Jason Day - Elevation for Speed

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In this video, I'll show you one distinct difference in Jason Day's swing compared to Cameron Tringale's swing. This key move allows Jason Day to hit the ball further by more than 20 yards on average! I'll show you how critical arm elevation can be for speed and I'll also show you how to move your hands and arms into a perfect backswing position that is guaranteed to help you boost your driving distance. If you have been looking for ways to hit the ball further, then you must see how important this one key move really is.

  • Elevate the arms as you are flexing the trail arm to complete the backswing.
  • Keep the right elbow in line with the body and use the shirt seem as a reference point. 
  • Look for the hands to be above the trail shoulder at the completion of the backswing.


Hey everyone, this is Rotary Swing Instructor Chris Tyler, and if you've been looking for more distance off the tee, I'm going to show you the one key move in Jason Day's golf swing that allowed him to hit it, on average, 20 yards further than his playing partner at the Franklin Templeton Shootout.

Let's go ahead and get started.

Okay guys, so this past weekend Cameron Tringale and Jason Day win the Franklin Templeton Shootout, so congratulations to both those guys, both phenomenal guys in real life.

And I want to focus in on one very key move that Jason Day has in his golf swing that allows him to hit it, on average, 20 yards further than his playing partner, and if you've been looking to get more power in your golf swing or more speed in your driver, then this is going to be something that you want to pay very close attention to.

So let's go ahead and take a look here at both players.

I'm going to get both players into a good takeaway position.

We're going to talk about some of the similarities here.

So here we are at about a completed takeaway position for Cameron, and we're going to go ahead and get Jason Day into a good completed takeaway position.

So you can see both players look very similar here.

You can see 45 degrees of rotation from the shoulder line.

You can see that the club head is in line with the hands here, And you can also notice that the one difference here is that Cameron's got himself a little bit of a right arm bend, a little bit more than Jason Day does.

Now, This is a big indicator, from an instructional standpoint, that we have that lead arm starting to push, and it can be a little bit more detrimental than some people think.

Even though when we look at this on camera, It looks fairly textbook because of the fact that the club head is in line with the hands and we've got that rotation.

But what can happen from this particular position?

If you've been prone to pushing the golf club back, is you're going to continue to push further and further, And you're going to end up with a position here at the top where your right elbow is going to be very deep in relationship to the body.

Also, take a notice of where his hands are in relationship to the right shoulder.

You can see that they're very low in relationship to the right shoulder.

They are above it, but they're very deep.

His hands are very deep in relationship to the center of his chest, and they're very flat compared to what Jason Day is going to do here.

So Jason Day actually gets through the takeaway.

He's got a little less right arm bend here.

He's going to go ahead and focus on right arm flexion and arm elevation, and he's going to move his hands into a much more vertical position here at the top of the swing.

So you can see that the hands are much higher in relationship to the right shoulder.

And then also notice the position of the right elbow.

It's not deep and behind the shirt seam.

So, now, from an amateur golfer standpoint, with the position that Cameron is showing us over here on the left-hand side of the screen, This position can be dangerous because nine times out of ten.

We will see players try to reroute the club over the top to get the club back out in front of And over the top can kill you on speed, it can produce that big old slice, and we all know that's not fun.

Or from more of a professional standpoint, You're going to have to spin really hard with the body to make room for the hands and arms to pass in front.

So let's go ahead and get both players down into impact here.

I'm going to go ahead and get Jason down into impact.

You're going to see very textbook-like impact positions here with driver swings.

You can see that his hips are open probably about 30 to 35 degrees.

Shoulder lines are nice and square.

You're going to see Cameron gets into a very similar position as well.

Hips are open about 30 to 35 degrees.

Very similar style impact positions.

So you can see that as we started to look through the takeaway, they looked the same.

But the big indicator that there was a big difference was the top part of their backswings.

Now, Jason was able to use that elevation point as leverage for some more speed in the downward move and in turn, is making quite a bit more club head speed.

So if you've noticed on camera that your arms are getting a little bit deep in relationship to your chest, then you want to focus on trying to add some shoulder elevation.

And we've got some great videos on the website that will help you out with that.

We've got the pool noodle shoulder elevation video that gives you two reference points.

One throughout the takeaway, and then it gives you another reference point at the top part of your backswing.

There's also a great video, five minutes to a perfect backswing.

Chuck talks about the elevation and the flexion that happens to help move these hands into this position.

So you're not getting yourself into this deep hands position where you're going to have to either reroute or spin really hard.

Also, five minutes to a perfect backswing checkpoints video kind of goes through the movements of elevation and flexion, Kind of pre-setting those moves and then rotating to the top of your swing.

To help give you a good understanding of where we're trying to look to get these hands.

So the big thing is that understanding how important elevation is in your golf swing is going to, in turn, it's going to help you build more power and more speed.

And I know we're all looking for that.

We all want to hit it a little bit further.

So if you've been struggling in those areas, let's take a look at those videos.

