DEAD Drill Step 1 - The Backswing
DEAD Drill Step 1 - The Backswing

Here's the first step in building your perfect golf swing using the DEAD Drill. It's criti ...

DEAD Drill Step 2 - The Transition
DEAD Drill Step 2 - The Transition

The DEAD Drill transition is DEAD simple. One move to have a powerful and dynamic transiti ...

DEAD Drill Step 3 - The Post-Up
DEAD Drill Step 3 - The Post-Up

The Post Up move is where all the magic happens in the golf downswing. If you've never rel ...

Flip vs. Release in Golf
Flip vs. Release in Golf

What is the difference between a proper golf club release and a flip in the golf swing? To ...

How to Get Perfect Shaft Lean at Impact
How to Get Perfect Shaft Lean at Impact

You want to hit those boring, hissing shots that scream off the face like a rocket? This g ...

Golf Impact Position Face On
Golf Impact Position Face On

After all your hard work on the backswing, it's time for the big payoff! Getting into the ...

Golf Impact Position Down the Line
Golf Impact Position Down the Line

As I discussed in the video on Impact Alignments Face On, impact is everything in RST. All ...

Cure Chicken Wing in the Golf Swing
Cure Chicken Wing in the Golf Swing

You now have a 3-step drill to help you cure your chicken wing golf swing once and for all ...

Left Elbow Position at Impact
Left Elbow Position at Impact

Find out a simple trick to hit straighter shots while also virtually eliminating your chan ...

3 Steps to better impact position in golf
3 Steps to better impact position in golf

Golf is a sport that can leave you frustrated round after round, but WHY? What exactly are ...

Golf Impact - Part 2 of 7
Golf Impact - Part 2 of 7

In part 2 of this new 7 part video series, I'll discuss one of the most important parts th ...

Perfect your golf impact - 1 of 4
Perfect your golf impact - 1 of 4

Compressing the golf ball like a tour pro can be very hard to do. In this new video series ...

Perfect your golf impact - 2 of 4
Perfect your golf impact - 2 of 4

Effortless power in the golf swing is a difficult concept for many amateur golfers. In vid ...

Perfect your golf impact - 3 of 4
Perfect your golf impact - 3 of 4

Learn how to add more speed to your golf swing by leveraging the ground like a tour pro.

Perfect your golf impact - 4 of 4
Perfect your golf impact - 4 of 4

Lag in the golf swing is key for clubhead speed. In this video, I'll show you how to add m ...

Perfecting your golf impact - Bonus
Perfecting your golf impact - Bonus

Perfecting your golf impact video series. Special bonus video that will help you correct s ...

Overview of the Push Release
Overview of the Push Release

An overview to the push release for those who want to use the right side to help power the ...

Fix Your Swing Sway w/ the Wall Drill
Fix Your Swing Sway w/ the Wall Drill

Fix your golf swing sway with this awesome and simple drill! Swaying off the ball in the b ...

Intro to Weight Shift in the Golf Swing
Intro to Weight Shift in the Golf Swing

Weight shift in the golf swing is the FIRST thing you must master before worrying about an ...

Weight Shift in the Golf Swing - Pt. 1
Weight Shift in the Golf Swing - Pt. 1

Using our Science and Motion (SAM) Balance Lab, we can pin point weight shift and weight d ...

Weight Shift Part 2 - Right Hip Line
Weight Shift Part 2 - Right Hip Line

In this second video on understanding weight shift in the golf swing, I discuss specifical ...

Weight Shift Part 3 - To the Left
Weight Shift Part 3 - To the Left

The culmination in the three part series on correct weight shift in the golf swing gets us ...

Step 1 - Weight Shift
Step 1 - Weight Shift

Step 1 of the RST 5 Step System - Mastering Weight Shift

Step 1 - Weight Shift - Drill Only
Step 1 - Weight Shift - Drill Only

Step 1 - Weight shift drills

Weight Shift Sweep Drills
Weight Shift Sweep Drills

The best golf swing drill for weight shift right before you play or when you're just on th ...

5 Minute Golf Setup w/ Weight Shift
5 Minute Golf Setup w/ Weight Shift

Once you've mastered the setup, you can add weight shift to your program to begin developi ...

Fixing Your Weight Transfer in the Golf Swing
Fixing Your Weight Transfer in the Golf Swing

In this video, I will show you 2 of the most common faults in downswing transition by not ...

Learn Perfect Weight Shift in Your Socks
Learn Perfect Weight Shift in Your Socks

Struggling with your weight shift? I'm going to show you how to diagnose your mistakes by ...

How Attack Angle Affects Compression
How Attack Angle Affects Compression

Ever notice how the PGA Tour pros take razor thin divots? That's exactly what you want. Th ...

Taking a Divot in Front of the Ball
Taking a Divot in Front of the Ball

Taking a proper divot is something that is critical to crisp and consistent iron play, but ...

Angle of Attack
Angle of Attack

Taking deep divots? Are you supposed to? What do the pros do? This video tells you how ste ...

Swing Faults When Your Stance is Too Wide
Swing Faults When Your Stance is Too Wide

One of the most common problems with the setup, here's what happens when your stance is to ...

Fix Your Release - Trail Shoulder Back
Fix Your Release - Trail Shoulder Back

This golf instruction video is for those who struggle to stop spinning their shoulders ope ...

Moving the Fulcrum & Hitting Shots off the Toe
Moving the Fulcrum & Hitting Shots off the Toe

It's one of my most important golf instruction videos ever, this will completely transform ...

How to Cure the Shanks in 3 Steps
How to Cure the Shanks in 3 Steps

The golf shank is the ugliest, nastiest, rottenest, and most frightening shot in golf. If ...

Getting Stuck on the Downswing
Getting Stuck on the Downswing

Tiger Woods used to always complain about getting "stuck" in the downswing; a position tha ...

