It is hard to believe that I am 250 lessons in at this point. Today was a backswing day at PKU and Patrick blended a lot of things together. Today was the first day I really felt my arms and club swing around my chest which swung around my lower body. Patrick had me really focus on my head today as I still have the habit of letting it fall towards the target to start the swing.
He held my head and had me turn my body. It feels like the club fact and shaft are staying outside my hands while my left elbow is soft and inside. I turn with my left side and my arms naturally flow and my right elbow tucks. I really feel the turn when I can start the backswing with a slight downward movement with my left hip and then get into my core and upper thoracic. Basically, the club face is staying outside my hands and head as it turns around my body with a soft left elbow that stays inside the clubface. Easy enough.
This also helps me keep my posture all the way through my backswing. For months we have worked on my bent over posture with a hinge at the hips. Now, I can finally do it all the way to the top of the backswing. I have to get my head into my right side during the take away, then allow my upper thoracic on my left side to really drive. The more I can get my upper thoracic into the backswing after the take away, the deeper I can get.
I also now feel the importance of keeping the crease on the right side and sucking in the lower right obliques. This really allows the upper body to turn around the lower body. My homework is to make sure my first head movement is to the right instead of falling to the left. Patrick wants me to almost overdo it as I have the habit of allowing my head to fall forward right at the take away. I fall forward a lot with my head and we need to work on that.
My left shoulder feels like a “fish hook” that is coming underneath my chin. I know I should think about keeping my left shoulder inside but the more my shoulders turn, the more under my chin the shoulder is. If I can feel the left shoulder staying under the chin with the turn of the body I know I am turning correctly.
Overall, I hit the ball really well as I can feel the flow of the club and my arms around my body while I am bent over and in good posture throughout the backswing.
