WHAT DRILL CAN I USE TO LEARN PROPER HIP ROTATION IN GOLF?

Placing an alignment stick in the ground abutting your target side foot and leg is a fantastic training aid for providing instant feedback on whether you are sliding your hips too far forward or properly clearing your hips in your full swing. Director of Golf Scott Bunker discusses and demonstrates this excellent drill for any golfer, especially those who tend to slide their hips forward rather than turn.

Alignment Stick Hip Rotation Drill

This drill will help those of you whose hips on the downswing have tended to slide versus turn. The drill is elementary to set up. You only need a single alignment stick stuck in the ground facing the sky. Then, take your normal address position next to the alignment stick with the outer part of your target side foot directly next to the shaft.

Your hips must turn as you're making a downswing. You want to get the feeling of the hips turning versus sliding. So many players, especially lower handicap tournament players, will start sliding their hips forward in their downswing in an errant attempt to generate more power. Unfortunately, as they slide their hips forward, it causes the shaft plane to flatten on the downswing and runs them into trouble as the club gets stuck inside their bodies. This leads to out-of-position hands, which either flip over or they'll block the shot to the right.

So, the purpose of hitting golf shots with this alignment stick next to you providing feedback is to get the correct feeling of the hips turning on the downswing turning. If you slide, you're going to run into that stick. When you've turned, you're going to turn into your left side, and the ball striking will be much more solid.

Here are some additional drills that will help you build great awareness or a proper pivot and hip rotation to generate more club head speed.

Scott Bunker, Director of Golf