Blog Swing Improvement

Shoulder Turn in the Golf Swing: Improving the Turn for Senior Golfers

By seniorgolfusa.com

The shoulder turn in golf is a crucial component of a successful golf swing. It is a fundamental movement that allows golfers to generate power, maintain accuracy, and achieve optimal distance. While it may seem simple, mastering the shoulder turn can be challenging, especially for senior golfers. In this post, we will explore some tips and techniques to enhance and refine the shoulder turn in the golf swing, specifically tailored for senior players.

Shoulder Turn in Golf Swing: Improving and Perfecting

Shoulder Turn in Golf Swing: Improving and Perfecting

Shoulder Turn in Golf Swing: Improving and Perfecting:

  • Flexibility and Warm-up:
    As we age, our bodies tend to become less flexible, making it harder to achieve a full and effective shoulder turn. That’s why it is essential for senior golfers to focus on improving flexibility and incorporating a thorough warm-up routine before hitting the course. Stretching exercises that target the shoulders, back, and torso can significantly enhance range of motion and allow for a more complete turn during the swing.
  • Proper Setup and Alignment:
    Before initiating the swing, ensure that your setup and alignment are correct. Align your feet, hips, and shoulders parallel to the target line. This alignment will enable your body to rotate properly during the backswing and downswing. A solid setup also promotes a more natural and fluid shoulder turn.
Shoulder Turn in the Golf Swing: Improving and Perfecting

Establish a Wide Arc:
During the backswing, aim to create a wide arc with your arms. Allow your lead arm (left arm for right-handed golfers) to extend fully, ensuring that it remains relatively straight. This extension maximizes the rotation of your shoulders and increases your swing’s potential power. Focus on maintaining a connection between your lead arm and chest throughout the swing to facilitate a wide and efficient turn.

  • Turn with Your Upper Body:
    To achieve an optimal shoulder turn, you must initiate the rotation from your upper body rather than relying solely on your arms. Engage your core muscles and use your torso to rotate with your shoulders. This coordinated movement generates a more powerful and synchronized swing. Avoid excessive tension in your arms and wrists, allowing them to follow the natural rotation led by your shoulders.
  • Maintain Balance and Stability:
    As you execute the shoulder turn, it’s crucial to maintain balance and stability throughout the swing. Keep your weight centered and evenly distributed between your feet. This stability allows for a smoother and more controlled turn, resulting in greater accuracy and consistency. Avoid any excessive lateral movement or swaying that could throw off your balance and compromise the quality of your swing.


Seniors aged 51 and above may notice a decrease in swing speed because their flexibility and muscle strength tend to decline. On average, seniors’ swing speed can range from 70 to 85 mph.

  Always consult your physician when you have changes in physical activities 
  • Practice Tempo and Rhythm:
    Developing an effective shoulder turn requires mastering the tempo and rhythm of your swing. Experiment with different tempos to find the one that allows you to maintain balance, generate power, and strike the ball with precision. Practice drills that focus on synchronized body movements and the timing of the shoulder turn. Over time, you will discover the tempo that suits your swing style and maximizes your performance.
  • Seek Professional Instruction:
    Working with a golf professional can significantly accelerate your progress in refining your shoulder turn. They can provide personalized guidance, analyze your swing mechanics, and offer specific drills and exercises tailored to your needs. Professional instruction ensures that you learn correct techniques and avoid developing bad habits that may hinder your shoulder turn.
Shoulder Turn in the Golf Swing: Improving and Perfecting

Strength and Conditioning:
Strength and conditioning exercises designed specifically for golf can improve your overall fitness and contribute to a more powerful shoulder turn. Focus on exercises that target the muscles in your core, upper body, and legs. Strengthening these areas will support your body during the swing and enhance your ability to rotate your shoulders effectively.

