You Won't Believe How Much Easier This Makes the Golf Swing

[@atgiovina]

I needed this vid 30 years ago but better late than never!

[@OlleErikssonL]

Sorry for the long post, but this is so so interesting. And I'm one of those who sent a video to you about a year ago for an online analysis, and got that downward-facing pelvis tip. I've got a couple of questions down below if you get that far. :) I definitely think this is your most concise and to-the-point video. No messing around, just clear and really thought-through instructions. Super clear. I sort of discovered exactly what you're talking about here with some help from an instructor just recently. I searched and search these past two years, and I am definitely guilty of trying to open up the hips, and all it does is just spinning them out. Before I didn't really know what that meant, now I think I do. When the instructor "allowed" me to *not* focus on clearing the hips and instead pulling or pushing the left hip back and just letting the club fall into place, I was suddenly right on plane, and consistent! An eye-opener! It's really interesting to hear that you are not using the term downward-facing pelvis anymore. I tried it for a wihle after the online analysis from you! To be honest, I still don't understand it. To me, the fault you are describing between 5:00 and 7:00 in this video looks to be exactly like I would expect "downward-facing pelvis" to look like. So I am sure you meant something else, *or* it's a matter of degrees. People who left their left hip need to keep it more down to prevent sliding? Now, the really interesting thing here to me, is that the fault move between 5:00 and 7:00 looks very similar to what a lot of other teachers want you to as well. So you are not alone. For example, Dana Dahlquist, shows the same move here (kzbin.info/www/bejne/l3mVhJZsl5KErJY) and the guy in this lesson seem to be taught and manage to do a pretty good job of exactly the kind of spin-out that you describe as a fault. George Gankas often shows the same move. Why do you think this is? Is it a different swing style? Since you have taught this before but now see different, help me understand the downward-facing pelvis idea. The "spin out" move looks so identical to downward-facing pelvis. How is it different? Also, you mentioned the lead leg should not feel loaded around impact. That was interesting to hear. Is it incorrect to say then that basically all your weight (not mass) should be on the lead leg and that it should strive to extend and push off the ground. When you demo it it looks more like your rotating than pushing off the ground?

[@Miketube9999]

Your videos about hip movement are game-changing for me. Thank you!

[@JKJK-id2lz]

Keeping your head steady during transition. Makes so much sense and it’s just one simple feel without getting overly technical. Thanks for the tip

[@rodneyfrancis2625]

What stood out to me were the two reasons golfers stand up. Game changer for me. Went to the range and only focused on rounding my lower back by tucking my hips closer to my chest. Felt awkward but the results were incredible. Looking forward to testing it out in action this Sunday. Fingers crossed

[@stephenharte2566]

I used this posture adjustment yesterday and played the best golf for 4 years. Very consistent and effortless swing. Thanks, great tips and channel

[@KINGKURT14]

This is a very useful video. I follow Russell Heritage´s for quite a long time and I think this one is really brilliant.

[@christ2906]

Downward facing pelvis is a great swing thought Russel. Because I know what it means. It’s helped me a ton thanks man 👍🏻

[@richscott8948]

Thanks Russell. This really has helped reduce my in to out path( been hitting lots of pull draws/hooks! ) Nice and simple 👍

[@andymincer8931]

Clear and concise. Thanks Russell

[@zero2herogolf]

6:17 - "... as I pull my LEAD hip BACK" - I call this the "Signature Russell Heritage teaching." When I first discovered Russell's teaching on this from 2018 I literally did NOT understand what I was seeing or hearing. I watched his original video on this very move over and over. When I tried to make my hips do the move, I COULD NOT do it! It NEVER occurred to me that the hips can move somewhat independent of each other, that just because one hip is pulled back DOES NOT mean the other has to come forward (traditional rotation). I stopped everything for weeks, and only worked on VERY slow motion attempts. At first I was doing it wrong, and my lower back hurt a little. I got to the point where I wouldn't even have a club in my hand, and place my hand on my trail hip and force it to stay back while I very slowly pulled the lead hip back to match up. I had to do this over and over hundreds of times, maybe thousands. Then finally my mind accepted this bio-mechanical move and I was able to do it faster. This freed up all that space in front of the pelvis, where my arms could swing through. It took even more time to realize that ONLY AFTER this move does the traditional rotation actually occur. This is what Sammy Snead did as good as anyone. It was Russell who taught me it and it was an a very old Sammy Snead film that confirmed it for me. So the sequence is; Trail hip back, Lead hip back, only then does rotation happen. Of course sequencing the upper body properly with all this is a topic for a different day. It transformed my golf swing. I still do this move for EVERY swing, in practice or play.

