My primary swing check:
I take the club back to backswing parallel. Then I look to see if the club head is outside, or closer to the target line than my hands. If I initiate my lead shoulder down move to start my backswing, I will be in that position every time. If the lead shoulder moves off the ball, or rotates flatter, the club head will be in-line, or behind my hands at backswing parallel, thus my hands will be closest to the target line. We see pros all the time on TV doing half backswing checks.
During that check I also need to feel the beginnings of a weight transfer into the inside of my trail foot.
This check takes 3 seconds, and anohter 3 seconds if I don't get it right, and it helps to curtail a LOT of other issues, and it's the same check for all clubs and/or shots.
Ball position, Weight forward, hands slightly forward, eye on back of ball.
But usually I prefer cash ( building disposable income for MBWA) .😝
I don't have a swing check. I pick the spot on the ground on the flightline I want the ball to take. My only thought is to release over that target. IF my focus remains on throwing over that spot then I don't really care where the club goes on the backswing.
I definitely tend to be under the plane on the backswing, but my downswing still comes from inside to the ball...so as long as my shot shapes match what I intend...I don't think about any swing positions.
If the ball is curving too much right to left, I know I am getting too far inside out. If the ball starts to cut a little that tells me my path isn't far enough inside out. I look at start line (to tell me where the clubface is aiming (which I correct with grip)...and curvature to tell me swing path (which I correct with appropriate intermediate target).
Trying to steal my job are you?
This is the routine done by one of my favorite pros Jordon Thomas.This is very good and will be added to my preshot routine, Thank you.
My primary swing check.
1. Weight forward.
2. Elbow in trail arm.
3. Shoulders, hips, knees stacked.
4. Practice swing, think hips forward and arms straight.
5. Swing.
@GolfLivesMatter - Nice post. Know your primary swing-wrecking tendency - in your case, the flattening of the shoulders (or loss of tilt/relationship) - and then build in a pre-swing check to neutralize it.