Blocked Golf Shots | Fwd Shaft Lean
Blocked Golf Shots | Fwd Shaft Lean

If you want to compress the ball for explosive distance, then you need to be working on st ...

How to Fix the Two Way Miss in Golf
How to Fix the Two Way Miss in Golf

Struggle with the dreaded two-way miss in golf? One shot goes right and the next goes left ...

2 Finger Release Drill
2 Finger Release Drill

This awesome drill forces you to release the golf club like a tour pro! You're going to lo ...

Stop Coming Over the Top in the Golf Swing and Slicing
Stop Coming Over the Top in the Golf Swing and Slicing

You're well aware that slicing destroys your distance and your scorecard. What you may not ...

Stop Slicing and Start Releasing the Golf Club
Stop Slicing and Start Releasing the Golf Club

In this video, I’ll show you how to release your club to stop slicing and get better com ...

Square the Clubface Early
Square the Clubface Early

Learning how to properly square the club face at impact is something that most amateur gol ...

Hitting a Fade
Hitting a Fade

Learning how to hit a fade is all about learning to control the release of the golf club. ...

How to Stop Hooking the Golf Ball
How to Stop Hooking the Golf Ball

How to stop hooking the golf ball once and for all! If you struggle with hitting hook shot ...

Hitting a Draw
Hitting a Draw

Once you've mastered the RST swing method, you realize that, due to the simplicity of the ...

How to Hit the 3 Yard Draw
How to Hit the 3 Yard Draw

Learn how to hit the delicate little three yard draw and why you're struggling with gettin ...

Cure Reverse Pivot w/ the Necktie Drill
Cure Reverse Pivot w/ the Necktie Drill

Axis tilt is a necessary fundamental of the golf swing that many golfers ignore or fail to ...

How to Fix Golf Reverse Pivot
How to Fix Golf Reverse Pivot

A reverse pivot golf swing can cause a whole lot of bad shots, from hitting it thin to hit ...

Fix Your Swing Sway w/ the Wall Drill
Fix Your Swing Sway w/ the Wall Drill

Fix your golf swing sway with this awesome and simple drill! Swaying off the ball in the b ...

Fix Reverse Pivot - Trail Side Dominant Setup
Fix Reverse Pivot - Trail Side Dominant Setup

This golf setup check is critical to getting rid of a reverse pivot and over the top downs ...

5 Minutes to Master Rotation
5 Minutes to Master Rotation

This video holds the 5 step pathway to mastering rotation in the golf swing. At the end of ...

Keep the Right Arm Straight to Turn
Keep the Right Arm Straight to Turn

One of the most common faults that destroys a powerful turn in the golf swing is how the r ...

How to Fix a Flat Shoulder Turn
How to Fix a Flat Shoulder Turn

Fix a flat shoulder turn in your golf backswing with this simple and easy to do drill.

Simple Fix to Make a Full Shoulder Turn
Simple Fix to Make a Full Shoulder Turn

Struggle with making a full turn, even though your fit and flexible? Lacking the distance ...

Using the Core
Using the Core

Using a side by side face on view of Tiger Woods with a driver and a recent swing of mine ...

The Bucket Drill - Golf Shoulder Turn
The Bucket Drill - Golf Shoulder Turn

The Bucket Drill is one that provides a very simple and clear picture on how to rotate cor ...

Intro to Core Rotation in Golf Swing
Intro to Core Rotation in Golf Swing

The rotating core is the "engine" of the golf swing and the primary mover of the entire sw ...

Step 2 - Core Rotation
Step 2 - Core Rotation

Step 2- Adding body rotation

Step 2 - Core Rotation - Drill Only
Step 2 - Core Rotation - Drill Only

The drill only for Step 2 - Body Rotation

Clamshell Drill - How to Cure Early Extension
Clamshell Drill - How to Cure Early Extension

The Clamshell Drill is the key to the golf swing, no seriously! If you want to see how the ...

Eliminate Early Extension in Golf Swing
Eliminate Early Extension in Golf Swing

The REAL causes of early extension in the golf swing and the only TRUE way to fix it.

Closed Hip Slide
Closed Hip Slide

A closed hip slide is detrimental to your golf swing when learning how to shift your weigh ...

Live Lesson - How to Stop Losing Tush Line & Boost Consistency
Live Lesson - How to Stop Losing Tush Line & Boost Consistency

Struggling with a 2 way miss and lack of consistency? Watch this Live Lesson to learn a si ...

Losing the Tush Line
Losing the Tush Line

One of the most common questions I get regularly is how to stop losing the tush line, or s ...

Squat to Square in the Golf Downswing
Squat to Square in the Golf Downswing

If you watch golf on TV, it seems that you can't turn your hips fast enough or far enough ...

Squeeze the Cheeks for Consistency
Squeeze the Cheeks for Consistency

The glute muscles (your butt cheeks) are some of the most important muscles in the golf sw ...

Role of the Right Foot in Downswing
Role of the Right Foot in Downswing

Footwork is a bit of a misnomer in the golf swing but you hear it every week on TV. What i ...

Fix Your Over the Top Swing by Fixing Your Hand Path
Fix Your Over the Top Swing by Fixing Your Hand Path

Learn how to fix your over the top golf swing by simply being able to read a clock. If you ...

Stop Coming Over the Top in the Golf Swing and Slicing
Stop Coming Over the Top in the Golf Swing and Slicing

You're well aware that slicing destroys your distance and your scorecard. What you may not ...

How to Shallow Your Golf Swing Fast and Easy - Live Lesson
How to Shallow Your Golf Swing Fast and Easy - Live Lesson

Do you struggle with shallowing the club in the downswing and keep hitting a pull cut or e ...

