How To Start The Backswing In Golf (Plus One Bonus Hack To Revitalize Your Ball-Striking)

There are plenty of factors to consider when learning how to start the backswing in golf, especially as the combination of this and your ability to effectively initiate the downswing will ultimately dictate the outcome of your shot.

Understanding subtle aspects such as how long your backswing should be, how to avoid an overswing and how to get a straight left arm in your golf swing will help you to strike the ball better, but this deeper understanding can also help you to eliminate some of the most common swing faults at source.

In this article, Golf Monthly Top 50 Coach Joshua Mayo walks us through a complete guide to the backswing, while also sharing a simple hack that could transform the quality of your ball-striking...

How To Start The Backswing In Golf

A common mistake among club golfers, particularly high- handicappers and beginners, is a lot of moving parts in the backswing. Sometimes it’s because they want to be positive and make a nice, committed swing; other times it’s because they don’t know how best to initiate the takeaway.

I like to feel as though my hands get the clubhead moving first. A good wrist set should be the priority. Start to create a 90 ̊ angle between shaft and forearm as the hands gently begin to push the club away from the target.

The shoulders follow the hands, then the torso and finally the hips and lower body. Swing slowly to the top and stop. Have your shoulders turned 90 ̊ so you’re looking over the lead shoulder? Have your hips turned around 45 ̊? If I were observing you, I’d want to see that the knees and feet haven’t turned much at all.

If the lower body goes at the same rate as the upper body, it’s hard to build up energy so you’ll be very limited on power and efficiency. Imagine a spring being wound up ready to be released. There’s also much more chance of swaying off the ball if the lower body gets too active early in the backswing.

Bonus Hack - 'Tap' Into Your Full Potential

To prevent the lower body rotating too soon, try ‘isolating’ it by tapping a foot. Tapping the lead foot throughout the swing will help keep your lower body separated from the upper body.

Work on starting the swing with the hands, then shoulders, then hips. You should get a full shoulder turn with much less hip turn. Give it a go – a rhythmical tap of the lead foot as you work to the top of the backswing and then give it a rip.