This is the right way to fire up your glutes for better shots
When you watch professional golfers working their way down from the top of their swing, you’ll see their hips firing as they release all the potential energy generated during the backswing. This unfolding creates energy and allows them to generate so much energy.
This action looks pretty simple if executed correctly. Guys like Fred Couples and Ernie Els had swings so good that it didn’t look like they were even trying to swing hard. But in reality, the force they generate is the result of moving each component in the swing in the correct order.
If you want to swing with maximum efficiency, you need to execute this sequence (called sequencing) perfectly. One of the key ways to perfect this sequence is to focus on your glutes during the downswing.
Top 100 Golf Coach Mike Malizia explains how in the video below.
The key to correct hip rotation
A phrase you may have heard in golf instruction is “firing your hips.” While you do need to launch hard or rotate your hips from the top of the swing, you should keep the correct sequence in mind.
When golfers hear the term “hip drive,” they typically turn as quickly as possible from the top of their swing. Fast hips are a good thing for generating power, but you can’t let them extend too far beyond your upper body when doing so.
“When tour players get to the top and start coming down, you’ll see that their hips are square or slightly closed when their forearms are parallel to the ground,” Malizia says. “It’s at this point that they start to spin.”
Recreational players can get into trouble if they use their hips too early and get their arms on the ball. When this happens, the clubhead will extend well beyond the correct swing plane and create a steep path.
To combat this, try feeling your hips close longer during the downswing. Let your arms drop toward the ball, then when your forearms are parallel to the ground, you can fully extend and pivot hard through the ball.
“Sequencing will help you be more consistent and maximize your game,” Malizia said.