[@RobertMoore-ll1cr]

Thanks for the drill, going to make a big difference with all my clubs. Bob Moore, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

[@chrissnape9537]

I am waiting for a hip replacement before this trouble I was a 7 and a traveling 10. The best tip I ever got was from the local pro at the driving range. Dale told me I was spinning to quickly and losing power. He said try not moving your left hip because it will end up moving through inertia. This kept me centered allowed me to slow the downswing, and almost instantly I was smoking it. I would play 3 times a month and practice maybe 3 times and I dropped to a 7. The point is you are exactly right for a guy like me. Also your right in the vocabulary can make things cloudy. I've been lucky that my putting has always been good. I can hardly wait to get back out there. I will be doing this and I find if I dip my left pec a couple of inches it helps me complete my backswing. Combine the two and it gives me lots of room and time to hit the ball. Thanks for the good lesson or a great reminder that I will think about a lot while recovering . Good job

[@raaj966]

Really owe you 😊....these i was trying to figure out how u're able to clear the lead leg without spining the hips ....ooo gosh ....I really appreciate for ur time n patience 🙏😊

[@tonyprzygienda1257]

Working with Russel 1:1remotely since 3 months after having watched his videos for a while. he moved my golfswing to the better (solid but serious over the top hitter before) in this time more than other teachers in last 20 years ;-) He is the only teacher I found that can take the golf swing apart in the way he does in this video. Single parts, explaining errors and the chain of corrections they cause (and trade-offs of taking different routes rather than "swing the way I do" coaching). Ultimately, he can point out the _very next thing to pay attention to_ rather than getting into explanations of the whole chain and how many things are wrong and why. After _the one thing_ is in place he gets me to the _next thing_ and I see slowly how the whole swing starts to come together. The swing with the "centered reverse K" he kind of shapes felt really, really strange first and the moving up left shoulder (and consequently dropping right) felt like I'll be hitting always fat but with correction to the plane removing most of lateral transition I can stand over any club including iron 4 confidently and whack it solid. Not a full distance yet I had before after 20 years grind, pieces are still missing and it's a long way to go still ;-), but @ completely different level of confidence and consistency than before spending half the energy ;-)

[@michaeldodd6864]

Clay Ballard is absolutely fantastic but Russel is very close!

[@prabhukrishnaswamy1707]

Excellent video. Fantastic demonstration Russel.

[@marcmanion4264]

Oh Russell - just so simple and efficient! Love the use of language - tilt - and showing why! Also think the “tilt” and rotation of the hips makes it easier to “get” the idea of weight transfer without swaying like a will on in the breeze!

[@vegardkarlsen9609]

No movement in sport is more difficult than the golfswing, hence the golf instruction industry has perpetual fuel. Don´t just listen to all kind of advice indiscriminately, find out what it means - for you, and prepare yourself for hard work over a long period of time if you really want to improve. Your perception of what a good golfswing is or may be, and what you have to do may change radically throughout such a process. I´ve seen most of Russells videos for the last two years, I have visited him in England, and I am very pleased with his contributions to my progress. Not least because he focuses on the discrepancies there may be between what you think a good golfswing is, what you think you do and what you actually do. And this relates both to actual parts of the golfswing you practice and to the process itself.

[@richardmcallister6885]

Excellent. Clear and understandable. Cheers.

[@alexstankewsky2246]

I went out and tried this move and the light 💡 went off in my head. I finally hit the ball more consistently. Thanks again for this video.

[@not_that_rich]

Really great tips here. I’ve been struggling with draws or completely slicing straight right, literally. My swing path is waaay off but believe this video is going to get me into a routine of swinging with better mechanics.

