California
"A stiff left arm and the left shoulder dipping down on
the take a way causes a reverse pivot. Stay relaxed and
level." - John
DeSantis, Teaching Professional |
California
"John - This is what has kept me in business for over 27
years teaching and that is the idea of keeping your head down or
still. This is the most overused and misunderstood idea in golf!!! The head only stays down and still in putting as you don't want
your lower body to move. The head must move in the swing as it is
attached to the spine so as the shoulders turn, the head must
swivel and actually move somewhat due to the weight shift of the
body. By trying to keep the head "still", the lower body
sways back and forth or moves up & down, the exact move that
is trying to be prevented. If the head does move it is caused by
some other error and you are only seeing the symptoms. To fix
this, try this drill: for right-handers, 1)set up to ball;
2) bring club up so it rests on right shoulder parallel to ground;
3) turn shoulders so back is to target; 4) raise arms and club up
so club is parallel to ground and target line; 5) look in mirror.
You will now see you have turned your left shoulder behind the
ball so it is over your right instep. When you reverse
pivot, you actually lean towards the target with your upper body
(the reverse). This is a difficult move to correct so seek out a
respected professional for help but if they start holding your
head down, go elsewhere quickly! Good Golfing!"
- Kati
Biszantz, Teaching Professional |
California
"John: The Reverse Pivot that you are asking about is
what I call Upper Body Reverse. By trying to keep your head
still it will be tough for you to get your upper body behind
the ball. Over the past 75 years players have been told to keep
their head still. The best players in the world over the
past 75 years have moved their head." - Bob
Veroulis, Teaching Professional |
Colorado
"Lack of body turn causes the "reverse pivot".
The swing is made too much with the arms, with neither hips nor
shoulders turning enough to naturally facilitate a proper weight
shift onto the rear foot on the back swing. Your back swing begins
with hips and shoulders turning away from the ball together
("one-piece" with the arms), THEN the arms swing the
club UP to the top as the body continues to turn. Feel your weight
on the insole of your shoe, and the muscle just above your knee
"wrap" as you make a better turn away from the ball. A
better back swing turn will result in a better turn through the
downswing, into a balanced finish with your weight moved naturally
to the target-side foot. Practice these two turns by hitting balls
from side hill lies, with the ball ABOVE your feet, to help you
get the feel of the TWO TURNS lesson." - William
Kipp, Teaching Professional |
Colorado
"An incorrect back swing is
caused by incorrect information in your brain, which in turn
leads to an incorrect set up. Your set up and swing are being
sabotaged by incorrect information, nothing more, nothing less."
- Jim
Sanborn, Teaching Professional
|
Connecticut
"John, one of the causes is trying to keep your head to
still. This can create a number of problems. The head must rotate
a little with the upper torso, as you create your back swing. This
will allow you to coil the upper body around the lower keeping the
weight on the right side (if you are right handed). Then as
you swing through you can transfer to the target side. If you keep
the head to still that forces the weight to the left side at the
top of the back swing. A good drill for you would be on a sunny
day. Set up so that the sun is at your back which will create a
shadow. Now put a tee in the ground and cover the tee with the
shadow of your head make sure that the tee is in the middle of
your head. Go ahead and create a back swing look at the shadow if
the tee position hasn't moved or if it is on the right side of the
shadow you are creating a reverse pivot. Ideally we want the tee
to be on the left side of the shadow close to the ear. Good
golfing." - Sherri
Keller, Teaching Professional |
Florida
"Hey
John, generally, a reverse pivot is caused by a hands and arm
takeaway or a lift rather than a shoulder turn. You want to create
width in your back swing not length. Two things I want you to
think about. 1. At address, I want you to "cheat" a
little by setting up with about 70% of your weight on your back
foot. This should place your head and shoulders well behind the
ball. Make sure the shoulders are parallel to your target line.
You may even feel like your right shoulder is lower than the left.
This is good. This is a practice method that is exaggerated to
give you the feel of staying behind the ball. 2. Simply
concentrate on the ole "low-n-slow take away. I like to
say the first 24 inches of the swing. This would be a great key
thought for your swing. Think low-n-slow as you start. Your goal
is to get your weight to your instep of your right foot. Never let
your weight roll to the outside of the right foot. Brace your
weight shift with the inside of the right foot/knee. These
are the first 2 things i would look at. But remember, you
must finish on the left side, belly button at target. Work on it!
Good luck."