Other tips for Shoulder Turn in the Golf Swing:

  • Focus on the backswing:
    During the backswing, concentrate on initiating the turn from your shoulders rather than relying solely on your arms. Engage the muscles in your upper body and feel the rotation from the core, which will encourage a more powerful and efficient turn.
  • Coil and resistance:
    As you complete the backswing, aim to create a coiled position with your upper body. This coiling effect generates torque, which can then be released during the downswing, adding distance and accuracy to your shots.
  • Practice drills:
    Incorporate specific drills into your practice sessions that focus on improving your shoulder turn. For instance, use a mirror to monitor your shoulder rotation or practice half swings to emphasize the correct technique.

Conclusion
Improving and perfecting the shoulder turn in the golf swing is a continuous process that requires dedication and practice. By focusing on flexibility, proper setup, wide arc, upper body rotation, balance and stability, tempo and rhythm, seeking professional instruction, and incorporating strength and conditioning exercises, senior golfers can enhance their shoulder turn and achieve better results on the course. Remember, consistency is key, so keep practicing and refining your shoulder turn to unlock your potential and enjoy the game to its fullest.

All Arms Swing Golf Swing Error by Golf Distillery

All Arms swing error

A golf swing said to be an “all arms” swing is one that features movements almost exclusively limited to that of the arms. Indeed, such a swing error foregoes soliciting the hips, barely or at all. This is in contrast to a better swing that features a healthy amount of hips and shoulder turn, both coiling during the backswing and uncoiling during the downswing.

Problems Associated with an All-Arms Swing

Limited Power, Distance

An all-arms swing leads to shots with no power and large scatter

The main issue with an all-arm swing is that it fails to generate much in the way of power. Indeed, rather that creating and storing power while the hips are coiling back during the backswing, the failure to engage them will limit the amount of energy that can be transferred onto the ball.

This means that you will hit your next shot with a longer club than necessary, or that you will hit shots onto greens using a longer club.

Mistiming Issues will lead to Wide Shot Scatter

Another issue caused by lazily engaging your hips is that it leads to mistiming issues. This can occur when the hips were not solicited for one swing step but were for another. For example, let’s say you did indeed coil your hips during the backswing but are only swinging with your arms on the downswing.

Failure to bringing your hips back towards impact will throw your whole swing into an unsynchronized mess. Alternatively, let’s assume you did not coil your hips back during the backswing but are correctly initiating the downswing by uncoiling your hips.

The result will see your hips thrown out of position at impact, and will have for effect a high unpredictability in your shots and a wide shot scatter.

How to Stop Swinging Only with your Arms

Make Sure to Rotate your Upper Body

Make sure that you rotate your upper body during the backswing

The problem with an all-arms swing is that it doesn’t involve the upper body. As the swing error name suggests, it mainly involves using the arms to swing at the ball. This results in powerless effort, with the ball not going at nearly the full distance it should.

In order to make sure you are involving your entire body in your golf swing use this drill. Place the club in front of your chest with your hands and see that the grip end of the club points directly ahead, at the target. Perform a mock backswing and make sure that the end of your club points at the ball when you reach what would be your top of the swing.

Reaching this position will only be possible if you are indeed rotating your upper body on top of your hips, with your shoulders – not your arms – doing most of the work. Making sure to involve your body this way will help you create effortless power – rather than the powerless effort you were doing while using your arms alone.

Focus on Transferring Weight

Focus on transferring weight in order to fix an all arms swing

One of the ways to help make sure your hips are solicited at all – and that you are not only swinging with your arms – is to engage your hips early in the swing.

Making sure your hips are rotating back will shield from at least half of the problem with an all-arms swing. This can be done by thinking and focusing about properly shifting your weight during the backswing.

Indeed, weight can only really be transferred onto your right–back – foot during the backswing if your hips are rotating. If they are not, most of your weight will still be evenly split among your two feet at the top of the swing.

If weight has been transferred back correctly then the next step will be to focus on transferring the weight onto your left – front – foot at your head into impact. A process that can only truly be done if your hips are uncoiling correctly and are not staying back where they were at the top of the swing.

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