At last — a complete overview of the simplicity behind the perfect golf swing, the Rotary Swing Tour, from setup through the follow through.
This video presents a roadmap of the biomechanics of the perfect golf swing, covering setup, takeaway, backswing, downswing, and follow through. Each of the key checkpoints in the RST golf swing are covered and highlighted throughout the video, filmed on the beautiful and famous first tee box at Castle Pines Golf Club in Colorado.
The perfect golf swing isn't born overnight. I've spent more than two decades assembling the simplest, most powerful, and most efficient method to perfect the golf swing using biomechanically ideal movement patterns. For the first time, you're going to see everything put together in one comprehensive perfect golf swing video — enjoy!
The perfect golf swing starts with an objective analysis. That involves examining golf swing biomechanics, human anatomy, physics, ball flight, and swing mechanics. One of the first areas my team and I investigated was golf swing related injuries. Our golf medical panel — made up mostly of orthopedic surgeons — provided incredible insights into the most common golf injuries they operate on most frequently. I was surprised to learn that the most common swing-related injury was lead shoulder impingement. Using this information, we worked to discover why this was such a prevalent injury, and this research led one of our doctors to invent the PostureTek shirt that teaches golfers to achieve perfect posture through a mechanical feedback device that vibrates like a cell phone!
This is just one example of our approach to building the perfect golf swing and ideal swing biomechanics. Injuries in golf are a serious issue, so we examined every aspect of the swing with this level of objective, in-depth analysis. Anatomy and biomechanics formed the foundation of the Rotary Swing, but we didn't stop there. We then analyzed every aspect of the golf swing using 3D motion analysis through TaylorMade Performance Labs and researched the ball-club interaction using our FlightScope X2 launch monitor. For a modern data-driven breakdown of how your own swing mechanics measure up, try a free AI swing analysis.
Finally, having perfect golf swing mechanics is completely useless without a learning system built around how the brain acquires new movement patterns. The RST learning program forms the foundation for mastering the perfect golf swing — something you can pursue entirely online using our proprietary system built around Dan Coyle's groundbreaking book, The Talent Code.
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Check out the videos below to see what YOUR perfect swing is going to look like and start improving TODAY! To practice with real-time AI coaching, check out a free AI golf lesson.
Video Transcription: Rotary Swing Tour Roadmap
In this video we're going to do a complete overview of Moves 1-4 in the perfect golf swing, the Rotary Swing, plus a little bit of the setup as well — just to give you a clear picture of the entire biomechanically ideal golf swing as an overview.
The first thing we'll start with is setup. Many of these concepts have been covered in other videos, so I won't go into as much depth and detail as you'll find in those specific lessons. But we're going to provide a complete, single-picture overview of the entire golf swing from beginning to end.
How to Perfect Your Golf Swing - Setup
First things first — it's incredibly important to make sure you're set up correctly to the golf ball. Setup encompasses a number of elements.
We start with stance width. As covered in the dedicated video, two inches wider than the center of your hips — two inches outside of neutral — is your proper stance width.
Ball position — use the logo on your shirt as a rough guide. The bottom of your swing arc is the outside of your lead shoulder. That's the point where the club reaches maximum extension. When you fully extend the club, that's where the bottom of your divot will be, so the ball needs to sit slightly behind that. That's why we use the shirt logo as a reference. You can also use the lead side of your head or your lead ear as reliable guides.
Once we have our stance width set and the ball positioned off the shirt logo, put your lead hand on the club first. Now we'll address how to get the proper amount of axis tilt.
You don't want to reach across your body to place your trail hand, and you don't want to hike your lead shoulder up. Your lead shoulder stays down in the box in a neutral position, and you use a slight amount of axis tilt to bring your trail hand onto the club. The biomechanics of the golf swing can be negatively impacted if you don't keep your spine in neutral throughout this setup process.
Both Vs point toward the trail side of the body. This is somewhat variable — I prefer a slightly weaker grip — but basically toward the trail ear or trail shoulder. I've got a little axis tilt; the lead side of my head is still on the back of the ball. From the face-on view, those are the main checkpoints for setting up the perfect golf swing.
From down the line, remember we talked about hinging from the hips. That lets the hips drop back. Legs are still straight. Tummy is tucked in, and I'm in the box. Hinge from the hips, relax the knees so the back of the knee joint is over the center of the ankle. Hinge, let the arms hang directly beneath the shoulders. Head up, chest up, belly in — now I'm set up.
Those are the key points. One thing I should mention from the face-on view is that once you're in this setup, roll those ankle joints slightly inward to get anchored to the ground.
Those are the primary checkpoints for a biomechanically sound golf swing setup.
Moving into the takeaway, we've got a couple of things to look at from face-on and down the line. As we start the club back, it's that two-inch shoulder blade glide we discussed in the takeaway video. That's the only thing moving — hands and arms still in front of the chest.
Two-inch shoulder blade glide, push the trail heel into the ground. You'll notice my hips shift just slightly to the trail side so I can load up into that trail side for power in the golf swing. I have two checkpoints here: trail heel, trail glute. Once I shift, if I can feel it pushing my trail heel into the ground and feel my trail glute muscle activate, I know I'm loaded far enough on the trail side.
