Golf Instructor Joe Rocha shares insight on how the positioning of the leg and hip can positively influence your golf swing.

It’s All in the Hips

The hips are the area of the body known to produce the largest amount of power in the golf swing. How we move our hips or pelvis can either maximize or inhibit our ball striking potential.

During the back swing, internal rotation of the trail hip is one of the primary movements of the pelvis. In order to achieve efficient internal rotation, it is helpful to look at our body as a series of alternating stable and mobile joints. Done correctly, our foot should be stable, ankle mobile and knee stable so that the hip can be mobile. The stability of the lower segment, the knee in this case, facilitates hip mobility – namely, internal rotation during the back swing.

The internal rotation on the back swing allows the golfer to initiate their forward swing by externally rotating the trail hip. The motion is similar to a sprinter pushing off the starting block to propel themselves forward to start a race. As with the sprinter, the golfer’s use of external rotation sends a powerful pulse of energy through their body. This energy will eventually be transferred to the club head and ultimately, to the golf ball.

What Not to Do

Some golfers overlook this stability/mobility chain of the joints. The trail foot, knee and pelvis all shift laterally. This is commonly referred to as a ‘sway’. The instability of the foot, knee and pelvis place the golfer in an unbalanced position at the top of their back swing. This prevents proper sequencing on the forward swing, robbing the player of distance.

One of the secrets to maximizing distance and accuracy is in the way we move our trail hip. Internal rotation on the back swing, followed by external rotation to start the forward swing is essential. And with our foot stable, ankle mobile, knee stable and hip mobile, we’ll be on our way to hitting longer, straighter shots.

Ready to give this tip a try? Book some practice time in our Indoor Golf Range on the Golf Simulator, or purchase a lesson with Joe!