- Jeff
Susdorf, Teaching Professional |
Florida
"A reverse pivot is caused because golfers think that
their head must remain still when swinging the club. A sway is
when the lower body (hips in particular) moves laterally back and
through. A pivot is when you rotate your torso and move your upper
spine (and head) to the inside of your rear foot on the back
swing. The hips NEVER move laterally (only rotate), and the head
has to be either set well to the rear at address (if you are
target eye dominant), or the head has to move to the rear on the
back swing (if you are rear eye dominant). Good luck!" - Joe
Sciortino, Teaching Professional |
Florida
"John: A reverse pivot can be caused by many things. What
it is is an improper (powerless weight ) shift. You can help
yourself BY #1 setting up good to the ball (clubface and body) all
parallel to your target. #2 pivot behind the ball, keeping your
right knee firm and flexed; checkpoint make sure your shoulders
our turned behind the ball and #3 feel like you keep your head up
high (only your left eye) on the ball! If you have any further
questions, fellow Floridian, call me and I'll send you a
video."
- Sean
Gorgone, Teaching Professional |
Florida
"John, Is it really a reverse
pivot? Some people confuse a reverse pivot with over rotation.
It is also confused with a slide laterally with just a arm pick
up or no pivot. I would like more information before any
constructive suggestions can be made. Regards." - Mike
Calbot, Teaching Professional
|
Georgia
"A reverse pivot can be a result from improper pivot and
or weight shift. Many of the times a player over swings the club
to where the length of the swing pushes the weight on the left
side so the player has to transfer the weight in the other
direction of target to get the arms and club to go to the target.
Tip, Try a few three quarter swings and load into the right side
so you have something to turn into - the left side for right
handed players." - Bin
Brandon, Teaching Professional |
Georgia
"John: It has been through teaching for a number of years
that I have found the reverse pivot to be a problem with most
players. A couple of suggestions would be to: 1: Make sure your
weight is properly balanced at the beginning of the swing, at
least 50-60% of your weight on the instep of the right foot (right
handed golfer). 2: On the back swing, make sure the right shoulder
does not go above the
left at the top of the swing. 3: Make sure that your right
shoulder goes behind the golf ball on the back
swing. 4: Do not go beyond where your flexibility will allow you
to go. 5: Try not to collapse the knees during the course of the
swing. I hope this helps as a beginning to understand what usually
happens when there is a reverse pivot. Good luck and if you need
any more help, contact me at Woodmont Golf and Country Club
(770)345-9260 ext. 5." - Keith
A. Cain, Teaching Professional |
Indiana
"John:
A
reverse pivot is generally caused by the back
swing
being too upright. I
might suggest you stand with each foot on a regular bucket and
take back swings
using your shoulders to take away the club. If you reverse
pivot and lift the club on the back swing,
you will fall off the buckets."
- Jeff
Mathew, Teaching Professional |
Indiana
"Basically, I believe a
reverse pivot is caused from the improper muscle groups taking the
club away. Usually an over active right hand for the right-handers
is lifting the club in the back swing verses a good shoulder turn
is what puts the weight back on your left side at the top of your
swing. Try working on a good shoulder turn during the initial
takeaway." - Bruce
Cohen, Teaching Professional |
Michigan
"The reverse pivot move is caused by an inability to transfer
weight to the right side during the back
swing (for a right-handed player). When your club goes back, your
weight should shift to your right side,
when your club comes to the impact position - your weight should
shift back to the left (front) side.
Good luck." - Nathan
Oake, Teaching Professional |
Minnesota
"Trying to keep the either the clubface or your arms on
the target line going back. The club should follow your body back,
i.e., keep the relationship of the club to your body the same as
you go back. The entire swing, for that matter..." - Phil
Hurrle, Teaching Professional |
Minnesota
"It's visual. Your attempt to keep your head down and
your eye on the ball doesn't allow your head to swivel and get
behind the ball on the back swing. Call me for a drill."
- Jim
Manthis, Master Professional |
North
Carolina
"John:
In a reverse pivot the golfer leaves too much weight on the left
foot at the top of the back swing and then reverses too much
weight onto the right foot, away from the target on the downswing.
This will cause a loss of power and this will cause the lowest
point in the swing to occur behind the ball. This fault probably
occurs more with irons." - Ben
Hynson, Teaching Professional |
Oregon
"Dear John: A
reverse pivot is usually caused by making a big turn in your back
swing with no loading of the back leg. Think of your back swing as
a move to the right, rather than a turn. Keep flex in your back
leg as you move behind the ball in your back swing. Your head
should move back 2-5 inches as you start your back swing. At
address tilt your spine back away from the target about 10
degrees. This means your left hip should be closer to the target
than your left shoulder. When you achieve getting behind the ball
in the back swing, you must then go forward and cover the ball in
the forward swing. Your current habits will lead you to hang back
in the forward swing. Good Luck!"
