Welcome to Play Smart, a regular GOLF.com game-improvement column that will help you become a smarter, better golfer.
The golf swing consists of a series of movements that, if done correctly, can send the ball soaring. The hard part is getting all of these movements to work in cohort.
That’s where proper sequencing comes in. Without proper sequencing, the strongest person in the world will never even get the ball off the tee. Conversely, if you can sequence everything properly, generating tons of power can look like a breeze.
Sequencing rarely comes naturally, though. Even the most naturally gifted players in the game’s history have had to work at it to get it right. And even once they mastered it, they still had to work diligently to keep it at an elite level.
Sequencing might not feel natural at first, but once you start to instill the feel, it becomes easier and easier. In the video below, GOLF Top 100 Teacher Jonathan Yarwood explains an easy sequencing drill that you can practice just about anywhere.
A great, dynamic drill you can do anywhere 🤷🏻♂️👌🏼⛳️ Left hip down and push into left foot as you drift, then push right hip down and lift left pocket up. That’ll give you the feel of glide>>rotate>>launch which creates horizontal, torque and vertical forces to power you up and hit… pic.twitter.com/ZIyJLSkodj
— JonathanYarwood (@JonathanYarwood) October 11, 2024
Dynamic sequencing drill
When most recreational players start their downswing, they begin by quickly flipping open their hips. And while it might be true that you need to fire your hips during the swing, it’s not the first move you should feel after transition.
If you watch the best players in the world, you’ll notice that their first move during the downswing is a slight bump forward in their hips. This move, often referred to as “recentering,” is crucial for shallowing the shaft during the downswing.
Once you bump forward from the top, you can begin to rotate your hips through. As you approach impact, you can push up on your lead side, using the ground to generate power.
With Yarwood’s dynamic drill above, you can teach yourself to mimic all of these moves. And once they all get sequenced up, you’ll be hitting the ball better than ever.
