways….. I went from several rounds in a row around par, or slightly under, to being lucky to shoot low 80’s in the last few rounds. It’s irritating for sure, but I still love it. lol

[@amarug]

@@jamiesloan7259 Yeah the struggle is real! But congrats on the scores, thats amazing! I am still fighting to break 80!

[@jamiesloan7259]

@@amarug Thank you. I appreciate that. I know everyone says it, but……. The key to getting in the 70’s is chipping, and putting. Mostly putting, to be honest. When chipping…. You should be disappointed with anything NOT finishing inside of 3’. When putting….. Concentrate all your efforts on starting your ball exactly online, and use your practice stroke for the correct speed, then repeat that stroke for power. Try really hard to make everything inside of 20’. Too many people just get up there, and go through the motions when putting. It’s literally 40% of your score! Don’t EVER think about technique, or mechanics when putting. Do it however you want. Just start your ball exactly on your line. Period. That’s just my personal advice. Good luck, my friend.

[@AdamIsMyNameO]

Honestly, it depends on person... people react differently to the same instruction/word choice, etc... gotta find what works for you.

[@ron-kf8sf]

And I thought I had a decent understanding of the golf swing…wrong. This is gold. Thank you.

[@swifty541]

After 30 years of playing golf this is first time 9:05 I have heard about side bend. This tip was great. I can not wait to try it on the course. 😊😊😊

[@ronharrington8659]

Very good Josh. I have this problem as I’ve gotten older. You explained it very well.

[@martingray8350]

I don’t think I’ve heard anyone explain this this well thank you

[@martinandellie]

really the only way to get ground contact after the ball, good video thx Josh

[@underworldevents265]

Best explanation of side bend and the reason it is needed I've ever seen! Great job. I had spinal fusion surgery 40 years ago and only have 2 working vertebrae on the bottom (the rest of my back is fused solid and it does not bend or twist), so I cannot get a huge amount of side bend no matter how much stretching I do. Any suggestions? Maybe stand taller and not take as big of a backswing?

[@mh_golfer]

I have been trying to get rid of my early extension, but the way instructors had me moving I would either rotate my upper body too much and hit a pull draw or keep too much weight on my back foot and hit a push to the right. Working on getting more sidebend on the downswing is making a huge difference, I stay in posture better and am more open at impact.

[@Richkotite1]

Excellent explanation, really good nuggets of information that is well presented. Thank you.

[@TheMarcuscamby13]

This is great! I feel there are too many teachers who are trying to explain early extension away by saying it’s a compensatory move. I agree they are right in certain cases but all golfers excluding tour pros and high level amateurs early extend. It’s why tour players are so good they maintain their posture. Obviously there are other reasons to why are good but staying in position is the most important aspect to the swing hands down.

[@naashuman5503]

Brilliant 👏🏻 recently discovered it for myself with training aids while working on my swing plane.

[@risingphoenix7633]

Great video Josh...currently spending the winter with a net and hopefully have this down by spring! Cheers Bro!

[@johnconaty7405]

Great instruction not enough about side bend on yt 👍

[@rickyparker5359]

Solid planting feet for stable rotation. Thanks for so many vids!

[@lucpaquette5031]

I'm a master at early extension. Turning 65 this year, been playing for 51 years, single digit index (4.1) I just "unfortunatly" learn to play with it. I know my issues with it (early extension) and I have to adress it. You really won me when you said that you miss it on the heel (in this video) sign that you have kept your side bend. I hit so much toe (especially with driver) it's ridiculous (sign of early extension) so missing it on the heel is foreign to me. Perfect video for me. Many thanks!! 👍

[@seekinggreen4481]

Love this video, great tips. Staying in posture is something I've been working to correct for a year or so now, it's getting better inch by inch. A feel that really helped me (let me know if you agree) is feeling like I'm "hitting" the ball with my trail shoulder at impact, or my trail ear, really helps me rotate.

