We are still working on the backswing at PKU with a focus on keeping the right shoulder and right hip low rather than lifting with them. Patrick wants me to focus on my belly button feeling like it is driving into my right foot’s toes while not lifting with my right shoulder or right hip. If I can do this and then drive with my core, I have a great foundation for a good backswing.
What we really focused on today was getting the left lat into the backswing with the right side being soft. When I do this, it makes me feel like my right hip is very far back or behind me but we are going to work on bracing with the right side in the near future. For now, driving with my left lat will make it feel like my right nipple and the right side of my chest is actually well past my arms at the top of the backswing.
I am definitely getting better and better at keeping the right shoulder low and using my core and left lat to drive to the top of the backswing. When I do this, I have so much more time which causes me to throw my hands at it at impact and the ball goes straight up. Patrick is not overly concerned with this as he said we will address that on the downswing days which will be the last two days of this week.
Overall, my backswing has improved quite a bit in the last few weeks. I can feel the space with my stomach as I turn to get to the top of the backswing. When done correctly, my shoulders feel very flat at the top of the backswing. Patrick said I still have some lifting that I do with my right shoulder at the top of the backswing but we have to work on it in bits and pieces.
UPDATE: It is late May 2021 and I am not working very hard on my right hip bracing and increasing the crease on the backswing. The more I can increase the crease the better shoulder turn I get. In the past I allowed my right side to pull. This was with my right arm, right shoulder and then right hip. Now, I am to use no part of my right side in the backswing. It has been a very long road to be able to do that.
