Golf is an industry with many theories about the game and how it should be played. One of the parts of the game that I feel is extremely important in creating a strong foundation for the swing is the backswing.
I believe that there are too many theories about the backswing, which can be quite confusing. As I have mentioned before, if you can start your swing with a square clubface, you will have a much greater chance of getting to impact with a square face.
I have heard of the theories about having an “in-to-out” swing, “out-to-in” swing and even a theory where the player gets told to take the club straight back and vertical, which can really cause inconsistencies to your game.
The problem with these theories is that the club-face changes to being either being shut or open at critical points in the swing, which can dramatically impact the shot outcome.
The worst theory that I have heard of is taking the club straight back. This gets the player to have a shut club face early on in the swing, it remains shut at the top of the swing, which then makes the player react on the downswing by “flicking” their hands which results in the player “topping” the ball or hitting the shot “thin”.
Having a swing which has an “in-to-out” or “out-to-in” swing path makes the player hook the ball or slice the ball consistently. If the player is good enough, he/she will be able to hit a draw or a fade, but not both. Unfortunately, the player will find it hard to control the amount of side spin on the shot, which will lead to a heavy slice or hook, which is not ideal.
This is why I believe, if you can have a neutral swing as your fundamental basis to your game, you will be able to hit the straight ball and then be able to have a strong basis to be able to control the ball into a draw or fade.
Many people will argue that if you look at players like John Daly, and Bubba Watson, this will discredit the comments that I have written above, but these players are an exception to the rule. The common trait that they have, is that they hit the ball a long way, but can be quite erratic. These players can have a great week when they are “on” (winning Major Championships) but they can really miss the cut by a long way if their timing is not “on”.
The way these players accommodate their game due to an unorthodox backswing, is that they unwind their hips early to allow for their arms to come down freely, which helps them hit a straight and long ball. Hip rotation is something that is underrated by many people, because they feel that if they use their arms and hands, they can manipulate the ball to get their desired results. Hip rotation is the key to a solid game but it all starts with a neutral backswing.