How to Shallow Your Hands During Transition
How to Shallow Your Hands During Transition

Do your hands go straight out toward the golf ball and don't shallow out during the transi ...

Over the Top Stick Drill
Over the Top Stick Drill

Are you tired of yelling “Fore!” when you hit big, nasty slices off the tee? If so, he ...

Drill to Learn Inside Path to Golf Ball
Drill to Learn Inside Path to Golf Ball

Tired of the over the top slice? This drill and training aid will teach you how to approac ...

How to Fix Your Over the Top Move - Live Lesson
How to Fix Your Over the Top Move - Live Lesson

Do you have a steep, over the top golf swing? No matter what you try and do, you can't sto ...

9 to 3 Lag Building Drills
9 to 3 Lag Building Drills

Learn how to build lag in your golf swing with these 9 to 3 lag building drills. You'll le ...

AXIOM Lag in the Golf Swing
AXIOM Lag in the Golf Swing

Producing incredible lag has never been this easy - or fast

Increase Lag - Impact Cube Drill
Increase Lag - Impact Cube Drill

This awesome drill will teach you to not cast the club and maintain lag into impact.

Speed vs. Power in the Golf Swing
Speed vs. Power in the Golf Swing

Speed vs. Power - Which is it that you want in the golf swing? Many golfers think they nee ...

Reshaping Your Golf Swing for Lag
Reshaping Your Golf Swing for Lag

It's no secret that you want more lag in your swing. In this incredible video, I give you ...

RST Student Success - Building More Lag
RST Student Success - Building More Lag

RST student uses a simple 3 step process to shallow his golf swing and build in a ton of l ...

Intro to Fix Losing Lag and Weak Release
Intro to Fix Losing Lag and Weak Release

Find out how to work through this section on how to cure your golf casting / loss of lag o ...

Sklz Gold Flex Lag Trainer
Sklz Gold Flex Lag Trainer

This KILLER training aid will help you master a smooth, one-piece takeaway and help you bu ...

Rickie Fowler - How to preserve Lag
Rickie Fowler - How to preserve Lag

Lag is the most efficient way to increase clubhead speed. In this video, RST Instructor Ch ...

Lag and Speed Drills
Lag and Speed Drills

To get more distance in golf, you've got to get maximum speed from your arms and not let y ...

Key to Creating Lag
Key to Creating Lag

The secret key to creating lag has been an elusive thing for most amateur golfers. In this ...

Downcock Pump Lag Drill
Downcock Pump Lag Drill

Every golfer wants to know how to create more lag in their swing to hit the ball further. ...

Golf Grip's Effect on Lag
Golf Grip's Effect on Lag

As you've no doubt seen, my golf students have been picking up some serious distance throu ...

Become a Golf Swing Lag Monster: Shocking Success Story
Become a Golf Swing Lag Monster: Shocking Success Story

In this video, I’ll show you how RST student David became a "lag monster" with RST swing ...

4 Step Golf Swing Lag Builder
4 Step Golf Swing Lag Builder

The 4 steps to building INSANE lag in your golf swing - and you can do it TODAY!

Golf Left Thumb: Fix Pain, Soreness, Casting
Golf Left Thumb: Fix Pain, Soreness, Casting

Casting the club in the downswing is a sure way to destroy club head speed. Check out this ...

Right Arm in Downswing: Stop Casting
Right Arm in Downswing: Stop Casting

In this video, you’ll find out: 1) How Tiger Woods builds lag for power, 2) What to feel ...

Sequencing the Downswing - Dump Truck and Drag Racer
Sequencing the Downswing - Dump Truck and Drag Racer

Sequencing the downswing is the HARDEST overall part of the golf swing - and also the MOST ...

The Post Up Move - How to Use Lead Leg for Power and Maintain Posture
The Post Up Move - How to Use Lead Leg for Power and Maintain Posture

Have you ever wondered how the pros use their legs for power in the golf swing? This video ...

My Golf Power Secret
My Golf Power Secret

How do the pros hit the ball so darn far? I tell all inside with this power secret!

Using your wrists for speed in golf swing - 5 of 7
Using your wrists for speed in golf swing - 5 of 7

Your body uses tension as its primary mechanism to sequence the golf swing. In general, th ...

Vertical Ground Force and Double Peaks
Vertical Ground Force and Double Peaks

Should you be trying to increase vertical ground force in your swing and if so, how should ...

Throw the Club Head at the Golf Ball
Throw the Club Head at the Golf Ball

Unlock the leverage, speed and power of your golf swing by understanding the physics behin ...

Throw for More Natural Golf Swing
Throw for More Natural Golf Swing

Do you want a more natural golf swing with much more speed? Then you need to focus on how ...

Using the Wrists in the Golf Swing
Using the Wrists in the Golf Swing

The wrists play a very dynamic role in your golf swing. In this video, I'll cover the term ...

The Tour Pro Downswing Sequence Drill
The Tour Pro Downswing Sequence Drill

If you are looking for a golf swing drill that can INSTANTLY improve your ball striking po ...

Trail Arm Release - Throw the Ball Drill Pt 1
Trail Arm Release - Throw the Ball Drill Pt 1

This is THE key drill for really understanding how the downswing sequencing works. This 20 ...

Trail Arm Release - Throw the Ball Drill Pt 2
Trail Arm Release - Throw the Ball Drill Pt 2

Are you ready to maximize your club head speed at impact? If so, you need this missing pie ...

Tim Burke - Kinetic Chain
Tim Burke - Kinetic Chain

Tim Burke wins his 2nd World Long Drive Championship. In this video, I'll show you the key ...

Golf Takeaway | Overview
Golf Takeaway | Overview

An overview of the RST takeaway by RST Founder, Chuck Quinton. This video walks you throug ...

AXIOM Refine Your Takeaway
AXIOM Refine Your Takeaway

Simplify your takeaway with a simple 2" movement that moves the club 6 feet!