[@TeddyCavachon]

There is a cause and effect relationship between the back foot and side bend in the golf swing. If you keep the feet grounded it restricts the turning of the hips to 45° closed in the backswing and 45° in the downswing. In the takeaway it is the hips reaching 45° closed and stopping which causes the club head mass to pull the lead arm and club straight back then forces the wrists to cock and swing it up effortlessly. In the downswing the hips fire first and the shoulders lag 45° behind. That means when the hips reach 45° open the shoulders will have come back to parallel with the target line as they were at address. At that point if a golfer keeps the back heel on the ground the hips and shoulders will stop very much like driving a car 60 mph and hitting the brakes. In a car what would happen to an unbelted driver or passenger? They would fly through the windshield. In a golf swing what happens IF the hips meet resistance as they reach 45° open just as the club shaft reaches horizontal and gravity can pull down on the club head mass without the hands in the way (as when cocked in the wrists at the start of the downswing) the club head mass whips around the hands into the ball. Side bending tilts the plane of the shoulders which shallows and straightens the club path. It also allows the the hands to move down and forward in a circular path independent of any rotation of the hips and shoulders around the feet which is what allows the hands and club to keep swinging down to the ball when the hips meet resistance because the back foot is still on the ground. I first realized the connection between side bend and lifting the back foot when using Hogan’s Five Lessons book to re-tool my swing, watching videos of his swing frame by frame and paying careful attention to how spine curved and his hips, hands, shoulders and back foot moved. You can see as the hips reach 45° open in the downswing the shoulders and hands slow down because his back heel is still grounded. The club head mass reacts by whipping around the hands to the point the shaft bends forward ( which is the point where he very slowly starts to lift the back foot to get the hips, shoulders and hands moving again.

[@josephavant8700]

This is amazing thank you! In the 4th line from the bottom you say 45°In the "downswing" but did you mean the "backswing" just want to clarify

[@josephavant8700]

5th line from bottom I mean I greatly appreciate response, this was seriously amazing

[@TeddyCavachon]

@@josephavant8700 I was referring to the downswing where keeping the back foot grounded will restrict hip turn to 45° open. The cause and effect is explained paragraph three. That said the hips stopping at 45° closed in the backswing creates a similar braking affect that causes the club head to whip up around the hands.

[@ahkau4612]

Thanks. Great Comments. Hitting the brakes with the trail heel at P5.5/P6 when the clubhead is slightly above the hands and behind the hand path. There are some 320fps video floating around and you can clearly see this. More clear on LPGA because they can't muscle the ball.

[@TeddyCavachon]

@@ahkau4612 Are you familiar with trick shot artist Count Yogi aka Harry Frankenburg? His self-taught, unorthodox swing was based around the strategy of dropping hands down behind the back foot, the whipping the club head around the hands like cracking a whip. In fact one of the gimmicks in his trick shot show was hitting shots with a club head attached to a leather whip. What made his swing look so weird was at set-up and impact he had his front wrist in maxed out extension 🫸 which combined with unlar-deviation will stop the hands from moving past impact UNLESS the back foot is raised. If you don’t raise the foot the club head mass flies past the ‘stuck’ hands, the shaft bows forward ( and then the head snaps off at the hosels and flies dead straight for 80-100 yards directly behind the ball that also flies dead straight. What I realized trying to duplicate his technique is that if you fully compress a golf ball on the face of a club but then abruptly stop he club head the ball literally explodes off the face of the club because the rate of expansion of the released ball is much greater off a stopped face than one moving at 80-100mph. You never see the club head actually stop in videos of his swing because it is momentary and followed by the lifting of the back foot to get keep the hands moving and the club force action in the toe turning over the hands and pointing the toe at the target just after impact, why his the swing plane of his finish is so much steeper (and better balanced) than a conventional swing. What it feels like when doing it is like your ass in the seat of a car going 70mph and you were to stomp on the brakes to lock up the wheels then immediately release them. Hitting the brakes with the club head with the 🫸 extended lead wrist is the opposite of Hogan’s dorsiflexed - supinated hand at impact but with the same effect of locking up the hands (and club face square to target) as ball is ready to release off the face. The way Moe Norman gripped his club with hands in maxed out ulnar-deviation did exactly the same thing-lock up the hands at the point where: 1) balls was ready to release off the face, and; 2) face was square to the target. He set up the face for #2 in his pre-shot routine before moving the club head well back and inside on the swing arc behind the ball. But if you look at Norman’s high finish swing plane then Yogi’s you will see they are nearly identical for the same reason. When you allow the club force to ‘waggle the club down’ to the point where thumbs down ULNAR DEVIATION 👆🏼 is maxed out (as when cracking a whip) the hands lose the LEVERAGE which prevents the club force from flipping the hands over which is what creates that toe-pointing-forward high finish. Hogan, Norman and Yogi were all famous for their ability to hit dead straight shots but Hogan was also known to suffer from ‘duck hooks’ when his timing was off. That’s the result of the ulnar deviation of the wrists happening too soon in the downswing and the face starting to snap closed as the wrists turn over putting hook spin on the ball as it releases. Hogan had that problem but Yogi and Norman didn’t because Hogan’s lead wrist was dorsiflexed and supinated. The person who got the rights to Yogi’s intellectual property has taken many of his KZbin videos down, but in one of them I watched ten or so years ago Yogi showed how he gripped the club (conventionally in the Vardon grip) and hinged his lead wrist in extension 🫸 when lining up in pre shot and winding up like that at impact and he made the comment “Hogan has the right idea, but does it backwards”. Having duplicated Hogan’s swing I understood exactly what he was referring to. Watching freeze frames of Hogan I concluded he didn’t intuitively understand the cause and effect as well as Norman or Yogi did, both who had brains wired much differently than most people - something I can relate to 😂

