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Should you make your backswing shorter or longer?

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Your backswing length needs to produce enough speed to create the necessary distance, but also provide consistency for the most accurate shots possible. Sometimes golfers need more distance and other times they need more accuracy, and finding the happy medium isn’t always easy.

Obviously there is NO perfect backswing length for every golfer; if there was I would have told you by now! You certainly don’t want your backswing to be short and choppy, nor do you want to be long and loose. So how do you know what length is best for you?

In this article, I’ve demonstrated a short, medium and long backswing on Trackman so we can see what the data says about the three positions in regard to my swing.

Note: Individual golfers may find different results, so use these numbers as a guideline rather than a rule. 

The Short Backswing

Screen Shot 2015-01-07 at 9.49.07 AMScreen Shot 2015-01-07 at 9.49.17 AM

  1. Some of the best short-backswing players on Tour that you should watch on YouTube are John Cook, Liselotte Neumann and Jeff Sluman.
  2. With the driver, it’s easy to get too quick in your transition with a short backswing; thus, you must “wait” for it at the top.
  3. You must keep the right arm wide at the top for maximum swing width because when swinging this short you need to maximize your sources of power.
  4. Players with this type of swing need to have aggressive lower body transitions to “whip” the club through impact. Slow hip players need more swing length for necessary power.
  5. Make sure you stay “behind the ball” during your transition to help you hit up on the ball. If you move into the ball too much from here, you’ll chop down on it through impact.
  6. The club appears “laid off,” but in relation to a line drawn through the shoulder turn it is perpendicular — a perfect position.

The Normal Backswing

Screen Shot 2015-01-07 at 9.50.11 AMScreen Shot 2015-01-07 at 9.50.22 AM

  1. Some of the best normal-backswing players on Tour you can view on YouTube are Greg Norman, Steve Elkington and Jason Day.
  2. A club in the “normal” position has reached about parallel to the ground and you can see that the shoulders have turned around 90 degrees.
  3. As the upper body turns, you must make sure that your foundation is solid or “receiving” the turn. Your weight should stay on the inside of your right foot at the top.
  4. The left shoulder will be a touch behind the ball in this position, allowing a fuller turn to the top. More distance should result.
  5. Based on the flexibility of the golfer, you might see a slight softening of the left arm at the top. There is a difference between soft and loose at the top — soft is good, loose is not.
  6. Be mindful of your clubface position at the top. Your left wrist position and how you grip the club will control whether the club face is open, square or closed at the top.

The Long Backswing

Screen Shot 2015-01-07 at 9.50.35 AMScreen Shot 2015-01-07 at 9.50.45 AM

  1. Some of the best long-backswing players on Tour you should watch on YouTube are John Daly, Phil Mickelson and Tom Watson in his younger years.
  2. A longer backswing position requires a shoulder turn that is past 90 degrees and the lower body action accommodates that with a free turn to the top.
  3. You might see a left foot that comes off the ground with this player, a straightening right knee to the top and/or weight that moves slightly to the outside of the right foot.
  4. Be careful not to allow your arms to “droop” at this point in the swing. The right arm is still as wide as you can make it within reason.
  5. If you sway off the ball to any great degree with this longer swing, you will find it very hard to get back “to” the golf ball through impact.
  6. When the swing is this long, the club tends to move slightly across the line at the top due to the right arm leaving the body.
  7. Longer swings make it a touch easier to come over the top due to the more upright arm position.

Conclusion

Screen Shot 2015-01-07 at 9.50.57 AM

  1. Look at the dispersion circles and you will see that the shorter backswing produced the tightest pattern.
  2. Except for one ball each, the normal and the long swing had about the same pattern, but the CARRY distances were quite different.
  3. The only issue I had with the longer swing was the inefficiency of contact due to it not being my normal motion, but the results weren’t too bad.

Clubhead Speeds

Short: 99.8 mph
Normal: 103.8 mph
Long: 107.7 mph

Ball Speeds

Short: 148.9 yards
Normal: 154.9 yards
Long: 157 yards

Carry

Short: 231.5 yards
Normal: 248.6 yards
Long: 256.8 yards

Total

Short: 261.3 yards
Normal: 273.2 yards
Long: 279.2 yards
*Trackman roll numbers replicate the conditions of PGA Tour fairways. 