[@chon_jung]

Wonderful explanation about how the hip at takeaway sets up the downswing timing. First time it’s clicked for me. Thank you.

[@spcyman7209]

This is literally everything I’ve been working on for the last month, with mixed results so far but it’s getting better. It’s that final piece you mentioned that I need to understand and work on probably the most now 👍

[@murf6023]

Your best video Immediate results with all clubs Do you have a video on sand bunkers?

[@russellheritagegolf]

Not a recent one unfortunately

[@mfarnworth7636]

This one is BIG for me... thanks so much for your insights and instructions. I just may be able to make a functional golf swing now... finally.

[@sagardesai3979]

Finally. That makes way more sense. Tried a million different ways and was having no luck. This hopefully helps me as I not only for the hips around but I come out of posture in my swing.

[@Thataintnothing]

Congrats Steve on hole in one , I got one 5 years ago!!

[@markbouttell8509]

Absolute fantastic video , i will be giving this a try when my bad shot is a steep swing over the top , keep up the great content Russ 👍👍👍👍

[@jeffkonves1428]

As a golfer who has started the downswing from the top for over 20 years, pulling shots left, or laying off and hitting weak pushes, I have tried to fix it to no avail. A few months ago I came accross Clay Ballard on KZbin who advocates similar principles as Russell, but his explanations are not nearly as easy to grasp, and for me were counter-productive. Russell is a true teacher and the way he explains what you should feel in the swing make a huge difference. Just by watching some of his vids and practicing the new feels in my living room, and then on the practice range for a few sessions, I shot a 76 two days ago hitting nice draws all the way. Russell - you are a genius and I will look you up for in-person instruction when I get to England one of these days.

[@philipboakes2974]

Excellent explanation and demonstration

[@jimwhite2341]

Very nice distillation of the hip turn

[@jeezycamcrazy413]

Brilliant instructions

[@cyrillopez7415]

Timely and brilliant session. Kudos for recognizing the misunderstanding due to online learning. That’s me. I was victim trying too much - too much bend on posture , too much rotating, too much elbow driving. All reduced. One additional change I did was feel I am dropping club to start downswing then drifting left and rotating. Huge difference as it matches my physical status and athletic capability. Now to incorporate re-centering 👍Many like me tilt on backswing but not enough on downswing. Brilliant thank you . My drives are long and irons crisp!!!!!

[@pg7301]

Hi Russell. Having not played golf for nearly 2 years I’ve started back and over the top is my fault. Unbelievable your release of this video is perfect timing. Totally awesome great instruction. Thank you 💎💎💎

[@RobertMoore-ll1cr]

Finally a drill on the Left hip drill in the downswing. I have been working on clearing my left hip by clearing my hip first in the downswing and not getting the results I wanted. Your drill has shown why it’s wrong, my head was going to the left on the downswing. Started your drill in my garage this morning and can feel a complete different downswing with my hips, arm, and shoulders direction

[@TexasGolfer]

This is a good callout.

[@k9feces]

Can’t wait to try these tips, I’ve been incredibly inconsistent.

[@colinbrown2096]

Really clear and concise- best video yet 👍

[@jeaniekeena1808]

Great video very easy to follow. Can't wait now to get to the range with my new clubs ⛳

[@montequejanssen2052]

It’s getting better and better Russell. I like to see how you alter your message over and over, based on clients feedback, to get the best result. I would like to advise you to include the chair drill in this video as well, then you get the best of al your videos to my opinion. Will come to you hopefully this year for a physical lesson as we discussed earlier by email. All the best from The Netherlands!

[@ericzellershow]

I can not wait to try this out on the driving range. Getting my rear hip to “re-center” really helps me shallow the club and get the sequencing right.

[@philbothe1]

It’s amazing how many of my issues this video covers are. Thanks!

[@ragasha89]

Hey Russell just want to say thank you for this tip. It really helped with my consistency and added more yardage to my clubs. I have one question if you happen to see this. This did improve my swing path and as I said gave me more consistency and yardage, but I was still coming a little over the top and releasing the club a bit too early before impact. Any additional tips to help maintain my lag/hinge all the way through impact? Or should I just focus on keeping my head behind the ball as best as possible? Thanks again

[@gregrichie3677]

This was excellent! It clearly identifies a swing fault of mine. That is, too much hip action trying to 'clear.' It results in shoulder shifting rather than rotating on a tilt.

