Why You Need This: In this video, you'll learn how to take a shorter backswing for better golf.

No doubt that you've been told to shorten your backswing if you want more control and consistency.

The problem with this advice is that you may gain control, but you're likely to also lose a ton of distance.

But it doesn't have to be that way...

In the video, you'll get some great tips on how to shorten your backswing but still crush your shots.

First, I'll demonstrate how J.B. Holmes has a much shorter backswing than Bubba Watson.

Now, if you're watching guys like Bubba Watson and John Daly, it's tempting to think that you must get a crazy long backswing to be a big hitter.

But this just isn't true.

So how does J.B. Holmes, with a much shorter backswing, blast his drives?

Well, your distance really comes down to two primary moves...

1. getting your shoulders to make a full turn which generates momentum in the swing, and
2. increasing your lag at the start of the downswing

As long as you get a full shoulder turn and generate good lag, you'll be able to smoke your shots no matter how long your backswing is.

Guys on the PGA Tour have varying backswing lengths, but they all get a good shoulder turn and generate tons of lag.

Watch this video now to get a shorter backswing for better golf... more control yet still getting the distance you want.

Golf Pros Featured:

Instructors Featured: Clay Ballard    

Video Duration: 4:01

Video Transcription:

Hi guys. So shorter backswing in golf. We’ve all heard we should take a shorter swing to be in more control, may have tried this out and lost a lot of distance.

We’re going to talk about how you can make a shorter backswing but still really hit the ball hard, get good distance, and feel like you’re really driving it very, very far. So let me talk about two different swings here.

J.B. Holmes, for example, very long hitter, one of the longest on the PGA Tour, has a very, very short backswing. So his backswing looks something more like this.

As he goes back, that’s about where he finishes, then as he starts down really gets a lot of down cock and lag in his club as he starts the downswing and then bam, lets it all release for a lot of distance.

Now Bubba Watson on the other hand, also a very long hitter, right around the same distance. Bubba may be a couple miles an hour faster, but nothing noticeably farther or faster.

He has a very different backswing, he lifts up his lead leg and lets his shoulders turn a lot and then really gets that long backswing, and then wham, comes down and crushes the ball also.

You’re seeing a difference between J.B. Holmes hitting it really far stopping here, and Bubba Watson hitting it really far stopping there, not to mention John Daly who goes way back there.

We all tend to think that usually when we make a longer backswing we’re going to hit it farther. Well if that’s the case, then how could J.B. Holmes hit it so far with his shorter backswing?

It really comes down to two things. If we want to hit it far, we’ve got to get the hips and the shoulders to turn in the backswing, and to rotate through in the downswing to be able to generate momentum.

So if our shoulders don’t turn, let’s imagine I make a short backswing and my shoulders don’t turn—so you can see my shoulders have only turned about 60° here, or so. If I do this, I’m going to hit it absolutely nowhere, no way to get any kind of distance.

If my shoulders turn – again this is the first key – if my shoulders rotate, now I can stop here and I’m really going to hammer the ball because I’m loaded up with my body, and I’ve got that full coil even though I stop my backswing short.

Whether you’re long or short with the length of the club going back, as long as you get that good, full turn you’re going to be OK. That’s one of the reasons in Top Speed Golf System we focus in on this turn, and we say it’s OK if you’re a little short or it’s OK if you’re a little long.

It’s really not that big of a deal, tons of guys play on the PGA Tour and all different varying lengths of this, but nobody plays in the PGA Tour doesn’t get a good shoulder turn. So that’s the first key.

What I want you to feel as you’re getting this good shoulder turn, is as you rotate back I want you to imagine that your chest is turning away from the target, completely away from where you’re going to hit. It’s actually turning a little bit up to the sky as you’re going back.

That’s going to allow you to really get that turn as you’re making your backswing. That’s the first key. The second key is if I want to hit it far, if I have a shorter backswing and I’m stopping short of parallel, I have to get that down cock, I have to increase my lag as I’m starting my downswing.

If you look at all the players on the PGA Tour again, as they go back they’re going to set the club a little bit, as they come down they’re going to continue to get more wrist set as they start their downswing, and then bam, they’re going to release it.

Keep that in mind as you’re making, if you want to shorten your swing. Number one, you’ve got to get good shoulder turn, and number two, if you do shorten your swing in the downswing you still want to get a good amount of lag.

We put both those things together, I’ll attempt to make a little bit of a shorter backswing here, I usually come to about parallel. I’ll try to go a little shorter, but I’ll get that good turn and good down cock. Let’s see how I do.

There we go, hit that ball hard. Yeah, made a shorter backswing, at least it felt a little shorter to me, it was probably still getting a little close to parallel. Still hit that ball hard, good shoulder turn, good follow through, and a nice amount of lag as I was coming down.

Work on those two keys, if you’re going to shorten your swing you guys are still going to be able to rip that driver. Good luck.