Side

Short: 6.3 yards
Normal: 16.4 yards
Long: 20.1 yards

It’s up to you to choose a shorter swing that finds more fairways or a longer swing than can add more distance. I’d suggest you find YOUR middle swing of the three and you will have good distance and quality accuracy in the end.

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Tom F. Stickney II, is a specialist in Biomechanics for Golf, Physiology, and 3d Motion Analysis. He has a degree in Exercise and Fitness and has been a Director of Instruction for almost 30 years at resorts and clubs such as- The Four Seasons Punta Mita, BIGHORN Golf Club, The Club at Cordillera, The Promontory Club, and the Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort. His past and present instructional awards include the following: Golf Magazine Top 100 Teacher, Golf Digest Top 50 International Instructor, Golf Tips Top 25 Instructor, Best in State (Florida, Colorado, and California,) Top 20 Teachers Under 40, Best Young Teachers and many more. Tom is a Trackman University Master/Partner, a distinction held by less than 25 people in the world. Tom is TPI Certified- Level 1, Golf Level 2, Level 2- Power, and Level 2- Fitness and believes that you cannot reach your maximum potential as a player with out some focus on your physiology. You can reach him at [email protected] and he welcomes any questions you may have.

39 Comments

39 Comments

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  2. Jeff

    Jan 15, 2015 at 12:25 am

    Your pictures are incorrect it seems. In the normal swing your shots are between 260-280. Carry 267 Total 287. However in your conclusion you say the normal shots are around 248. Check your pictures again as it seems for you a normal swing is much much better than the others. Just looking out…

  3. Tom Stickney

    Jan 14, 2015 at 3:08 pm

    Great thoughts bob.

  4. Bob

    Jan 14, 2015 at 10:26 am

    When you pound a nail with a hammer, you take the hammer back only so far. Farther than that, you subconsciously lose the feel for being sure the hammer will strike the nail accurately, or at all. It’s the same with a golf club. There’s a point in the backswing beyond which you subconsciously lose the connection between the clubface and the golf ball. Then you’re left with trying to find the ball again on the way down. Feeling that point of farthest connection is how you determine the length of your backswing. It’s a slightly different length for every club and every shot, but it’s a consistent feeling. Become sensitive to it and you never go wrong.

  5. other paul

    Jan 13, 2015 at 10:48 pm

    Good article Tom. I think you should take some of your own advice from one of your earlier articles (unless you did already…). You said that if people want to swing faster they should take Jaacob Boudens (I think i spelled his name wrong, oops) swing speed program. I am working on it for about two weeks and have gained 11 yards (260->271 average, longest 280->290). Then you would be as fast a swinger as all the other wrxers ????

  6. Tom Stickney

    Jan 13, 2015 at 10:07 pm

    Super- thx

  7. Tom Stickney

    Jan 13, 2015 at 10:06 pm

    Christian– check out dan pohl from the tour in the 80’s

  8. christian

    Jan 13, 2015 at 9:43 pm

    I hit it further than anybody I know or play with, but I have a really short backswing, much shorter than even the one you demonstrate here. Are there any real long hitters with short backswings? Like on the Long Drive tour?

    • Daniel

      Jan 14, 2015 at 9:36 am

      JB Holmes has a very short backswing and is one of the longest on PGA Tour

    • Josh

      Jan 14, 2015 at 9:50 am

      JP Holmes?

    • Shane

      Mar 12, 2015 at 11:53 am

      Look for YouTube videos of Alvaro Quiros. He’s a prime example of exemplary technique in a tall man who has a very short swing and highly aggressive hip turn. You will also notice the balance and poise throughout his swing which is essential regardless of swing length. Hope this helps 🙂

  9. Supermangolf

    Jan 13, 2015 at 4:50 pm

    Loved this article, I have been struggling a lot with the length and tempo of my back swing as it has gotten Very quick and short. Accuracy has been good but the drop in distance has hurt my game more than the added benefit.

    Any drills you can think of to length my swing just a little bit; when I try to consciously do it, I feel like when I push past my current point I spin out and get out of rhythm.