Learn a Perfect Golf Takeaway with Just a 2 Inch Movement!
Learn a Perfect Golf Takeaway with Just a 2 Inch Movement!

Learn how to pull in this video: Pushing vs Pulling in the Golf Swing Learn the simplest ...

Fix Inside Takeaway - 4 Square Drill
Fix Inside Takeaway - 4 Square Drill

You probably overuse your hands during the first half of the backswing, like most golfers, ...

Understanding Shoulder Blade Glide
Understanding Shoulder Blade Glide

If you have questions about exactly what the shoulder blade glide is or what it should fee ...

Golf Takeaway, 5 Minutes to the Perfect Golf Takeaway
Golf Takeaway, 5 Minutes to the Perfect Golf Takeaway

This 30 minute long golf instruction video is key to setting you on the right path for the ...

Right Wrist in the Takeaway
Right Wrist in the Takeaway

The role of right wrist in the takeaway is often misunderstood and has been the source of ...

Fix Inside Takeaway - Pushing with the Lead Side
Fix Inside Takeaway - Pushing with the Lead Side

An extremely common swing fault, so common that many golf instructors actually teach the s ...

Role of the Right Arm - Takeaway
Role of the Right Arm - Takeaway

Collapsing the right arm early is something that at least 90% of amateur golfers struggle ...

Pull for a perfect takeaway - 6 of 7
Pull for a perfect takeaway - 6 of 7

So many golfers try to perfect the takeaway in the swing and they constantly fight an uphi ...

Thorbjorn Olesen - Perfect your takeaway
Thorbjorn Olesen - Perfect your takeaway

See 2 key moves that Thorbjorn Olesen uses to build a picture perfect takeaway position ev ...

One Simple Key to Fix Your Takeaway
One Simple Key to Fix Your Takeaway

In this video, I’ll show you the one swing change that’ll fix your takeaway once and f ...

Posture's Effect on the Takeaway
Posture's Effect on the Takeaway

Posture at address is something that Tiger Woods always does right and it's something that ...

How to Fix an Inside Takeaway
How to Fix an Inside Takeaway

This one simple trick will fix an inside takeaway instantly, I guarantee it!

Fix Inside Takeaway - Shake Hands Drill
Fix Inside Takeaway - Shake Hands Drill

This is the best golf swing drill to teach you exactly how your hands should work during t ...

Golf Swing Takeaway & Drills
Golf Swing Takeaway & Drills

The golf takeaway has been described by golf instructors countless ways, so many ways that ...

Fix Inside Takeaway - Belly Button Drill
Fix Inside Takeaway - Belly Button Drill

This simple takeaway drill will give you that one piece takeaway you've been looking for o ...

Fix Inside Takeaway - Forward Press
Fix Inside Takeaway - Forward Press

If you've ever wondered whether or not you should have a forward press at setup, this golf ...

Wrist Cock vs. Wrist Hinge in the Golf Swing
Wrist Cock vs. Wrist Hinge in the Golf Swing

Do you know the difference between wrist cock and wrist hinge in the golf swing? The diffe ...

AXIOM Body Backswing
AXIOM Body Backswing

Eliminate your reverse pivot, handsy inside takeaway, your head swaying off the ball and y ...

AXIOM Refine Your Backswing
AXIOM Refine Your Backswing

Dial in your arms during the backswing to start easily shaping the ball, changing trajecto ...

Body Rotation in Golf Backswing - Chair Drill
Body Rotation in Golf Backswing - Chair Drill

If you want to power up your swing in golf, body rotation in the backswing is crucial. Unf ...

Left Shoulder Push in Backswing
Left Shoulder Push in Backswing

This "Left Shoulder Push in the Backswing" video is for you ONLY if you already pull perfe ...

5 Minutes to the Perfect Golf Backswing
5 Minutes to the Perfect Golf Backswing

Once you've mastered the takeaway using our "5 Minutes to the Perfect Takeaway" video, you ...

My Golf Backswing Secrets
My Golf Backswing Secrets

My keys to success for a perfect golf backswing - how to make the backswing simple and rep ...

How Much Shoulder Elevation
How Much Shoulder Elevation

It's time to help you decide how to power your golf swing. And it all starts with how you ...

Right Elbow Pit in Golf Backswing
Right Elbow Pit in Golf Backswing

Do you struggle, like most golfers, with a flying right elbow at the top of the backswing? ...

Understanding Arm Elevation
Understanding Arm Elevation

In this video, Ill show you what arm elevation is, why you need it, and exactly how much y ...

Fix Overswing/Across the Line - Flying Right Elbow
Fix Overswing/Across the Line - Flying Right Elbow

If you want to cure your overswing/across-the-line swing, you first need to diagnose the c ...

Live Lesson - How to Fix Your Arms by Fixing Your Legs in the Backswing
Live Lesson - How to Fix Your Arms by Fixing Your Legs in the Backswing

Do you struggle with your arms getting too deep or too disconnected during the backswing? ...

Right Arm Backswing Drill
Right Arm Backswing Drill

This is an excellent drill to train your mind to use your torso rotation to move the club ...

Should You Restrict Your Hip Turn in the Backswing?
Should You Restrict Your Hip Turn in the Backswing?

For years, you've been taught to restrict the hips in the backswing. Is that what's best f ...

Simplify Your Backswing with Shallow Arms
Simplify Your Backswing with Shallow Arms

Make this one simple change to reduce tension in your backswing to start hitting more EFFO ...

Stop Overswinging | Get Your Backswing Under Control
Stop Overswinging | Get Your Backswing Under Control

A powerful, compact backswing is essential for creating good contact with the ball. If ...

Fix Hip Overturning in Your Backswing
Fix Hip Overturning in Your Backswing

If you're letting your hips over rotate in the backswing, you're costing yourself a ton of ...

