So Why Do I Reverse Pivot??

A reverse pivot usually doesn't discriminate in ability. It will of course be more prevalent for beginner players but sometimes it can still arise in advanced players' swings. A reverse pivot is simply when the left hip moves behind the left shoulder on the backswing. Visually it's a very inverted look as the weight, instead of staying behind the ball, stays on the left foot. Now since the weight has moved too far forward on the backswing, the weight will tend to reverse to the backfoot on the downswing often causing 'topping' or 'thinning'.

The most common cause of a reverse pivot is due to incorrect sequencing and set-up. More specifically when someone reverse pivots, often in their set-up their left shoulder starts too far forward of the left hip. This then usually makes the player start the backswing with his lower half instead of the upper half. In this set-up, often the left knee will move first which causes the hips to sway to the right, which then causes the left shoulder to tip to the left.

In order to fix this issue, you need to start by having the correct set-up. You firstly want to have the left hip bumped around 1-2 inches to the left. You then want to have a slight tilt of the right shoulder. This should then mean the left shoulder and the left hip are in a straight line while having 50-50 weight on both feet. You should also have the head just behind the ball. Once this is achieved you then want to start the swing correctly. The start of the swing should always start with the upper half first followed by the lower half.

As you start the swing, just feel the clubhead move first before the body. The clubhead should reach the instep of your right foot before the lower half starts engaging. After the clubhead reaches the instep, you then want to feel the right hip move behind the body. You want to feel the hips rotating within a confined space to prevent swaying. Once the hips have started to rotate to it's end point, you will then start to feel the left knee start to engage. Lastly when doing this sequence, the head should stay behind the ball.

If you can do the sequence in this order, you would have cured the reverse pivot and put yourself in an excellent position to transfer your weight effectively on the downswing.

if you'd like to learn more about how to overcome a reverse pivot, just contact myself at David Waters Golf located at Emerald Lakes Golf Coaching Centre.