Make sure that you're trying to not allow the hands to get so deep in your golf swing.

And let's get out there and play better golf and hit it way further than we ever have before.

All right guys, I look forward to working more with you in the future.

If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to post those up under here under the video and I'll gladly help you out as well.

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Mark
Can't hear the video!
July 28, 2015
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Chris (Certified RST Instructor)
Hey Mark -- We just tested the video on our end. Make sure you have the bars in the bottom right hand side of the video player turned up so that you can hear it.
July 28, 2015
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John
A new idea for me is that the full swing combines a rotation of the body with a vertical up and down elevation of the arms. My question then, is this. When you've gotten to the top of your swing and are really fully loaded, do you have the sensation of pulling your arms straight down? I've noticed that the only way I can do that is to use the lower body to move the arms; the arms are so wound up that they can't initiate movement. Is this right? --John Benson
February 1, 2015
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R.J. (Certified RST Instructor)
John, You're 100% correct. The weight shift to the left, squat to square/sitting into left side, and pulling with the lead side obliques, lats, glutes will pull your arms for the majority of the downswing. Once your lead arm is parallel to the ground after pulling from the lead side, then you can focus on pulling the left arm down until your hands are in front of the trail side thigh and the club is parallel to the ground. Then you continue to pull with your left arm as you throw the ball with your right. I think you'll enjoy this video. It's what made it all click for me. http://www.rotaryswing.com/videos/tour-pros/sang-moon-bae-hips-for-lag You're going to love your new swing once it's finished R.J.
February 1, 2015
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matt
It looks like Jason isn't connected with so much elevation at the top. I have a bit of a problem of getting too wide, losing connection, and it throws me all out of whack. Can I get the same power from a less elevation and staying more connected?
December 19, 2014
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Chris (Certified RST Instructor)
Hey Matt -- Elevation is a variable in the swing. You can use lower elevation points in the swing. Think of it as borrowing from the width department and adding some of it back in with leverage and rotation. We have a video on the site that Chuck did that talks about this. It's called "how much shoulder elevation". Let me know if that helps you out
December 20, 2014
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Christian
great contrast. This is one of my areas that I am working on. I have always been deep up top and would like to get my arms and hands into the correct position up top. I love your pool noodle video. This is hard for me to change, but I am doing my drills everyday to get this engrained into my swing.
December 18, 2014
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Thanks for the post Christian. Another good video to help with the position is the 3 Functions of the Right Arm in the Advanced Downswing Section.
December 19, 2014
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Greg
Hi RJ, I seem to be seeing in a number of the professional swings that are reviewed the right heal coming off the ground at impact. There hips are staying back so they aren't losing posture, but it sure appears there is some push coming from the right leg. Can they get to this kind of impact position by solely pulling from the left side? Is this more typical of a driver swing. I'm not sure how they even get to this impact position and not lose posture.
December 18, 2014
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R.J. (Certified RST Instructor)
Greg, Yes, they could get their hips open and have their right heel on the ground at impact and still keep their spine angle. You want to roll the right ankle inwards instead of allowing the heel to come off the ground. The purpose of rolling the ankle and keeping the heel on the ground is to act as a breaking mechanism in order to keep the hips from spinning out. It also keeps you from getting your weight shifted on to the balls of your feet. There is a video in the downswing section that describes the role of the right foot in the downswing. That video should help fix any issues that you have been having. R.J.
December 18, 2014
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charles
Hey Chris. Another excellent video. Following up on a comment made by another member, in order to create "more power and more speed" from a "top of the swing" position like Jason Day, is there a definitive "drop" of the hands and arms and shaft to "slot" the club into the powerful delivery slot? Seems only logical that if a golfer has a very vertical top of the swing look, then in order to get the shaft on a powerful delivery line they would somehow have to re-route, or loop, or reorient the shaft so that solid contact can be made. Other videos on RST, like several on Sergio's swing, have him getting very high at the top of his swing and then dropping his arms and hands into a completely different swing plane--into a plane that is delivering the club at the optimum attack angle. Jim Furyk does the same thing only more exaggerated. I've tried looping the club and it works for me. Did I just answer my own question?.... What I guess I'm looking for is validation that this is what is happening...higher (not deeper) hands, with a distinct looping of the clubshaft into the most powerful delivery angle. Should I continue to do this or not? Come to think of it, there isn't much talk on RST about "plane." Maybe that is exactly the point. No two golfers have the same backswing, so why worry about any "plane." Chuck has a video where he talks about "grip" and how it affects "lag." He says, "sort of go "limp" at the top." This sounds like what Jason Day is doing here. Would appreciate your thoughts. Thanks.
December 17, 2014
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Jukka
Great comment! I think that RST is the standard model swing and it`s not the only way to do it. Here is great swingplane video from Clay https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CiIIGj1Uo3E. Jukka.