Fix Loose Lower Body w/ Laser Beam Knee Drills
Fix Loose Lower Body w/ Laser Beam Knee Drills

Lower body stability is key for power and accuracy in the golf swing. This drill will help ...

Torso, Hips Over Rotating in Backswing
Torso, Hips Over Rotating in Backswing

How much shoulder turn is too much and how much is not enough? Depends on how it's measure ...

DEAD Drill Step 1 - The Backswing
DEAD Drill Step 1 - The Backswing

Here's the first step in building your perfect golf swing using the DEAD Drill. It's criti ...

Golf Backswing, Completing the Golf Backswing
Golf Backswing, Completing the Golf Backswing

Once you've mastered the setup, weight transfer and takeaway, it's time to progress to the ...

Winter Golf Training Program - Backswing
Winter Golf Training Program - Backswing

Snow on the ground? Too cold out? No problem! NOW is the BEST time to work on your golf sw ...

Upper vs. Lower Body Rotation in Backswing
Upper vs. Lower Body Rotation in Backswing

Confused about how your upper body rotates in the backswing compared to your lower body? T ...

How to Keep Your Left Arm Straight in the Backswing
How to Keep Your Left Arm Straight in the Backswing

The secret to why you can't keep your left arm straight at the top of the golf backswing.

How to Avoid a Cupped Left Wrist at the Top
How to Avoid a Cupped Left Wrist at the Top

Learn the cause of a cupped left wrist at the top of your golf backswing and how to fix it ...

How to Fix Trail Leg Straightening in Backswing
How to Fix Trail Leg Straightening in Backswing

Is your trail leg straightening in the backswing? Do you know what kind of issues this sim ...

Do You Start Backswing w/ Hips or Shoulders?
Do You Start Backswing w/ Hips or Shoulders?

To start the golf swing with the upper or lower body, that is the question! I think Shakes ...

Checkpoints - 5 Minutes Backswing
Checkpoints - 5 Minutes Backswing

If you who have already watched the complete 5 Minutes to the Perfect Backswing video, thi ...

5 Minutes to a Perfect Backswing Pitfalls
5 Minutes to a Perfect Backswing Pitfalls

In this premium video, I am going to cover some of the common mistakes that RST students m ...

3 Functions of Right Arm in Backswing
3 Functions of Right Arm in Backswing

In this video, I'll show you the 3 functions of the right arm in creating the perfect back ...

Henrik Stenson's Backswing Moves
Henrik Stenson's Backswing Moves

See how Henrik Stenson's idiosyncrasies work in his powerful golf swing. Check out these ...

Jason Day - Perfect Backswing
Jason Day - Perfect Backswing

Swing plane is a very common term used in golf and has become a primary focus point for a ...

What is a Perfect Golf Swing Plane?
What is a Perfect Golf Swing Plane?

Swing plane is NOT something you work on by swinging in a big PVC hoop or swinging around ...

How to Fix Swing Plane & Path
How to Fix Swing Plane & Path

If you want to truly, once and for all, fix your golf swing plane and path, you must heed ...

Creating a Swing Plane
Creating a Swing Plane

So many golfers struggle with their ball striking because they misunderstand the concept B ...

Fix Swing Plane - Lead Arm Two Club Drill
Fix Swing Plane - Lead Arm Two Club Drill

Here's a simple golf swing plane drill to get your swing back on track fast with a trainin ...

How Knee Flex Determines Swing Plane
How Knee Flex Determines Swing Plane

Do you struggle with swinging too far from the inside? Part of the problem could actually ...

Trace the Plane Line
Trace the Plane Line

Do you tend to get "stuck" in the downswing? Do you hit blocks and quick hooks? Do you wan ...

Golf Grip's Effect on Swing Plane
Golf Grip's Effect on Swing Plane

Having a proper grip is crucial for club face control and lag in the golf swing. In this v ...

Stop Coming Under the Plane in Golf
Stop Coming Under the Plane in Golf

Coming into impact under plane kills your consistency, often resulting in blocked shots, t ...

AXIOM Body Tour Impact
AXIOM Body Tour Impact

Learn the secret of how the pros are so consistent with this tour impact position.

AXIOM Body Downswing
AXIOM Body Downswing

Learn how to cure your flip, stop hitting fat and thin shots and how to get into the perfe ...

AXIOM Release Left vs. Right
AXIOM Release Left vs. Right

Discover the release that is best for you and your swing that will give you the fastest re ...

AXIOM Release Overview
AXIOM Release Overview

Finally, understand what it means and feels like to fully release the club

AXIOM Compression Drill
AXIOM Compression Drill

THE drill that will give you the consistency you desire with effortless distance you didn' ...

AXIOM Unleash Your Inner Speed Demon!
AXIOM Unleash Your Inner Speed Demon!

Learn how three tiny changes can unleash 30+ more yards on your drives when you need it.

Golf Swing Sequence - How the Lower Body Works
Golf Swing Sequence - How the Lower Body Works

Struggle with coming over the top or don't know how to use your lower body in the golf swi ...

The Magic Box - How to Check Your Lower Body in the Transition
The Magic Box - How to Check Your Lower Body in the Transition

The "Magic Box" is a term created by Chuck Quinton to help golfers learn the proper transi ...

Start Downswing Before Completing Backswing
Start Downswing Before Completing Backswing

You need to start your downswing before completing your backswing. This pro-style transiti ...

Golf Swing Transition Drill
Golf Swing Transition Drill

Most instructors consider the transition in the golf swing the most difficult, if not impo ...

Which Muscles to Feel During Golf Swing Transition
Which Muscles to Feel During Golf Swing Transition

Learn exactly which muscles you should feel and in what sequence during the golf swing tra ...

You Hit the Golf Ball with Your LEGS!!
You Hit the Golf Ball with Your LEGS!!

