How to shift more

@jscott5150 - That's a good and very important self-discovery. Those hips need to move laterally in the downswing while the upper torso remains in place, keeping the swing center - and low point - intact. No worries - you have a lot of company in this regard, but you'll get it. Here is a video on building in more of this hip slide motion in the downswing. There's also the Tailbone2Target Drill that offers an alternative means of getting those hips moving laterally earlier in the swing sequence.

Additionally, below are excerpts from the S&T book featuring the "feels" of two PGA Tour players specific to ingraining this motion.

@bob.mcpheron - The answer to your inquiry is likely going to be found in the message below that I share with any new student who asks about how to properly navigate the school:

1) It is crucial to take sufficient time to master the fundamental components of the first couple of chapters! I cannot emphasize this enough, as frustrations predominantly occur when a student jumps ahead in the curriculum without properly dedicating himself/herself to the foundational base upon which our consistently repeatable, powerful, low maintenance swing must be built. Please have a look at this introductory video if you have not already done so.

2) One of the many great things about this swing is that you can achieve solid ball striking even at the most basic levels. This is why I oftentimes will suggest that students park themselves on Chapter 2 of the Golf Swing Simplified course for an extended period of time after locking down Chapter 1's foundational elements. Chapter 2 reinforces the body motions and the weight-forward component, and it culminates with what I call "The Best Golf Swing Practice Drill of All Time". Work yourself sequentially and gradually through the chapter, and then commit yourself to that drill in Lesson 2.8. Learn it. Practice it. Master it. You can even use the somewhat abbreviated swing it provides on the course and play quite well with it! Once you've got that down, you will be well prepared to move forward in the curriculum and well on your way towards taking ownership of YOUR swing!

3) Also, as you progress always keep in mind the V1 Swing Video Analysis service, an effective and inexpensive service that I highly recommend to everyone in the school. I liken it to bringing your swing into the shop for a tune-up or minor repair. Scheduling one on a quarterly basis for preventive maintenance will do wonders for keeping things humming along nicely, and it's also a great tool for pinpointing and resolving any issues that arise. The process involves downloading the free V1 app and then submitting two videos to me through the app - one down-the-line (captured from your stance line, not the target line) and the other face-on. You'll find more information about the V1 Analysis halfway down this page on the Saguto.Golf site.

Beyond that, the 90% Weight Forward/Arms Straight Drill should help you to ingrain the proper feels specific to keeping your weight loading onto your lead side. It's not an easy drill, but it is very effective, so be sure to spend sufficient time to properly learn, execute, and master it. You'll know you're doing it properly when impact is consistently crispy, divots are occurring past the ball, and ball flight is a repeatable little push-draw.

It is so important to embrace the swing change process and set realistic expectations along the way, otherwise frustration is certain to occur. The “ghosts of swings past” do not die easily, and if you are transitioning from a swing method that involved shifting weight into your trail side and/or lifting the club with your hands, those demons are going to take some time to exorcise! Be patient, work through the lessons sequentially and without getting ahead of yourself, and know that it’s going to take time for your swing to perform consistently and hold up under the pressure of actual play.

I hope this helps!

Tom

Tom I was at the range tonight and so frustrating . I was doing this 90% drill. Hit 20 balls and 13 or 14 were good. Straight some ok power not seeing club go inside but still ok. Tried 5 Full shoots and all big fade or slice . Went back to drill and tried another 20 and again about 14 good ones . Tried 5 or 6 full and same thing slice or big fade and also felt sore in lower back . I’m not expecting perfection but frustrating . I just can’t seem to fire hips from startup to impact and past . I don’t know if it’s cause I don’t have a big backswing ( even watching videos , I think possibly cause I have a barrel chest )

@jscott5150 - The 90% Drill is a difficult one, so 13-14 good strikes out of 20 is actually quite impressive for someone who is just starting with it!

What you are referring to as your "full swing" may actually be taking you beyond your body's natural stopping point in the backswing where the tilting, turning, and extending motions are complete and the lead arm has crossed the chest 45 degrees. This is the point where if we were to try to go any further any or all of the following will occur:

1) the lead arm will bend and/or lift

2) the wrists will break down

3) the lead knee will kick inward towards the trail side

4) the lead shoulder will level out and lose its orientation towards the ball

5) weight will shift into the trail side.

Remember - the depth we create by getting our hands behind the trail shoulder at the top gives us all the power we need (it's invoking the tremendous force of angular momentum), even if it "looks" like less than a full swing compared to our old Shift & Lift days. Trust me - you've created width and plenty of distance for that club to travel by taking it deep; there's no need to try to get to "parallel" - that false deity of swings past. Execute the motions, understand your body's natural stopping point, and then - the most difficult part - train yourself to stop there!

By the way, have you worked your way gradually through chapters 1 & 2? The chapters, lessons, and drills that comprise the Golf Swing Simplified course curriculum are not randomly ordered; they are designed to be taken sequentially from the beginning. Regardless of a member's skill level, this swing necessitates a complete reboot for someone transitioning from a shift & lift swing (which is typically the case), and therefore it is imperative that one take sufficient time to ensure that the fundamental components of the first couple of chapters are mastered. From the ground up there is nothing superfluous in the Stack & Tilt swing - in other words, everything with a purpose, and a purpose for everything. I cannot emphasize this enough, as frustrations predominantly occur when students jump ahead in the curriculum without properly dedicating themselves to the foundational base upon which our consistently repeatable, powerful, low maintenance swing must be built.

Beyond this, you may wish to give some thought to the V1 Swing Video Analysis - an effective and inexpensive service that I highly recommend to everyone in the school. This enables me to put my eyes on your swing and offer some very specific observations and corrective action plans if applicable. I liken it to bringing your swing into the shop for a tune-up or minor repair. Scheduling one on a quarterly basis for preventive maintenance will do wonders for keeping things humming along nicely, and it's also a great tool for pinpointing and resolving any issues that arise so we can get things back on track. The process involves downloading the free V1 app and then submitting two videos to me through the app - one down-the-line (captured from your stance line, not the target line) and the other face-on. You'll find more information about the V1 Analysis halfway down this page on the Saguto.Golf site.