[@jayschultz7395]

Thanks Russel, a lot of great information.

[@TheMoistTowel]

Thanks for this Russell. I was going to ask a question about how this would translate with driver because I’ve definitely been stuck in my swing. But I’ll be waiting for that next video to come out then!

[@peterwilliams354]

I understand what you’re saying Russell, and I’m capable of doing what you are suggesting. My biggest problem is I leave my weight on my back foot, which I think is causing thin strikes and an over the top motion. Is there a way to automatically get your weight onto the front foot? I find if I focus on doing it, I swing way across the ball and create a big slice!!!

[@russellheritagegolf]

Try some step drills to encourage that weight transfer

[@joetroupe893]

Thanx for the fine tuning. I am still a little iffy with the downswing following the pulling of the lead hip back.

[@kennypellerin8226]

I agree best video on the Web👍👍

[@wsbrantley548]

Best yet! Language understood!👍

[@mikesteele9038]

Thanks for the bum shot! Good to see another view of the body movement.

[@remowb]

Great explanation!

[@rishbh27]

Life changing., though I will apply these moves in cricket.

[@scottoverton4110]

Brilliant!

[@paulandbrendamckay4437]

Yet another great video trying to explain this rather complicated move. I have been "fiddling" with this a bit and found that I can create some leverage (and gain speed) by using my lead foot/ankle to help rotate my hip backward. So it is a feeling that I have engaged my left foot with the ground and simply torque/rotate my foot and ankle counter clock wise. This helps turn the lead hip back, bring your arms down to the parallel position, without releasing the wrist angle. would you say this is close to correct?

[@srmrktng]

I don't expect you to believe this but I have witnesses. After watching this video the first swing in league play was a hole-in-one! Didn't have time to hit the range first. First-ever in 50 years of golf. 7-iron, 157 yards. The rest of the round was solid iron shots and much better driving. Thanks for the tip Russell! I subscribed.

[@geemac979]

Hi Russell. Enjoy your videos immensely. Just wondering if you review the swings of past greats like Hogan, Nicklaus and Mike Austin? Admittedly, they have variations but some similarities exist, especially in the case of Hogan & Austin with the latter having a drive of 500+yds recorded in the GB of Records. Are you able to discuss various types of swings of past and present players and how certain swings may cause injuries if a certain amount of fitness isn't maintained? Welcome your thoughts

[@windyknot2094]

God bless captions. Now if I could just get the abridged addition .

[@edwardsroba]

Thanks Russell, very useful. I am just a little concerned that too much weight will stay on my right side with this move and I will hit the ball either fat or floaty. Is that not the case?

[@davidkemp1585]

I am getting too far forward & yes "plowing". Thanks again. Great that you are able to appreciate what language works best 👍

[@lewisgl]

if you rotate around the tilt, does this make the shoulder plane flatter in the backswing?

[@russellheritagegolf]

If shoulders are flat then this is caused by a flatter pelvis turn.

[@georgegao7740]

damn your videos are so good.

[@richkosmerl3381]

Just the language of the trail hip rotating back is what starts the recentering and then proceed from there is just something that seems clear in my mind and makes sense to me. Then following with moving the front hip back while keeping the head behind seems simpler. Will try it tomorrow on the range after watching this clip again. Thx

[@arthurgoff3130]

I like all amateur’s move the waist first,you said move the knee first. This makes a correct move. Suggest you highlife this move in your lessons! Thank you.

[@bobboie4013]

former 2 handicap & struggling. been working on hip clear and have tried to get faster.....my consistency has gone to the bogeys - or worse :) going to try tonight

[@buzzmoulton]

Nice!