You hit the ball with your legs, specifically your lead leg, not your hands in RST. Learn ...

Golf Downswing, Rotary Golf Downswing Overview
Golf Downswing, Rotary Golf Downswing Overview

Mastering the setup, weight transfer and takeaway are critical to a great golf swing. But ...

Right Arm Only Downswing Drill
Right Arm Only Downswing Drill

Once you've worked with the Throw the Ball Drill, you'll want to begin mastering this much ...

Drill for Golf Downswing Sequencing
Drill for Golf Downswing Sequencing

In this video, I'll show you where you're losing power and a simple drill that'll get it b ...

5 Minutes to the Perfect Golf Downswing
5 Minutes to the Perfect Golf Downswing

All the work you've done on your RST golf swing to this point has culminated in this next ...

Golf Swing Follow Through
Golf Swing Follow Through

The follow through is a result of all things you have done in your golf swing up until thi ...

Adam Scott Driver Swing Follow Through
Adam Scott Driver Swing Follow Through

In this Adam Scott follow through video, you'll find out: 1) How Adam Scott finishes his p ...

What You Should Think Over the Golf Ball
What You Should Think Over the Golf Ball

I get asked all the time what I'm thinking over the ball. This video finally answers it - ...

Taking Your Golf Swing Drills to the Course
Taking Your Golf Swing Drills to the Course

How to take what you're doing with your golf swing drills in front of the mirror to the go ...

3 Cable-Machine Core Exercises To Add To Your Routine
3 Cable-Machine Core Exercises To Add To Your Routine

We all know how important the core is to your golf swing. But which ones are the best for ...

DEAD Drill Step 2 - The Transition

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The DEAD Drill transition is DEAD simple. One move to have a powerful and dynamic transition in your golf swing.

Once you've mastered the back swing. The rest of the swing is honestly a lot easier. There's more checkpoints for the backswing than there actually is for the downswing. The down swing with the dead drill is really, really simple. Once you have the backswing nail, it's all about getting yourself prepared for the downswing by making a proper backswing. So first, what we're going to do is we're going to focus on the transition. The transition from the back swing is a critical component of the swing,

And really has been very difficult for many golfers. Over the years, it's been even difficult to teach.

I've boiled it down into one simple move that you need to focus on to make sure that you have a perfect and powerful transition from face song where we're going to start from your proper backswing position. The whole key here is not doing anything with your shoulders. If you're going to make a mistake, that's the most common one is to start turning your shoulders in the downswing and getting rid of all of that healthy stuff. We built up in the backswing, all the healthy tension. We lose lag. We start casting the club and we start losing power and control over the ball. So as you go back, what you want to focus on is keeping your chest turned away from the target. Keep your chest pointing away while you squat to square. Now, the trick here is you're going to take the pressure that you have on the right side.

And you're going to start transferring it from the 80% or so on the right leg into about back to 50, 50, or even more on the left side. You don't want to go all the way to the left side, but you can't hang back on the right foot either. So at a minimum, you need to get back to square to 50 50 when your hips are square to the target. And we'll look more at what square is from down the line and just a moment. But the key is making sure as you're getting your hips rotated back to square and transferring weight back to the lead leg, that your shoulders get moved by your hips. That's the key. And that's the number one place that people make a mistake instead of keeping their shoulders closed, as they go start back down, people start turning their shoulders right away, and you've lost all of this healthy, muscular tension.

You've built it's up and that's going to cause you to lose lag, lose control of the swing, plane, cetera. So as we go back, I'm going to shift and sit into that left leg. I want to increase the Knee-Flex. As I start back down, this is really important because now we're starting to load up to hit the ball with our legs. If I just start turning right away, I've lost any force I could create by pushing into the ground. And now all of a sudden I have nothing left to hit with, but my arms and hands. However, if I go back and start sitting into that left side, while my head stays still again, not doing any movement from my upper body, all of the movement during the transition is coming from the legs and trunk. You see how little my head's moving as I start shifting back to the left.

Another key aspect of this is that you want to make sure that you're not just pushing off the right leg because that's what starts leading to back pain, causing you to lose your spine angle and your posture and the downswing. So as you're doing this, the left leg, the lead leg is going right to actually start to move independent of the right. Imagine if you were throwing a ball, you would load up on your right leg. And while your weight is here, you would start to move the lead leg independent. And as you're doing this, you would even begin to twist the right foot into the ground, which I'll talk more about in just a second. So as I go back, imagine you had a basketball and you're just going to drop it between your knees. You actually can increase the spacing between your legs, which will help give you a much more stable base, which is critical for being able to put maximum power into the ball from your lower body. So as I go back, my left knee moves over the left ankle. You don't need it to move very far. You don't want it moving past the left ankle. That's moving past neutral joint alignment, but where people make the mistake, the most common is not moving far enough. So focus on moving your left knee in line with the ankle during that squat to square move. Now,

When you really started wanting to put real

Power into the swing, once you feel like you've got a really good grasp of making this transition move, you can start to feel that your right leg, your right foot is twisting and creating counter force into the ground. And this is the opposite of what most golfers do, which is start pushing off the right foot. And their heel starts moving up this way. Imagine an imaginary plane line coming straight up from the side of your foot, vertically up into space. The year foot can't break that plane line. It should never ever move that way. However, it can move this way away from that plane line. And that's what would happen if you were trying to use that right leg to help you build some power and help you transfer your weight over to the lead leg. As you're twisting that foot into the ground, it's a very powerful, but it's an advanced move.

