One of the key components to rotation in golf and the Rotary Swing is that you rotate while staying centered around your spine.
The primary way we have taught this is using the trail shoulder blade glide (for right-handed golfers) to move the shoulder blade down and in toward the spine.
Many golfers have misunderstood this move, so we are going to explain precisely what is happening and why we do it this way.
It is actually remarkably simple.
Let us examine the muscles that provide rotation around your spine in the golf swing. Your shoulder blades sit on either side of your spine and have full mobility — they can move up, away from the spine, inward, and downward.
We obviously want to stay centered around the spine as we rotate in golf. The spine serves as a fixed axis of rotation.
The Rotary Swing is designed to eliminate all unnecessary moving parts and stay centered around that axis so we can make clean, consistent contact every time.
What Does It Do?
Gliding your trail shoulder blade in toward your spine accomplishes two important things.
First, it serves as the initial movement — the origin of movement — for rotating and pulling in toward your spine.
As you can see in the photo, gliding your shoulder blade in toward your spine does not affect the head at all.
You are only focusing on the muscles in your back. The shoulder blade is attached to your lower trapezius, or "trap" muscle, which pulls the shoulder blade in toward the spine.
Moving the shoulder blade creates rotational movement around your spine, which initiates the motion for the entire golf swing.
The shoulder blade glide is not the only movement in the takeaway. Your obliques are also working.
These muscle groups are designed to rotate your torso in the golf swing, but we still need something to keep us centered.
Many golfers move predominantly from their lead side during the takeaway. They push everything across their body from the lead side, so when they reach the top of the swing they have not made a full shoulder turn.
They simply cannot, because they are only moving from the lead side.
If you pull from the trail side instead of pushing from the lead side, it becomes very easy to make a full shoulder turn in golf.
The shoulder blade glide is the initial movement for rotation in golf. It is the first piece that triggers everything else, allowing you to make a complete turn while staying centered throughout.
Added Stability
The shoulder blade glide also stabilizes your spine during the golf backswing.
When you move your shoulder blade inward, it helps fix your spine in a safe, protected position for the powerful movements that occur during the golf swing.
The golf swing is demanding on your body. Especially since you are repeating it thousands of times, you need to execute it correctly to protect your joints and muscles as much as possible.
The shoulder blade movement we are describing here is the same one you would make when throwing a ball.
When you step in to throw a ball, you instinctively move your shoulder blade back, down, and in. This connects you to the powerful muscles of your core.
As you fire your hips and throw the ball, the shoulder blade is locked down and in — exactly as we want it in the golf swing — so you can stay connected to the box and use your large core muscles to apply maximum power to the ball. To see how your own rotation and shoulder mechanics compare to elite standards, try a free AI swing analysis.
That is the key to this movement — it creates rotation in golf and stabilizes the spine, and it is a natural athletic motion that you already instinctively know how to perform.
You simply have to learn to execute it with a golf club in your hands.
If you go outside and throw a few balls, you will notice that your shoulder blade travels all the way down and in toward your spine. You can feel it clearly.
This is the identical sensation you want to feel in the golf swing.
As you rotate back in the golf swing, you want to feel that shoulder blade really lock down and in.
This is a fundamental piece of the power of the golf swing.
Those are the primary functions, but you do not need to overdo it.
You are not trying to aggressively wrench your shoulder blade down and in. That would be too robotic and create tension.
It is a very athletic movement.
When you go to throw a ball, you do not think, "OK, I am going to really pull my shoulder blade down and in," and then, "OK, now I am going to lunge and throw." Of course not.
A Fluid, Athletic Motion
You do not want to do that in the golf swing either. It is the same fluid, gliding motion as throwing.
That is what you want to envision when you are moving your shoulder blade. It does not reach the point where it stops moving until you are all the way at the end, and your hips are starting to reverse direction.
That endpoint is where you achieve the differential between your upper body and lower body.
When your shoulder blade "hits the wall" and cannot travel any farther back, that means it is connected to the rest of your body, ready to be transported forward by the rotation of your hip and torso.
Then it releases.
That is really what you are doing with the shoulder blade glide. You are slowly gliding it back as your torso and obliques fire, pulling everything back.
Your shoulder blade moves back so that, when you reach the top of the swing and the hips are initiating the downswing, that shoulder blade is locked in position and ready to bring the club back down with real power.
Take some time to really feel that. Go to the range and, instead of hitting balls, try throwing a couple.
Feel what your shoulder blade is actually doing. You will find it is the exact same motion as the golf backswing. For real-time coaching on your rotation and shoulder blade mechanics, try a free AI golf lesson.
Watch part 2 now to see how you're moving your body in the opposite direction of the pros!
Most golfers are not aware of the traps, but can feel their lats engage
Shoulder blade glide provides rotation in golf
Obliques rotate the torso and hips and provide stability and lateral flexion in the golf swing
Shoulder blade glide provides rotation
Tiger's scapula
The arm is all the way back. Hip and torso movement will deliver it forward
