It’s All In The Hips
March 23rd, 2008It’s All in the Hips
Remember the golf coach Chubbs from Happy Gilmore trying to get Happy to relax by saying—“It’s all In the Hips, It’ all in the Hips”.
As a 54-year old golfer, “It’s all in the Hips” had a much different meaning. For me it was about pain. I would do stretches that my trainer gave me and it would help alleviate the pain, but the pain would come back.
The other day I was getting ready to do a strength training session with my trainer Pauliina and I said to her that I noticed that my hips haven’t been hurting over the past two months and I was wondering how much it had to do with the fact that I hadn’t trained in awhile. She felt that while it was true I hadn’t trained in a while, that my hip issue wasn’t connected to me not lifting weights, but something else.
As we continued to discuss it, I had a big ah ha moment. I remembered watching the Lee Trevino/George Lopez special that was on the Golf Channel in January. It was there that Trevino, in giving George a golf lesson, talked about the take away and the shoulder turn. He said that most amateur golfers turn their shoulders incorrectly. Instead of turning their shoulders around their hips, they turn their shoulder with their hips. He suggested that Lopez should have a flatter shoulder turn and keep the club in front of his chest during the entire turning process.
Trevino comments made a lot of sense to me, so I proceeded to make the change. He also talked about keeping the club in front of your chest and not behind you. These two changes enabled me to make greater contact and more powerful drives. What I didn’t realize at the time was that the suggested change would also produce a change in the pain level in my hips.
I am now swinging more in alignment with my body. I laughed out loud when I realized this. Pauliina also went on to suggest that by swinging this way that I was also working on strengthening my core. She said” I don’t know much about golf, but out of the two swings you are showing me, the newer swing looks less painful. I now find it easier to transfer weight and follow through more. As golfers get older in age one of the first thing that goes, is the follow through. Most of us cut the swing off because of flexibility issues, and various pains in the shoulder, back and hips. Trevino’s instruction changed a lot of that for me.
While Chubbs may be right about it “All being in the Hips”. I can truly say the pain is no longer all in my hips.
March 23rd, 2008 at 9:30 pm
The “hips” have it. If they are not used correctly, then the arms are being used to much, which for most is not a good thing. Glad you are pain free. It makes the game much more enjoyable. FHs
March 23rd, 2008 at 9:35 pm
Good stuff. I had myself videotaped by my golf pro recently. ” Upper body looks great, lower body, no. Need to not over rotate the hips on the backswing, and start downswing with the hips pulling. ” When combined with proper timing of wrist release into the ball, this means about +25 yards for the driver. All of this has to do with coiling around the body core; good weight transfer to inside the right foot, keeping the left foot grounded.
It’s all in the hips.
March 23rd, 2008 at 9:38 pm
Appreciate the feedback. Today I went out and played 6 holes with my wife. The beauty of this process for me is that I can now find my center easier and correct my swing faster.