The second part of the back swing is commonly called the pivot. Here you will
"load" the power needed in the rest of the swing. This part of the swing is a
balancing act between the up and down motion of your swinging arms and the turning motion
around your spine. The trick is in blending the two motions into a graceful coiling of
stored energy.
At the end of the last lesson, the club was parallel to the ground and parallel to the
target line, even with the feet. Your hands are just outside your right thigh and the
wrists have not really moved from your setup position. If they have, it will be only a
slight movement in anticipation of what is to come. Your grip pressure should be constant.
The first thing to understand is the hinging of the wrists. I will demonstrate this by
asking you to leave your hands and arms where they are and try to lift the clubhead toward
your head. You should get 45 degrees or more of movement. This is the direction the wrists
will move to "set" the club at the top. You could hit balls from this position
and get great results. Try it for practice.
Finishing the pivot is fairly simple from here. Lift your arms until the left shoulder
touches your chin slightly. In the full swing, this is when you know you've taken the club
back far enough. You will feel your weight shift more over your right leg as you turn and
lift your arms. Your chest will face away from the target and your eyes will still be
looking at the ball. The club will lay over at the top and essentially be pointing at the
target, parallel to the ground.
Don't contort yourself here. Be comfortable and fluid. I encourage you to hold the
separate positions I have described to you as a means of checking club positions and as a
balancing exercise. You must maintain your balance throughout the swing.
After learning the positions, practice cocking the wrists and lifting the arms at the same
time. Practice slowly at first to ingrain the feelings you will experience. When you are
comfortable with this phase, practice joining the takeaway, backswing and pivot together
until you can blend them together smoothly.
Remember the straight left arm. Stay balanced and comfortable. Keep the knees flexed and
springy during the turn back. Taking the club back with force does not make the ball go
farther. Just the opposite, it will throw off the chain of events. A slow, smooth
backswing to the top will allow the proper storing of coiled energy. Remember that
leverage is the goal, not power. Leverage will give you accuracy and distance. Power is
the result of timing and leverage, not strength.