W L
GOLF
BREAKING DOWN THE SWING : THE TOP
BY TOM ATKINSON , PGA GOLF PROFESSIONAL
So you ' ve been out and had a go at getting the club into a more efficient position 1 / 4 of the way back , so now it ' s time to take it to the top .
What should you be looking for as you complete your backswing ? Look no further than your clubface ,
Here ' s 3 positions you want to be making a note of …. But what do they all mean ?
An Open Face is generally the one that leads to the most inconsistencies . It will need correcting before impact and will rely on the use of hands , arms and wrists , over the one second between beginning your swing and ending it , this isn ' t going to be very consistent . Low point control becomes very difficult to time and the strike is compromised .
A Square Face would make the most sense , and it ' s typically what
you see amongst tour pros . There ' s not much to go wrong from here and consistency becomes more evident , the club will need to be released , like a door opening and closing around it ' s hinge ( we will cover this in the follow through article .)
Many of the world ' s best do play with a Closed Face ( or strong face ) at the top . For example , Dustin Johnson , Graeme McDowell and David Duval aren ' t interested in changing this though as now to square the face they have to use rotation of their body , which can lead to the most ultimate consistency . Rotation of the torso to square the club offers the player the fewest moving parts , whilst timing is less of an issue , athleticism and agility are essential .
So if you ' re happy with the first part of your swing , go and have a go at completing the backswing .
Next month we will have a look at how to take this into the transition . Good Luck !
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