- Bruce
Furman, Teaching Professional |
South
Carolina
"John: What a great question. The fact John is that we
are not trying to take the club upward. Check out my site at
doctorgolf.homestead.com and let's discuss your dilemma. Should
you come to SC, I guarantee you will never deal with a reverse
pivot again. Yours in golf."
- Michael
Lucas, Teaching Professional |
South Carolina
"John: A reverse pivot is a term used to describe how you
shift weight through out the shot. With most all athletic
functions, such as pitching a baseball, hitting a baseball,
throwing a football, even playing a curling stone, action and
weight tends to move forward. This is also true of a good
golf swing; weight will shift forward through out the swing.
If you have a reverse weight shift or pivot, this means that your
weight is moving behind the ball rather than through the ball as
you swing the club. Not an uncommon fault of golfers, and
easily correctable. First, try to imagine that as you swing the
club all of your weight will move from the back of your stance to
the front of your stance. You can see this happen when you
use a full length mirror. Stand in front of the mirror with
your hands crossed to the opposite shoulder. Take a stance,
and turn forward, allowing the back foot to roll on to its toe.
Examine yourself in the mirror to make sure that your back foot is
up on the toe, not the ball of the foot. Hold this position
for a count of 10, if possible. You should repeat this drill
several times daily to help your body better understand how to
shift weight forward through the swing. Next, on the range or in
the back yard, begin swinging a club with the same weight shift,
back to forward. Make smaller swings at first, so your body
can become accustomed to how to balance this action. As your
body becomes more comfortable with this movement, it will
naturally begin to speed the process, therefore allowing for more
distance in your shots. Hope this tip helps you. Let me know
how it works for you."
- John
Hughes, Teaching Professional |
Texas
"Tension not allowing you to move behind the ball. the
amount of weight that moves to the left side on the back swing
will fall back to the right side on the forward swing. Make sure
your grip is a bout a 4 on a scale of 10 as far as grip pressure
is concerned. Also let your head move a little to the right as you
make your back swing. You will be getting behind it and staying
behind it in no time. Good Luck."
- Dave
Baron, Teaching Professional
|
Texas
"John: A reverse pivot happens when you lean toward your
target and then fall away from it during your swing. Make sure you
lean your upper body away as you turn. Best of luck."
- Mark
Moore, Teaching Professional
|
Texas
"My Friend: A reverse pivot come from improper coiling on
the back swing. If you coil properly, you should have 90+% of your
weight on the inside right foot. Now you are loaded properly. Drill:
Hold a club across your chest. Pretend you have a plate on the
grip end. Make a turn that way, the reverse pivot will be gone.
You are turning, not dipping. See a qualified PGA Professional to
help you, can't find one, come see me in Corpus." - Bob
Hasbrouck, Teaching Professional
|
Virginia
"One often overlooked cause of a reverse pivot is the
side bend of the hips at address. This means the left hip joint is
lower than the right hip joint. This causes the spine to tilt
toward the target during the back swing pivot and consequently,
little or no weight is shifted into the back foot. A good exercise
to cure this fault is to set up with the left hip higher than the
right, then rotate the left shoulder level to away from the target
to a spot over the right leg. Proper weight shift is caused by
stacking the upper body over the right leg." - Chuck
Will, Teaching Professional
|
Washington
"Dear John: Great question,
this is a problem I encounter frequently. The most common
"physical" cause of a reverse pivot is a lack of
flexibility which then causes the golfer's right knee
(assuming he/she is right handed golfer) to straighten
during the back swing. I state "physical", because
this problem usually has a mental root cause which is the desire
for the golfer to make a full turn. However, many of us lack the
flexibility to make a full turn, so we cheat by not keeping our
knee flexed. Remember, loading your weight over your right
foot correctly is the main purpose of the back swing, and
far more important than making a full turn. If the golfer
maintains their right knee flex as they turn away from the ball,
they might experience a shortening of the back swing, but they
can then use their flexed knee and loaded up weight to make a
proper transfer of that weight forward in the down swing. But
like all swing compensations, there are several possible causes,
including equipment.
So take a lesson from a golf professional to cover all the
bases. Good luck."
- Kris
Kallem, Teaching Professional
|