December 21, 2014
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R.J. (Certified RST Instructor)
Charles, Yes, the arms drop straight down as you sit into the left side to get your downswing started. If you watch most the downswing videos, you see this drop if the hands, but instead of dropping them inside, just drop the arms and keep the shoulders in a closed position as you begin to rotate the hips. Then the pulling of the obliques from the front side will swing your arms into that power slot that you referred to. Most amateurs tend to begin to open the shoulders when they drop the arms. If you check out our downswing videos, you will see examples of this idea. Does that confirm your thoughts? R.J.
December 18, 2014
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charles
Yes R.J. this confirms my thoughts. I can work with this now knowing that you guys feel that a drop and/or a "loop" is perfectly acceptable anatomically and from a kinesethetic standpoint.
December 22, 2014
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R.J. (Certified RST Instructor)
Charles, I would think of it more as a drop or turning off the muscles more so than I would a loop. A loop would suggest that you're getting really deep with the club head and swing the club around the body. We just want the arms to fall so that they're about belt level, then start pulling them down and forward until they are to the mid thigh on the trailing leg, then release the club at the ball. If you check out the downcock pump drill in the downswing section of the site, it'll help you with this feeling. R.J.
December 23, 2014
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Jukka
Hi Chris! Great video. What do you think this "loop" idear in the backswing. I mean more vertical up and drop to slot. ( i don´t mean slice loop ) Somehow it feels more rytmical and easy way to do it. It´s winter here so i cant try hitting balls with this feeling. Jukka
December 17, 2014
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Iain
Is there a way to strengthen/increase flexibility to help raise the hands to head height? Thanks. Iain
December 16, 2014
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Chris (Certified RST Instructor)
Hey Lain -- Also on top of what RJ said, you may want to take a look at the video that Chuck did recently on proper muscle activation. Here is the link for that. http://www.rotaryswing.com/videos/full-swing-advanced/introduction/proper-muscle-activation
December 17, 2014
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R.J. (Certified RST Instructor)
Lain, There are flexibility and strengthening exercises in our golf fitness section of the website. I encourage you to check them out. R.J.
December 17, 2014
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chris
I have this same issue, as a lefty, my right arm pushes going back and ends up flat, get stuck = blocks / hooks etc. What should the feeling be going back? - when does the elavation start to come into the backswing? - because from the start is wrong I guess? Also does should my left arm (remember I'm a lefty ), be pointing straight up when flexed? - seems hard to get that position....any excersies to increase the flexibility to allow this move to happen? Thanks, Chris
December 16, 2014
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Chris (Certified RST Instructor)
Hey Chris -- I would strongly suggest that you take a look at the pool noodle shoulder elevation video and see some reference points for elevation in the takeaway and backswing. Try working like I do in the video without a club at first and then slowly add the club progressively while working this drill. If that does not help, let me know and I will gladly further assist you.
December 16, 2014
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Martin
So I have this exact problem with my swing. I let my right arm get deep behind me. What are the actual body parts I need to focus on to fix this? Is it a right hand support issue, a loose elbow that needs to be brought back to the torso, or the upper arm just flailing behind the body?
December 16, 2014
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R.J. (Certified RST Instructor)
Martin, Rotating the shoulders with the muscles in the middle of the back (Lower traps, rhomboid, upper lat) and keeping the right elbow pit pointed towards the sky at the completion of the takeaway will fix these issues for you. I have a few videos that you can check out which should be able to eliminate your deep elbow in your backswing. http://www.rotaryswing.com/videos/full-swing-advanced/setup/right-elbow-pit http://www.rotaryswing.com/videos/full-swing-advanced/backswing/keep-the-right-arm-straight-to-turn http://www.rotaryswing.com/videos/full-swing-basics/takeaway/5-minutes-to-the-perfect-takeaway Let us know if you have any questions, we're here for you! R.J.
December 16, 2014
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Marvin
I have a question regarding sitting into the left side. Does the combination of sitting into the left side and simultaneously rotating the left hip away from the target put any torque into the left knee, making it vulnerable to injury--from the weight-bearing coupled with the rotational torque? If so, how can this be avoided? Also, are there any recommended exercises to strengthen the knees and protect them from injury?
December 16, 2014
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R.J. (Certified RST Instructor)
Marvin, We certainly do not want anyone to get injured, especially you Marvin! The RST program is designed to make the golf swing as safe and efficient as possible. With that being said, RST does not encourage large amounts of lateral slide or any rotation of the knee joints. The knee joints are a hinge joint and are only meant to flex front to back. Also, we must bear our weight over the ankle joints and load the glutes to stabilize our swing. So, I have a few videos for you to watch to alleviate your concerns about protecting the knee with RST. http://www.rotaryswing.com/videos/full-swing-basics/setup/golf-setup-posture http://www.rotaryswing.com/videos/full-swing-advanced/backswing/left-knee-laser-beam-drill http://www.rotaryswing.com/videos/full-swing-advanced/backswing/right-knee-laser-beam-drill Let us know if you have any other questions! R.J.
December 16, 2014

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