Shoulder Turn Drill
 

I've been working on a flatter shoulder turn and it has eliminated my sh**ks (thanks, Ted!). I still have a tendency, though, to lift up my right shoulder as I turn back. (I think I instinctively do this to try to lift the club.) It's almost like I'm shrugging my shoulder in the backswing. Are there any drills for keeping the right shoulder down and flat in the backswing, such that the only lifting that occurs is done by the right elbow bending? Thanks.

The MacDonald Drills touch on this business. And IMO there really isn't any more lifting than those drills describe, strangely.

The amount of lifting required is something of an illusion. The hands do go from address to a position quite high vertically off the ground but much of this lifting is gotten via momentum as opposed to active lifting. If you're swinging the club back the momentum of the lagging takeaway, swing away will negate much of the need for active lifting.

It helps to perceive how much and in which direction the hands are actually lifted when seen in isolation . Isolated from the pivots contribution to hand travel. Without a club in hand go to Top , right hand at shoulder height then stop and freeze your arms while you return your shoulders to where they were at address, square. Notice where your hands are now . You have now isolated the amount the hands are lifted AND THE DIRECTION IN WHICH THEY ARE LIFTED by removing the pivots contribution to the 3D backswing (Backwards , In and Up). The IN provided largely by the pivot. The pivot goes IN the ARms go UP (MacDonald Drills, Bobby Jones on golf etc) , independent arm and pivot motion. Weird aint it? It helps in training but its best to perceive the hands as travelling the plane in the end.... which is what they do. Where was I? Oh ya, having isolated how much lifting is done realize that much of this lifting is achieved via momentum as opposed to active lifting. You don't want to be lifting actively all the way to the Top you want it to sort of glide the last bit . Its sort of like you are throwing your arms up in the air. Its very hard to go the other way in transition with your lower body while you're still actively lifting with the arms ..... passively lifting or floating arms arms as they near Top or End ... yes it can be done. One of golfs magic moves.



Your working on some excellent stuff here by the way. Theres a lot of guys who do some heavy lifting on their backswings in the manner you describe .... one former TGM Doctorate level guy comes to mind if you've ever seen him swing. He lifts with everything he can find , left arm , right arm , shoulders etc. What book was he reading?

Preactivate your right pectoral and lat( depress shoulder), move your shoulder socket towards C7. You've got to train that shrug out, it is a death move. You might overdue it for a while and it will cause problems. Eventually you'll turn it over to the computer and your alignments will be restored.

Root cause is likely setup and/or flexibility.

Bumpy

This is great stuff, guys. Bumpy, you're right. It is a death move that causes all kind of over the top action coming down. I've worked diligently on moving my shoulder down plane during the downswing as well. One question--is C7 my upper vertebrae? Should I focus on moving my shoulder socket towards my vertebrae as I turn back?

You can simplify this by taking the tension out of your shoulders at address, and keeping it out on the BS.

Pro drill
 

Some advice from a pro....... http://www.golfwrx.com/forums/index.php?app=core&module=attach&section=attach&at tach_rel_module=post&attach_id=638255

Stable head, banded arms, externaly rotated humerus and a one piece takeaway. Don't shrug and it is a great drill to increase mobility.

Bumpy

Is it simple if it doesn't work? I suspect he has tried not to do it, he knows he shouldn't. If the movement is habitualized and he isn't AWARE of the proper movement he will never change. My suggestion eliminates the shrug and replaces it with the proper movement. Albeit forced open, the door is no longer jammed and he can then learn to swing it freely.

Bumpy

And I suspect he hasn't tried to take the tension out of his shoulders, which is a simple thing to do, and you don't know that it wouldn't help. Taking tension out of the shoulders is not the same as telling him not to shrug. :naughty:

Shoulder tension is one of the most overlooked swing wreckers, and even if eliminating it doesn't eliminate the shrugging, it's still a plus. :thumright

Good grief, I didn't say to tense up for the rest of his life. I said use it as a tool to limit, learn and loosen up. You read the word 'tension' and went on a tangent.

Bumpy