[@wordofmo]

I’m 62, but I consider myself in pretty good shape. Yet, time has caught up and not only do I not have the flexibility I used to, but it’s harder to gain flexibility. It takes a lot more work than it did if I had done it at 25 or 30. So my tip to young golfers is that no matter how flexible you think you are, do the stretches. It’s hard to think 20 or 30 years ahead but you’ll be happy you did if you have a routine through your 40s 50s and 60s.

[@bottlapivo]

So true. Wait till you get to 72...

[@wordofmo]

@@bottlapivo i suppose I will have to wait!😎

[@datsunzcar280]

@@bottlapivo I'm 83 and still trying new swing thoughts. That's whats great about the game.

[@nerd9992]

Amazing lesson thanks. defintion issue. it is not side-bend. golf swing's tilt is twist engaged. not just bending.

[@davidwhitnall9783]

When I do this side bend on the backswing it creates a steeper backswing. So question is is this ok with a Driver?

[@joshkelleygolf]

First episode of Tip Tuesday! Every Tuesday I will be posting a tip. What are some topics do you want me to cover next week?

[@Bluelinenp]

Drills you possibly use to keep the club on plane!

[@benp5640]

Maybe some tips on getting spin on wedge shots

[@dmacd7514]

Great video Anyone can hit as many balls as you want buut if you can’t stretch properly-you won’t get side bend

[@crumpecker]

Good tip on Side Bend. I've been trying to stay in posture through the swing but it's really hard to do. It seems like I hit it fat when I get to the ball when trying to keep in posture. Does that mean I'm not twisting enough or turning enough?

[@IIrandhandleII]

Keep your trail elbow bent

[@eileencornell625]

The one thing that confuses me, if you make contact with your hands ahead of the ball, won't the face of the clubhead be open at impact?

[@joemomma1091]

I'm 44 and been doing the side bend follow through for 25 + years. No back problems whatsoever.

[@ronf28]

give it 3 more years 🤣

[@steviek6484]

I bought a divot mat because I hit too many fat shots, then of course I over compensate and hit it thin or take no divot. I know I need to get down more but whenever I try and think about getting side bend I go back to hitting fat shots.

[@HolyGrailOfGolf]

What you're talking about is called the "heavy head." It's not something a person does intentionally it's a result of swinging in the proper direction, which most people don't do. Tommy Fleetwood has it too.

[@JimKalember]

The preset impact side bend drill is killer. At the range tomorrow with it. Subscribed.

[@simopeltonen6457]

Thanks, that is really the point ;))

[@lilbrusselsprout8261]

You have very little side bend at impact when you actually hit the ball.

[@sallehasamad9543]

I wish someone had explained to me this concept (side bends) long time ago when i started golfing 🤣

[@BM-wt4ch]

Excellent

[@khupippen]

Thank you for the video. It's really helpful

[@buaya111]

Some say this is tilt and turn

[@tanderson9115]

Dude is all over the place.

[@mikerodrick2430]

This side bend taken to the extreme by Joaquin Neiman is a back wrecker & could end your golf game prematurely. It even looks painful. Obviously, you need room for the club to swing through, but this is ridiculous.

[@mrmrsbrooks3263]

Side bend too much and you will have back issues.

[@freowho9974]

This is a bad video and misunderstanding of side bend. Neiman is incredibly flexible but won't be able to keep doing it. Proper side bend is done with the legs and not the upper body. The lead leg bends, the trail leg straightens on the way back. The trail leg bends, the lead leg straightens on the way through the ball.

[@joshkelleygolf]

This is a bad comment. Neiman won’t be able to keep doing it? Why is that? Yes the legs have a lot to do with it which is why I talked about the lead leg straightening in transition not sure if you missed that. But proper leg movement won’t make you side bend. I can have the best leg work in the world and not side bend.

[@jacobr4558]

Your comment makes 0 sense! The legs bend at the knees and has NOTHING to do with "side bend". 😆

[@TJDio7]

Very helpful, thank you for this video!