  10. Chip

    Jan 13, 2015 at 4:35 pm

    Great article. I find that when my swing gets too long that my shoulders don’t turn anymore than usual. My arms get disconnected and inefficient. Therefore, when I make what I feel like is a 1/2 swing, it is actually a normal length backswing and I don’t lose any ball speed, trajectory gets lower, plus I am more consistent.

  11. tom stickney

    Jan 13, 2015 at 3:59 pm

    Chris and Ca…yes for most people, but as little as I play I prefer a touch more control

    • Chris

      Jan 13, 2015 at 10:09 pm

      Perfect…thanks for the reply! Great article!

  12. tom stickney

    Jan 13, 2015 at 3:59 pm

    Thanks marty

  13. tom stickney

    Jan 13, 2015 at 3:58 pm

    Snow– of course they do

  14. tom stickney

    Jan 13, 2015 at 3:58 pm

    Not– The Tour Average speed is 113…I think I am doing fine based on the small amount that I play

  15. tom stickney

    Jan 13, 2015 at 3:56 pm

    SMRT– If you looked deeper at my article you might understand more than what you gleaned from your initial two minutes…

  16. tom stickney

    Jan 13, 2015 at 3:55 pm

    Farmer- You’ll have to work hard as you get older so that it does not get too short

  17. tom stickney

    Jan 13, 2015 at 3:55 pm

    Keith–

    thanks

  18. tom stickney

    Jan 13, 2015 at 3:54 pm

    Robert– you must do what works best for you for sure!

  19. tom stickney

    Jan 13, 2015 at 3:54 pm

    Kevin– It is the same

  20. tom stickney

    Jan 13, 2015 at 3:53 pm

    Chris– I would unless the dispersion is too wide

  21. Kevin Park

    Jan 13, 2015 at 1:52 pm

    how come the initial data presented for a normal swing does not match the data in the summary chart?

  22. Robert

    Jan 13, 2015 at 1:51 pm

    It’s also harder to make solid contact more consistently when taking the club further back. So you have to take that into account. I found that taking the club back shorter, but getting a tighter torque in my legs and hips ended up producing the same distance with a tighter dispersion and I hit is solid more consistently. However, one of the reasons this is happening is with this swing there is a slight delofting of the club at impact. So it’s a lower ballflight swing, same distance, more consistency. Works for me.

  23. Keith

    Jan 13, 2015 at 1:37 pm

    Very helpful, thank you!

  24. farmer

    Jan 13, 2015 at 1:22 pm

    I used to have a pretty long backswing. Age and some physical problems have made it a short backswing. If I had always been short, where would I be now?

  25. SMRT

    Jan 13, 2015 at 1:13 pm

    So lengthen your back swing until you start spraying it… Too bad I can’t get the last two minutes of my life back.

  26. not impressed

    Jan 13, 2015 at 1:09 pm

    Are those your actual driver figures Tom? Seems to me a big man like yourself who is so knowledgeable about the golf swing would be able to find some more club head speed.

    • snowman

      Jan 13, 2015 at 3:13 pm

      yes Tom, don’t you know everyone on Golfwrx swings the Driver 120mph with an average carry of 350 yards?

  27. MartyMoose

    Jan 13, 2015 at 12:31 pm

    Good timing on this. I actually just shortened my backswing. It feels like a 3/4 swing now but I believe it is closer to a full swing as my swing was probably 5/4 before. I’m swinging smoother now, better contact, better trajectory and adding about 5 yards of distance to each iron. Shoulders should dictate backswing length.

  28. Alex

    Jan 13, 2015 at 12:02 pm

    Just a small typo in the data provided. The speeds should be listed as MPH, not yards 🙂

    Otherwise, nice article!

  29. Chris Nickel

    Jan 13, 2015 at 11:58 am

    Question…so if you’re getting basically the same dispersion in the normal and long swings…but greater carry in the long one, why wouldn’t you advocate for that??

    • ca1879

      Jan 13, 2015 at 12:10 pm

      My thought exactly. The distance gain was easily worth the slight increase in dispersion.

      • GMR

        Jan 15, 2015 at 3:49 am

        Particularly since you can always club down to tighten the dispersion when you are hitting the ball 20 yards further…

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Instruction

Clement: Stop ripping off your swing with this drill!

