The top of the swing, is one of the most important checkpoints in your entire golf motion. This position give you feedback on how efficiently you executed all of your first Golf Swing Sequence steps. It begins with grip, address, stance, posture, spine angle, lower body rotation, and shoulder turn. How much power and distance you can generate is dependent on all of these factors. How well you can control the clubface through impact is the culmination of all that efficient training using the SpineAlign Golf App. At Spine Align Golf we focus on helping golfers reach a balanced stable and powerful top position that works with the body rather than against it. We do it by teaching you everything that comes before that final finish.
A complete shoulder rotation allows your body to coil around your spine. Your lead shoulder should move under your chin while your trail shoulder rotates behind you.
The trail elbow should sit comfortably near the body not flaring too high. This helps keep the club on plane and makes it easier to deliver it squarely.
A correct wrist hinge positions the club at the right angle at the top. The club should form a stable L shape not collapsing or cupping too much.
The shaft should generally point toward the target or slightly right of it for right handed golfers. If the club crosses the line or falls behind the body it can lead to off plane downswing movements.
Your lower body should stay grounded with pressure loaded into the trail leg. Allowing the hips to over rotate or sway reduces balance and power.
Taking the club too far back creates inconsistency and loss of control. This often happens when the arms continue moving after the body stops turning.
If the shaft points too far past the target line it leads to rerouting issues and can produce hooks or pushes.
A bent lead arm reduces width and power which affects speed and timing.
Standing up or changing your spine angle mid swing disrupts the entire sequence.
An athletic finish at the top shows that you moved your lower body in sync with the upper body, particularly the shoulder turn angle. For drivers this angle starts at 25 degrees and can reach up to 35 degrees. For irons it starts at 30 degrees and can go up to 40 degrees. For wedges it may go above 40 degrees. Flat shoulder turns lead to multiple swing errors. Excess shoulder turns also lead to disasters. Without proper shoulder turn angle you cannot transition smoothly into the downswing. A proper shoulder turn sets your club and swing plane correctly during the backswing. Your upper body also stays in more harmony with ideal hip and leg mechanics. This builds power, speed, and control. Poor positions at the top of the backswing often cause compensations, such as early casting. This is due to incorrect spine angle and/or shoulder turn angle. The SpineAlign Golf App takes the guesswork out of it.
Reaching a solid top position helps you to reproduce a better golf swing. When you build the proper swing sequence using the SpineAlign Golf App, your finish will show. It always starts with Spine Angle, Lower Body Mechanics, and continues to proper Shoulder Turn Angle for the chosen club.
Swing Tips
