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The 12 basic swing faults can all be traced back to physical limitations.

  

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7. Sway

  

37.2% of players Sway
A Sway is any excessive lower body lateral movement away from the target during backswing that forces the weight to the outside of the back foot. This swing characteristic makes it very difficult to develop a proper weight shift during transition and the downswing. Imagine a baseball batter digging in at the plate with their back foot. This simple routine allows them to load around their back leg and drive their weight from their back leg to their front leg in a very efficient manner. If there is no stable platform to drive their weight off of during transition, golfers will lose power and inadvertently to develop speed in an inefficient sequence.

Several physical characteristics must be developed in order to not Sway during the backswing.


   1. S-posture
   2. C-posture
   3. Loss of Posture
   4. Flat Shoulder Plane
   5. Early Extension
   6. Over-the-top
   8. Slide
   9. Reverse Spine Angle
   10. Hanging Back
   11. Casting/Early Release
   12. Chicken Winging
  • Foremost, right hip internal rotation is paramount for full rotation into the right hip without any lateral sway for a right handed golfer. If the body is unable to rotate around the right hip due to joint or muscular restrictions, lateral movements will dominate the pattern. The Lower Quarter Rotation Test is used to best evaluate internal hip rotation.
  • The ability to separate the upper body from the lower body allows the lower body to laterally stabilise while rotating during a large shoulder turn. Limited thorax-to-pelvis separation is usually caused by reduced spinal mobility and shortened lat flexibility. This separation is best evaluated using the Torso Rotation Test, Lat Test and the Seated Trunk Rotation.
  • Finally, the ability to laterally stabilise the right leg during the backswing is directly proportional to the strength and stability of the gluteal musculature (your butt). The Glute Maximus is the main stabiliser of the pelvis, but don't forget the Glute Medius which is king when it comes to lower body lateral stabilisation. The Glute medius helps prevent the right hip from elevating and shifting laterally during an aggressive coil or load into the right hip. The Glute medius and Maximus are best evaluated using the Bridge w/ Leg Extension Test, Lower Quater Rotation Test (the glute medius is an internal rotator of the hip) and the Single Leg Balance Test.