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Why is a full shoulder turn important in golf?

Author

Sarah Smith

Published Jan 21, 2026

The importance of this move cannot be overstated. A full turn of the shoulders can have a positive chain reaction throughout the rest of your golf swing – it will keep your chest and arms connected, and you'll also generate greater width in your backswing.

How important is a full shoulder turn in the golf swing?

Turning your shoulders sufficiently in the backswing allows your arms to swing into the position required to swing the club on plane in the downswing and, therefore, on the proper path through impact.

What happens when you don't make a full shoulder turn in golf?

What happens if you don't have any shoulder turn? Well, you'll be looking at a very dysfunctional golf swing that just won't work. You'll pick the club up more and start casting - where you 'throw' the club at the ball - and you've got more chance of swinging out to in.

How much should you turn your shoulders in the golf swing?

Professional golfers, who work hard to develop extra flexibility, often get their shoulders turned as much as 100 to 105 degrees from their address position. However, the goal for most golfers should be a more modest 90-degree turn.

What happens if you don't rotate in golf?

A failure to rotate your hips properly can result in pushing or pulling the ball and inconsistent strikes on the club. You must continually rotate your hips throughout the entirety of your swing and in order to do this you can't sway them. The more efficiently you rotate your body, the better.

26 related questions found

Why can't golf swings rotate?

This happens when you have a wrist into a cupped position at the top and you increase it even more when starting the downswing, creating a steep plane. To correct it, golfers tend to early extend the body to get the club back on the ball and it makes it impossible to rotate properly.

How can I improve my shoulder turn in golf?

Begin in Child's Pose and place one arm behind your head, keeping your other arm on the ground. Rotate as far as you can toward the arm that is behind your head. Hold the end position for three seconds and repeat, doing three sets of 10 reps per side.

Do the arms rotate in golf swing?

Rotation in the golf swing isn't limited to the shoulders and hips. The arms must rotate correctly, too, in order to produce long, accurate shots. This is especially important during the downswing. If you fail to rotate (aka release) the arms and hands through the shot, you'll invariably slice or push the ball.

How do I keep my shoulder back in downswing?

To feel like you're keeping your right shoulder back, make a mini waggle of your arms moving down until your left arm is level to the ground. While the arms are moving down, you also want to feel that your weight has shifted forward. If done correctly, the butt of the grip will be on your target line behind the ball.

What happens if you don't complete your backswing?

What happens if you don't get all the way there? It puts the bottom of your swing arc farther back, probably behind the ball. Unless you make some other compensation in your swing, you're going to mis-hit the shot.

Does the left shoulder go down in the backswing?

The left shoulder resists while the right shoulder continues to move. Many amateurs turn the shoulders together in the backswing and downswing, leading to swing-path issues that cause them to hit slices and pulls.

Should left elbow Point golf swing?

The lead elbow, for those of you who are right-handed this would be your left elbow, should point down the line in the direction in which you are hitting. In other words, have the target side elbow (photo 1) point in the direction you want to hit your golf ball.

What hand controls the golf swing?

Third, Hall said golfers must have their lead arm and hand in control of their swing. That's the left arm for right-handed golfers and the right arm for lefties. By leading, you avoid hitting at the ball.

What exercises help your golf swing?

Here are five at-home exercises to improve your golf game

  • Split Squat: This is a lower-body exercise that works on mobility, stability and strength. ...
  • Deadbug: Deadbugs are a great exercise for strengthening your core. ...
  • Push-ups: ...
  • Pelvic Rotation: ...
  • Full Body Turn:

Do the hips start the backswing?

Initiating the backswing

The initial move should come with your hips. If you are right-handed, start the swing by turning your hips to the right. This will help you shift your weight from a neutral position to your right side.

Why do my hips stall at impact?

If the hips slide too far FORWARD (towards the target) in transition, rotation will be hard to come by. The spine will get tilted too far away from the target and the hips will often stall. This leads to flippy-ness, bad contact, and loss of distance.

Are hips important in golf swing?

Correct hip turn is one of the most important components to a good golf swing. When making your backswing, you should focus on turning around the centre of your hips as this will help keep your buttocks back, prevent early extending into the ball, and improve the consistency of your ball-striking.

When should hips turn in golf swing?

Step 4 – Downswing

Only 15 to 20% of your weight should sit in the center or right of your hips. Once your club shaft is parallel to the ground and is on the desired path, you are in a position to release the hips and ready for impact.

Should the hips start the downswing?

The hips initiate the downswing.

This will allow you to create more distance and use your lower body to generate power. Remember, power comes from the ground up! At the top of the backswing, the hips have turned back, away from the ball and the target. On the way down, they will turn back and face the target directly.

How do I keep my wrists from rotating in my golf swing?

Your wrists are too active in the takeaway: If you pick the club up abruptly by hinging the wrists, you'll likely repeat this action coming into the ball. Instead, sweep the club away from the ball by maintaining the triangle formed by your shoulders, arms and wrists for the first 12” or so.