Trail shoulder blade glide back, hands and arms do nothing, push the trail heel into the ground, trail glute activates. That's all you need for the golf swing takeaway.
To get to the top of the golf swing from there: trail shoulder blade glide, trail heel, trail glute... now at this point we're going to have some more shoulder elevation. There's a small amount in Move 1, but we don't focus on it for most golfers.
Shoulder blade glide, a little bit of shoulder elevation, keep pulling the trail shoulder back, hinge the trail arm. That sequence — shoulder elevation, trail elbow flexion, continue to pull the trail shoulder blade back.
Now let's put those two together. Shoulder elevation, trail elbow flexion, trail shoulder blade glide. All in sequence...
There.
There will be some rotation in the upper trail arm. Some golfers need to focus on it, some don't. But that arm is basically rotated this way at the top of the backswing. This helps keep the club on plane and prevents you from getting too steep. For the most part, your key checkpoints are: a little shoulder elevation, trail elbow flexion, pull the trail shoulder blade back.
The arms didn't swing across the body; they didn't go really high. It's a very small amount of shoulder elevation — from about belt height to the bottom of your chest. Maybe three to four inches for most golfers. You can have more, but there's no need for it.
Shoulder elevation, trail elbow flexion, trail shoulder blade glide. Done. Those are the key checkpoints in Move 2 to get to the top of the swing.
On the downswing, we need to focus on different things. During the backswing we pulled everything with the trail side going back — trail arm, trail shoulder blade, primarily the trail oblique, trail heel, trail glute muscle.
On the downswing, it's the exact opposite. We're going to feel more of the lead side doing the work. From the top, the first move down — and I can't stress this enough — shift your weight to your lead side.
That's it. Nothing happens from the top with the arms, nothing with the club. Shift. Notice I didn't say "push off the trail side." That's detrimental. Take your lead leg and claw your weight back over. You can ruin a perfectly good golf swing by pushing too hard from the trail side, so be mindful of this.
Now I'm pushing my lead heel and lead glute into the ground. By the time I get here, I'm going to start pulling with the lead oblique — now I'm right back at impact. From a golf swing biomechanics perspective, this activates the correct stabilizer muscles in the hip area to provide the necessary stability at impact for control.
Let's do that in sequence.
There.
Now I've primarily used the lead side to bring the club down. It's primarily that weight shift. The weight shift alone moves the club to about there. As I start to pull with the lead oblique, the club comes to here.
For those of you who prefer more of a hitting motion, you can fire that trail arm as hard as you want from this point. For those who prefer a swinging motion, continue to pull with the lead side — lead lat, lead arm, lead shoulder — to pull the club down into impact. You have the option of either.
My preference is to continue to pull with the lead arm. Some golfers really like to use the trail arm in the swing — and that's fine. As long as it doesn't happen until this point, you can hit as hard as you want. If you lack speed in your golf swing, biomechanics and basic physics dictate that you're going to need leverage from this trail arm throwing motion.
Our primary checkpoints: are you on the lead heel? If you've started your force of movement from the top, you'll throw all that energy outward and your lead heel will be up in the air. I see this every day.
If you try to swing hard from the top, you end up on the balls of your feet because all that force is moving outward. You need to be moving in the opposite direction of the golf club at all times. As the club comes down, if you want it to go that way, you need to be moving this way.
Push the lead heel into the ground, pull with the lead oblique, continue to pull, keep your head down. At impact, approximately 70-85 percent of your weight should be on that lead heel. Lead heel, head still down, head behind the ball.
If you start pushing from the trail shoulder or the trail foot, you'll run into all kinds of problems. Lead heel, lead oblique, then everything comes down. Continue to pull with the lead side. That's impact for a perfect swing in golf.
Now the follow through — the key points: continue to rotate, continue to pull with the lead side. Or if you've already released, you'll let it go through here. Head stays down and back. This is important. If you start hitting it thin, place a second ball down and keep your focus on that second ball into the follow through, then let yourself come all the way around.
The key point here is that maintaining your spine angle can only happen when you continue to pull from the lead side. So many golfers lose their spine angle from the top — pushing off the trail side, their hips come into the ball, and they have to stand up out of the shot.
If I plant my lead heel, pull with my lead oblique, my spine angle is maintained. I can keep my spine angle well into the follow through, and then come up.
That's a complete overview of the perfect biomechanical golf swing — all four moves plus setup in the Rotary Swing Tour. These are very small movements, but every one of them needs to be executed correctly. Take the time to perform each one properly.
Learning how to plant your weight onto your lead heel takes time for some golfers. Don't skip that step. Learning proper setup — don't skip that either. Everything happens in the proper sequence. Work through the hierarchy: setup first, weight transfer, Move 1, and so on, so you learn each piece individually.
Now you have a complete roadmap of where you're going with your golf swing.
Watch part 2 now to see how you're moving your body in the opposite direction of the pros!
Chuck Quinton, Castle Pines Teaching Professional, demonstrating the perfect follow through.
Stance Width: 2" Outside Neutral
Use axis tilt to move your right hand to the club
Setup viewed from down the line
Right shoulder blade glide at takeaway
Shoulder elevation, right elbow flexion, right shoulder blade glide
Weight has shifted at impact
Follow through