So don't worry about focusing on that too much at first. However, if you've see you're doing this right away, that's an incredibly weak move and produces no power in the swing and causes you just to hang back and have to flip and throw the club at the ball with your hands. So right shoulder back as we get into the back, swing increase the spacing. I'm building a big powerful stance as I'm starting to transfer more and more weight over to the lead leg. Now from down the line, there's some interesting things that we can start to see with our lower body. So the first thing that you're going to notice is that as I'm starting to move back, notice that you can see the logo on my shirt, pointing back at the camera as I complete the entire transition, which we know when our hips are about square to the target, you can see they're closed and now they're back to square.

You can see that my thighs are about parallel. You can still see the logo on my shirt. In fact, my upper body hasn't really moved or changed much at all. That's the key we're loading up and using our lower body to bring the arms and club down during that transition move. So as I'm starting to start back down, I'm going to concentrate on keeping my chest, pointing out the wall back behind me, starting to shift back to the left. I'm squatting down. I'm actually increasing the Knee-Flex slightly. And yes, it's okay for your head to drop just a little. But what's really important is that you're not pushing off the right foot and moving your pelvis into the ball. As I mentioned earlier, how you a great way to hurt your lower back, but also you're going to change all the angles in your swing plane and start swinging way into out.

So what you want to focus on as you start squatting back to square is that your hips actually stay back. If there is something touching your tush line, if you were sitting up against a table or a wall from the backswing to the transition, you would still have both glutes touching that wall or touching whatever's back behind you. You never want to move your hips into the ball, which will happen when you start pushing off the right leg. So the biggest thing to focus on, keep your chest pointing at the wall. Start squatting back to square. Shoulders are still closed and make certain, when you do that squat move that you don't lose your posture. Focus on keeping your left shoulder lower than your right where people make the biggest mistake is they start doing this or start moving their head, start moving their shoulders. Your shoulders do nothing during the transition. Your left shoulder is just going to stay lower than your right as you squat back to square. If you can do that simple squat back to square move, you will have a perfect and powerful transition in your golf swing.

