There’s an Epidemic in Golf!

In the golf swing you can perform 4 FUNCTIONS with your body. You can... turn, tilt, bend & sway. Every great golfer swings within a frame of degrees within those movements that proven by data with make you play better golf over time.

Hello, my name is Dylan Smith and I have been a golf coach for almost 15 years now in the Bay Area and have also been playing high level competitive golf since I was a young kid. I have taught USGA, NCGA and NCAA winners. I also won multiple NCGA events and obtained a scholarship to the University of San Francisco to play on the Men’s golf team. Within the last 15 years, I’ve noticed a pattern amongst every student that I have taught and I’m here today to share with you my findings.

Written by: Dylan Smith, Golf Coach at Perform for Golf

There’s an Epidemic in Golf!

If I taught 100 new golfers in the Bay Area; based on the students I have coached and the data I have, over 95% of players BEND FORWARD throughout the golf swing with their spine. What does that mean? First we have to understand the definition of BEND. When you BEND in the golf swing you can BEND your spine from 0 (straight up and down) to forward and backward. Here are a couple of Data points proven, of how the best players BEND in the golf swing.

Did you know that the average PGA Tour player is bent forward with their spine 10-12 degrees at set up? That they are extending their spine back to ZERO at the top of the backswing and that they are also BENDING backwards post impact (Rory is about 15 degrees bent backwards post impact and about 30 degrees in his finish)?

Remember to Bend

The epidemic is this... the 95% stays bent forward. From the set up their spine remains bent forward throughout the backswing and post impact their spine is bent forward 10-20 degrees. Using this information you can clearly see why golfers struggle versus the best players and how the BEND.

Next time you play consider doing stretches and dynamic movements that open up and extend your spine. This will prepare you to BEND correctly. The best players in the world know how the BEND their spine correctly at set up, throughout the backswing and post impact. Data proves it, studies do as well, are you ready to BEND properly?

Remember in the golf swing the 4 functions control everything you do. The quicker you can learn to BEND properly, the quicker you will be on your way to playing better golf. If you are a 20 plus handicap proven by data you bend forward. If you are a 15 or so handicap proven by data you bend at a small rate but don’t extend the spine in the backswing or finish and if you are at 5 handicap to plus proven by data you know how to bend and extend your spine in the backswing and post impact.

Here are some example of proper bend post impact with students of mine so you can see the before and after.

Next blog we’ll talk about Sway and how that is a misunderstood function in the golf swing. Stay tuned for more from Perform For Golf and Coach Dylan Smith.

@dylansmithgolf @performforgolf