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Not the dreaded headcover under the armpit drill! As if your body is defective and can’t function by itself! Have you seen how incredible the human machine is with all the incredible feats of agility all kinds of athletes are accomplishing? You think your body is so defective (the good Lord is laughing his head off at you) that it needs a headcover tucked under the armpit so you can swing like T-Rex?

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How a towel can fix your golf swing

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This is a classic drill that has been used for decades. However, the world of marketed training aids has grown so much during that time that this simple practice has been virtually forgotten. Because why teach people how to play golf using everyday items when you can create and sell a product that reinforces the same thing? Nevertheless, I am here to give you helpful advice without running to the nearest Edwin Watts or adding something to your Amazon cart.

For the “scoring clubs,” having a solid connection between the arms and body during the swing, especially through impact, is paramount to creating long-lasting consistency. And keeping that connection throughout the swing helps rotate the shoulders more to generate more power to help you hit it farther. So, how does this drill work, and what will your game benefit from it? Well, let’s get into it.

Setup

You can use this for basic chip shots up to complete swings. I use this with every club in my bag, up to a 9 or 8-iron. It’s natural to create incrementally more separation between the arms and body as you progress up the set. So doing this with a high iron or a wood is not recommended.

While you set up to hit a ball, simply tuck the towel underneath both armpits. The length of the towel will determine how tight it will be across your chest but don’t make it so loose that it gets in the way of your vision. After both sides are tucked, make some focused swings, keeping both arms firmly connected to the body during the backswing and follow through. (Note: It’s normal to lose connection on your lead arm during your finishing pose.) When you’re ready, put a ball in the way of those swings and get to work.

Get a Better Shoulder Turn

Many of us struggle to have proper shoulder rotation in our golf swing, especially during long layoffs. Making a swing that is all arms and no shoulders is a surefire way to have less control with wedges and less distance with full swings. Notice how I can get in a similar-looking position in both 60° wedge photos. However, one is weak and uncontrollable, while the other is strong and connected. One allows me to use my larger muscles to create my swing, and one doesn’t. The follow-through is another critical point where having a good connection, as well as solid shoulder rotation, is a must. This drill is great for those who tend to have a “chicken wing” form in their lead arm, which happens when it becomes separated from the body through impact.

In full swings, getting your shoulders to rotate in your golf swing is a great way to reinforce proper weight distribution. If your swing is all arms, it’s much harder to get your weight to naturally shift to the inside part of your trail foot in the backswing. Sure, you could make the mistake of “sliding” to get weight on your back foot, but that doesn’t fix the issue. You must turn into your trial leg to generate power. Additionally, look at the difference in separation between my hands and my head in the 8-iron examples. The green picture has more separation and has my hands lower. This will help me lessen my angle of attack and make it easier to hit the inside part of the golf ball, rather than the over-the-top move that the other picture produces.

Stay Better Connected in the Backswing

When you don’t keep everything in your upper body working as one, getting to a good spot at the top of your swing is very hard to do. It would take impeccable timing along with great hand-eye coordination to hit quality shots with any sort of regularity if the arms are working separately from the body.

Notice in the red pictures of both my 60-degree wedge and 8-iron how high my hands are and the fact you can clearly see my shoulder through the gap in my arms. That has happened because the right arm, just above my elbow, has become totally disconnected from my body. That separation causes me to lift my hands as well as lose some of the extension in my left arm. This has been corrected in the green pictures by using this drill to reinforce that connection. It will also make you focus on keeping the lead arm close to your body as well. Because the moment either one loses that relationship, the towel falls.

Conclusion

I have been diligent this year in finding a few drills that target some of the issues that plague my golf game; either by simply forgetting fundamental things or by coming to terms with the faults that have bitten me my whole career. I have found that having a few drills to fall back on to reinforce certain feelings helps me find my game a little easier, and the “towel drill” is most definitely one of them.

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Instruction

Clement: Why your practice swing never sucks

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You hear that one all the time; I wish I could put my practice swing on the ball! We explain the huge importance of what to focus on to allow the ball to be perfectly in the way of your practice swing. Enjoy!

 

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