[@garylucas7050]

I adopt the Lee Trevino method , line up way open my hips already cleared slide through the ball this way the hips never get in the way , there’s a reason why Trevino was the best ball striker and this was part of it , works for me I’ve tried traditional square stance but could never clear the hips consistently , the Trevino method is worth a try for people that having trouble clearing however that’s just the first stage you also need to learn to loop the club in the downswing and square the face through the ball at impact chasing it 12 inches down the target line , this is done with a strong grip to stop the open club face and the slice/push and generate more of a fade/block to the right , alignment aimed 30 degrees left of target with club face slightly left of target line ...I’ve waffled but it works for me and the accuracy is far more consistent knowing the ball flight

[@boydgrandy5769]

Feet slightly open, shoulders aligned to the target line, and swing from the inside out to the ball works for me. My hips take care of themselves. I am a notorious straight ball hitter, though my power days are now passed....

[@bh5606]

How does your advice about keeping the head behind the ball reconcile with the coaches who suggest allowing the head moving with the forward swing?

[@rc666]

the head will follow, don 't worry.

[@crazyjoe5684]

You must have Hidden Cameras at my Home! It seems to be Exactly what ive been Doin Wrong!! Im definitely goin to watch what goes on around my House 😂

[@jeffnash4060]

Great instruction as always. I definitely get stuck on the left leg as I'm trying to move my low point forward .. lets say I execute the content and my low point is still too far behind the ball whats the issue ... rotation (lack of ) ?

[@dontrapani7778]

I love the concept of this lesson, but I'm confused: at the 6:35 mark, you demonstrate how NOT to start the downswing. "Is this you? Or You?" My answer is YES!!!! But then you demonstrate the correct way, and it didn't look at all different to me! Can you please go back to that part and show what the real differences are? This would help me and millions of others who answered "YES" to your question, "Is this You?".

[@jimgaskill5400]

That part confused me too. There wasn't a clear description of the difference.

[@TeddyCavachon]

I’ve studied the bio-mechanics of the golf swing dating back to the earliest movie footage. Up until Jack Nicklaus most golfers (Snead, Hogan) turned hips, shoulders and hands together in the backswing, shifting legs from /\ to /| “posting” the back leg vertically as the hips rotated 45° closed AGAINST RESISTANCE of the squared back foot. It was only at the point the hips got ‘stuck’ at a VERY CONSISTENT 45° angle that shoulders started to move another 45° until square to the target line. Being square with the shoulders also, for most, brings the club parallel. Consistency in that benchmark helps the trail elbow drop (if separated) and realign with the right hip bone BEFORE firing hips. Nicklaus changed the order of movement, moving away from ball until shoulders are 45° closed at which point the shoulder turn starts to pull the hips closed. The difference the arms first- hips second sequence makes to the club head path is that the Snead / Hogan style keeps the club head outside the hand and feet when extension pulls arm ram-rod straight forcing the arm to ‘give’ at the wrist not bend at the elbow. With the arms first, hips second swing in the style of Nicklaus the club is more inside and behind the hips when the wrists clock and it comes up. I started with the Nicklaus style in the mid-1980s after reading his Golf My Way. But not being a well coordinated athlete like he was I struggled with the timing of the swing and finding the ideal path for each club. It was so frustrating for me I skipped the golf and just had the beers, lighting the cigar with a $100 bill instead until retired in 2007 and took a min. wage job as golf course starter to get free range balls and goal rounds. By then I had acquired and read about 50 different golf books but decided to use Hogan’s Five Lessons with a $3 circa 1970s blade seven iron I found at a thrift and regripped at his suggestion that ‘Until you learn to hit a seven iron properly why would you ever think you could hit anything else better?” He also said, “The Secret is in the Dirt.” which means practice a lot and understand how to drive ball into the turf with an iron and pop it out for max. spin. Hogan’s style which is based on coiling the back leg like a torsion bar to power the downswing is entirely bio-mechanical and unlike Jack’s timing dependent hands > shoulders > hips style requires very little athleticism to master making it much easier for ‘normal’ people to master in a few range sessions ONCE THEY UNDERSTAND THE CAUSE AND EFFECT.

[@adrianmcdonnell9085]

Hi Rus, i have a tendency to come over the top causing a pull and have tried to drive my elbow more to get my arms down quicker at the same time as pulling my lead hip back . Is this a good approach in your view?

