What is a Reverse Pivot in Golf Swing – PGA Tips

Body Tilt in Swing Can Cause Injury and Weak High Golf Shots

May 13, 2009 John Hoskison

The expression reverse pivot describes the way the body works in the golf swing. It is the wrong way to transfer weight and leads to 'golfers back' and weak golf shots.

Many golfers suffer from a reverse pivot or tilt in their golf swings and many of them also suffer from bad backs. Rather than the correct weight transference from the back foot onto the front, in a reverse pivot the opposite happens.

Example of Ineffective Weight Transfer

Imagine a right-handed baseball pitcher and the way he works his body throwing the baseball. As he pulls back his arm he picks up his left leg transferring his body weight onto his right side - doing this will mean his head also moves to the right. As he goes to accelerate on the pitch, he replants the left leg, and then the arm is driven forward against a stable base.

Now picture throwing a baseball but the pitcher has a reverse pivot. Instead of picking up the left leg as he draws back his arm, a tilt or reverse pivot would mean his right leg is picked up - the reverse of what should happen. When he goes to drive the arm he isn’t able to replant his left leg, it’s already on the ground, in this case it is the right leg that has to replant. Instead of his weight positively transferring forward, it now has to move back.

Not only would this action lack power but also it would probably release the baseball far too high.

Tilt or Reverse Pivot in Golf Swing

In exactly the same way as the example, a golfer with a reverse pivot transfers his weight onto the left leg on the back swing. This moves the head forward towards the target and not slightly back and to the right where it should move.

The spinal angle set at address also changes. As the head moves the top of the spine is pulled towards the target forcing the lower spine to move to the right. This in turn forces the right hip to slide to the right instead of turning out of the way. The swing has now become a rocking action rather than a turn.

On the down swing the body weight has to move back instead of forward. The head moves away from the target, the top of the spine moves with it, forcing the hips to slide forward. Instead of turning round the spine, the vertebrae are crushed by this rocking jarring movement. This is where the back pain comes from.

Transferring the weight in such a way limits power and hits the ball too high.

Weak High Golf Shots

To avoid long term 'golfers back' and weak high golf shots find a way to turn the body and not tilt it in a damaging rocking action that is called a reverse pivot.

See also: How to Cure a Reverse Pivot - PGA Tip

The copyright of the article What is a Reverse Pivot in Golf Swing – PGA Tips in Golf is owned by John Hoskison. Permission to republish What is a Reverse Pivot in Golf Swing – PGA Tips in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Reverse Pivot Backswing

Correct Turn

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