What a week or two in politics! Whatever side of the political isle you stand on, you may be unsure what side works best for you right now.
The same uncertainty can be applied to what side of your body should get your focus during your golf swing. Leaving politics aside, there are proponents to swinging the club with the left side of your body, as well as the right side of your body.
Let’s focus on the left side of your body and how it’s role can help you swing the club better.
A classic (and perhaps majority) view of the golf swing is best performed with a focus on the left side. However, what is not often described are the forces applied to the club to help this side perform at its best.
Many golfers believe that you use pull forces to take the club back on the backswing and then push forces to deliver the club on the downswing. When focusing on the left side your body when swinging the club, focus on the opposite — push the club back and pull the club through.
During the takeaway, focus on the left hand pushing the club to start the club moving back. This will allow you to take the club away in straighter path. It also gets your left shoulder turning.
A common mistake of golfers pulling the club back with their right hand or right side is that club will have a tendency to get too far inside and underneath the swing plane, setting up a possible over-the-top move on the downswing.
Pushing your left hand away on the takeaway will help you create a wider swing arc. It also shifts your weight to the right side for more power.
With your weight set and a good shoulder turn, you are ready to reverse those forces to more of a pull. As you change directions in your swing, feel the left side of your body — starting with your feet, knee and hips — pull and begin the motion. This will help your club drop to the inside. Your hands will then pull the club slightly away from your body before pulling the club down towards the ball.
Hold on, however; the downswing is not all pull because if you just do some pulling, you will leave the club face wide open and hit some big shots to the right. After the initial pull away and down, begin rotating your left forearm and knuckles of the left hand with the goal of delivering the back of your left hand flat and facing the target. This will square up the club face.
A common fault for right-side, push-dominated golfers on-the downswing is too much right-hand, right side push moves the club out and away from you, causing a steeper swing and path that cuts across the ball.
There you have it. Regardless of your politics, try focusing on the left side when delivering the golf club. You may find it trumps what you’re presently doing.
Peter Harris is the director of Golf at the Fore-U Golf Center in West Lebanon. His column appears weekly in the Recreation page during the golf season.