[@bizzap620]

Love the video Russ. Feel like this brought it back to the fundamentals you've always preached but in a new context. One question, and something I struggle with, how much head movement are you comfortable with during the golf swing? I notice when filming myself I normally lower my head in the backswing and sometimes toward my trail side. Should I be concentrating on having zero head movement and try to keep my head in a box\circle on the video?

[@shakes2966]

Does/should the lead leg straighten?

[@michaelenright1089]

A type of stack and tilt which is much easier for weekend Golfers easier to repeat and more consistent

[@martinmoore7551]

Excellent instruction Russell. Now I just need to change the habits of 45 years.

[@stevebatty2518]

Me down to a tee recently!

[@Kimntracey856]

I found that when I’m closer to the pin, I grip down really low and then hit it further than when I use the full length of the club.

[@josephsaber6103]

If you pull the lead hip back so that it feels weightless how does that work when you should shift your weight to your lead leg when u start the downswing. It seems contradictory.. help!

[@russellheritagegolf]

Weightless as you pull it back until lead arm horizontal then the majority will be on lead leg

[@shadalak]

You may have just save my game ☺️

[@shofey]

are comments back on KZbin? Welcome back to the real world of internet.

[@kjcjensen]

Start learning golf: 1) Learn the best biodynamic starting position. 2) Learn the movement of hips and pelvis. And make it a routine. 3) Move on to the clubs. Start with the fundamentals and build your game from here. Maybe it can save you for a lot of stress and frustration.

[@DJ-xu1qo]

you go back and forth on whats wrong and right. i cant follow what you're trying to tell me. But i gave you a thumbs up

[@theopenstanceacademy487]

Why is the trailing hip rotating behind you important from an objective perspective? Is it just for those who spin out? Is that important enough to prescribe to everyone? What is your definition of “Stuck”.

[@TheBaseCase]

Why is the trailing hip rotating behind you important from an objective perspective? Is it just for those who spin out? Is that important enough to prescribe to everyone? Why do players ‘want to get over the ball’? Does set-up contribute to the problems you see? Also, what is your definition of “Stuck”. I think I heard a couple different versions here. You are teaching motion, so do you use drills to teach motion? I’d like to follow you, but I need to know if you know what you’re talking about.

[@pohoresky]

You do not say it but what you are demonstrating is throwing an upper cut with your right hand as your right shoulder goes down, back and then up as your head stays over your right foot. The axis of your swing is really over your right foot where your head is.

[@stevenwhiting8941]

Somewhat confusing in the beginning but will watch it again and break it down. But still think this could have been expalined a ton better

[@DJ-xu1qo]

ok, show us the correct tilt with a full swing

[@rayrapp8929]

I have thought for a long time interpretation can be misleading and in some cases ruinous for a golf swing. There are very few unequivocal terms in golf and possibly too many erudite ones which only a golf pro fully understands. A very interesting tutorial, thanks Russell.

[@JK-ks3xq]

"Clearing the hips" is the recipe for nothing but lower back problems.....sooner or later.

[@simongiguere8794]

Wow, swing golf make easier, not like pros can Do. They're pay to Play 🤣 Us, we pay to get angry 😇😇😇

[@TheRealLanceCummings]

Your explanation of what is good and what isn't when you are demoing postures (from 2:00) is unclear to me.

[@stephenwarr2864]

Do the Charlie Chaplin feet help coach does me front foot

[@davefiano4172]

1000 %

[@matthewdavis8435]

Position A + position B divided by position X = confusion city. This isn’t the answer sorry... try thinking about this during a pennant final... = fail.

[@shakes2966]

Keeping the head back and tilting kinda feels like you're hitting up on the ball

[@shakes2966]

@Matt Becham shift your weight or feel like your chest is raising to the sky(while keeping your tilts)

[@BobBeliveau17]

This helped me consistently fix my sequence that got out of sorts after attempting to fire the hips faster (which got me to feel spinny) to get more distance. Thinking left butt back on the downswing helped me find the slot. consistently.

[@DJ-xu1qo]

what??? less talking. show us more of the correct swing. im so confused

[@alanashton8422]

Far too complicated

[@SteveBigPop]

This will result in a big loss of distance