Have you been watching too many YouTube golf swing videos?? Buyer beware! (oh wait, they’re free) But, if you’ve been searching there, you’ve undoubtedly heard this good advice… “Make your left shoulder go down, not around, to start your backswing!” Honestly, I’ve described that important move, too, in one of my prior articles! It’s classic, it’s correct… and let’s be real, it IS a good initial movement thought for the start of your swing. That left shoulder going down is what produces rotation and sets up a lovely sequence of moving parts for your golf swing. But here’s the thing…sometimes a swing thought just loses its spark and is ineffective. You do the thing, and it kinda works, but it’s gotten dull. Maybe it has become robotic. And now… your power’s more meh than wow. So, consider a little backswing plot twist: LET’S TALK TO YOUR RIGHT SHOULDER!
Yup. That underappreciated co-pilot who’s been silently tagging along for years. We’ve all just assumed that if the left shoulder does its job, the right one will obediently follow like a golden retriever on a leash. But guess what? Your right shoulder has ambitions. It wants to do something. It wants a role. It wants…direction.
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So, here’s a fresh way to “feel” and “see” the start of your golf swing: Start your backswing by Moving your RIGHT shoulder UP and BACK behind you. Have a look at the pictures and imagine YOUR right shoulder moving to this identified position. Get in your golf posture and put your hands in the small of your back, intentionally thinking of just your right shoulder and where it needs to go. Yes, UP and BACK. Not crunched into your neck like you’re ducking after someone yells “Fore.” Not stiff like you’re a robot. Just a confident, upward and backward glide that will set your shoulders on a tilted angle…with your right shoulder high and your left shoulder low. When your right shoulder moves that way, it will create more shoulder rotation. Like, measurable, glorious, launch-monitor-verified rotation. And rotation? That’s the engine for distance. Not some mystically promised power source of three protein shakes. Just a better turn!
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So, the next time you’re setting up to hit a full shot and your brain cues up the old “left shoulder down” mantra, try this instead: “Right shoulder UP and BACK, baby.” It’s fresh. It’s dynamic. It’s friendly to your spine. And most importantly…it just might be the best inner conversation you’ve ever had to create your new, powerful backswing.