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Mark
this whole philosophy of throwing hands and letting wrists go is completely negated by all this ridiculous amount of technical info during a 1 second golf swing , that no golfer can possibly think about or control without startying from scratch and hitting thousands of moves . way too complicated for every part of the move . it also is shown without the club. the shoulder turn is never going to be done without a club in hand . the recent videos on you tube show its all so easy without having to control every part of the backswing , transition , legs , feet, weight etc. and this video negates it all!!
April 1, 2024
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Mark. The DEAD Drill is part of an older series in Rotary. However, some players do need refinement. Using the GOAT Theory method of throwing does allow a lot of swing aspects to fall into place. But, players with bad prior ingrained movement patterns use the DEAD Drill and older content to refine their weight shift, spine angles, etc. It isn't a requirement but further learning if you need to train body movements that just aren't coming naturally or were incorrectly trained in the past.
April 1, 2024
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Jeremy
Hey Craig thank you for the comment responses they’re so helpful! So I need some help with dead drill. I’m not understanding the the squat and post up, I just need more details and checkpoints to make sure l’m learning the correct movement patterns. Can you give me the video names to look up for a lot of checkpoints to hit during the movements? Honestly the more the better
August 25, 2023
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Jeremy. Happy to help if you have a specific confusion point. Take a look at the Tour Pro Downswing Sequence Drill, Learn Perfect Weight Shift in Your Socks, and Magic Box Videos.
August 26, 2023
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Robert
Craig, I am working slowly and deliberately through step 2 of the Dead Drill. One of the (many) faults of my swing is opening the shoulders too soon in the downswing, as this drill seems to clearly show. In doing the reps, I'm really feeling it in my abs and obliques, maybe recruiting muscles I didn't previously. Is this feeling normal and a sign that I'm on the right track? Thanks.
April 11, 2023
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Robert. You shouldn't be stressed out, but still feeling the healthy tension in the core should be present in the transition.
April 11, 2023
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Ron
Craig, I have been a big time over the topper so keeping the lead shoulder down and the trail shoulder back as long as possible during the transition is helping me out tremendously. I’m trying to keep the trail shoulder and trail arm as passive as I can which in my case is helping to keep me from getting up on the toes of my trail foot and early extending. I’m getting much more distance and a lower ball flight. A friend told me to feel like the trail arm is under the lead arm as you come down as that would help to shallow the club. Does that make sense to you?
February 21, 2023
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Ron. Awesome! Yes, that motion can help (just like Axiom/throw the Ball Drill). The Axiom Lag Video will actually show a similar shallowing move you describe.
February 21, 2023
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JOSEPH
MY QUESTION IS, WHAT INITIATES THE THE TRANSITION? IS IT THE LEAD KNEE, IS IT THE HIP? IS IT THE AXIOM WEIGHT SHIFT FROM THE OUTSIDE OF THE REAR FOOT TO THE HEAL? ..... OR ALL OF THE ABOVE????
January 7, 2023
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JOSEPH
Sorry about the "All Caps"
January 7, 2023
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Joseph. It all depends. In the Axiom, the footwork of rotating clockwise with the trail foot towards the inside part will shift the pelvis for you. In the DEAD, (more lead side based) the lead knee will externally rotate first followed by inner lead thigh adduction to pull the weight.
January 7, 2023
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bob
I have trouble getting my weight properly to the left side. While drilling doing the DD right now my question is when should the knee and hip be in NJA? I get the knee moving/sliding too far laterally toward target and then cannot rotate hip properly through impact. should i be in nja during the squat to sq or just after?
November 19, 2022
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Bob. Your lead knee/hip will be close to NJA after shifting of the weight, but you won't reach the full position until post up. Take a look at Learn Perfect Weight Shift in Your Socks Video. That is a good one to help with the feeling of the movement.
November 20, 2022
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bob
Now I need a hardwood floor! What would be the cause of knee getting outside of ankle on weight transfer? I can guess that Im simply rolling onto outside of foot rather than transferring weight but want to know for certain.
November 20, 2022
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Bob. That is usually the main cause. Excessive external rotation of the lead knee and the weight moving to the outside of the foot prematurely. Nevertheless, too much trail side push early on can cause this as well.
November 21, 2022
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Theodore
What happened to the squat to square, tiger squat, and sitting into the left side videos. Are these no longer considered proper technique?
June 16, 2021
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Theodore. Those are all still valid and present in the drill above. In the transition, you still shift weight (sit into lead side), settle/engage the glute (Tiger Squat), and square the hips leaving shoulders closed (squat to square). You move through these positions.
June 17, 2021
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Dave
I have been working on this with the squat to square drill. I noticed that my best help in starting the transition is complete focus on moving the lead knee over the ankle, but using the front foot muscles or ground pressure to pull it into position. Does this makes sense?
May 31, 2021
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Dave. Makes sense to me. Take a look at Fixing Your Weight Transfer and Which Muscles to Feel in Golf Swing Transition Videos for further advice. You shift towards the ball of the lead foot and work backwards. Sounds like you are on the correct track.
May 31, 2021
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Vince
Hello!!! I've always had a hard time with the transition and getting into the "slot". I understand the squat to square technique and trying to limit shoulder turning during this stage. How about the hands/wrist at this point? Is it suppose to be dropping down so that it will be in front of the right thigh during the post up move of the left leg? I have watched the reference videos several times but don't hear any mention of the hands/wrist
May 19, 2021
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Vince. The wrists will be increasing in set/lad as the arms shallow in a clockwise direction. You can see this sequence in How to Fix Plane and Path and Golf Downswing Overview Video.
May 19, 2021
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Stefan
Hi Craig, Thanks for your last review. I am still struggling with synchronisation of my weight shift and movements of lower body, upper body and arms. Could you please explain how the clockwise weight shift in the right foot of the Axiom should match with the positions of the dead drill and the club. E.g. in take away weight on right foot at 3 o'çlock (?), top of the back swing at ... o'çlock, transition and squat to square at 6 (?), arms horizontal and post-up up at 8 or 9? Can you also describe the clock positions of the corresponding pressure in the left foot (probably finishing in post up at 6 o'çlock = all pressure on your left heel)?
May 3, 2021
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Stefan. You want to shy away from too much mapping out because the movement is fluid/feel. At the apex of the swing you should be at 6 on the foot. Moving from 6-9 will be the shifting/sq to sq - lead arm down to parallel to the ground. 9 pushing of the toe/posting to clear lead hip. Yes, moving from the ball of the foot back to 6 on the lead during the post period/finish.
May 3, 2021
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Venkatesh
Hello. Just starting out with Rotary Swing. My handicap is 15 and has been as low as 12. Prior to this, I used a stack and tilt golf swing and it has slowly but surely worn me out due to complexity. Based on the history, I am comfortable with the back swing (will continue to use the mirror and repeat). However struggling with the transition. Do you have an advise to get the stack and tilt out of my system and am I going to be successful? I can literally spend all day working on my game... Thanks.
February 12, 2021
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Venkatesh. Welcome to the site. I would take a look at How to Fix Reverse Pivot Video as a lot of Stack and Tilt players have to start there to get rotating around the spine. Followed by Which Muscles to Feel in Golf Swing Transition, Preventing Hip Pain, and Learn Perfect Weight Shift in Your Socks Video to help with weight movement in transition. You will be successful with hard work for sure.
February 13, 2021
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Gary C
So I have noticed from watching DD2 and DD3 videos and some slow motion videos of Tiger that it appears that the hips seem to start rotating back to the left immediately at the start of the downswing. This has clarified some aspects for me in the transition and post-up moves and now I am at a point where I am noticing that it helps me get a more consistent result if I start the transition by "anchoring" my left foot into the ground with a very slight weight shift onto the lead leg, similar to the slight bump to the right that happens before the backswing. I notice, now that I feel like I understand this movement sequence better, that I can achieve this weight shift that anchors my left foot/heel into the ground in a variety of ways. I can lean/sit into the left side slightly, or I can also pull my left knee over my left ankle (as chuck mentions in the DD2 video) and that seems to also start rotating my hips as well as shifting my weight. From my understanding of what I have watched in the videos, the hips need to rotate on a small circle and the shortest path for them to reach their impact position is best. My question is if my understand is correct and whether or not my feeling of "anchoring" my left foot into the ground to stabilize my left side for the upcoming rotation and post-up is correct. If that feeling is correct, or if its okay to think of it this way, is moving the knee first the proper way to start the transition? I don't want to make this downswing sequence more complicated than necessary or add in some element that will complicate things or that will need to be removed later. Overall I am feeling very close on DD2 and DD3 and "anchoring" my left foot seems to be the last small detail that is putting this altogether for me consistently. Just want to make sure the way I am thinking is correct. My biggest question is how best to achieve the weight shift onto lead foot that both anchors it and allows me to really post-up by getting a lot of leverage pushing up off the ground during the post-up.
January 11, 2021
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Gary. As you rotate back you will stretch the muscles to help you rebound and shift weight to start the downswing. Feeling the anchoring, or pressuring to help you start the downswing before completing the backswing so the sequence can go in correct order should be fine. You don't want to anchor so much as not to shift weight going back. But, the goal is to get the lead foot planted/anchored to have a power post up position to drive from.
January 11, 2021
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Gary C
To further clarify, During the end of the backswing, is it correct to understand that the weight of the club head finishes the backswing by stretching the arms a bit further and as this happens I will be consciously starting the downswing. Secondly, as I begin the downswing and I am leaning into the lead side/anchoring my lead foot, am I also beginning to rotate my hips or is the weight shift into the lead leg a subtle move on its own and then the rotation begins. I feel, when my weight is shifted such that my lead foot feels planted/anchored that the mere act of straightening my leg also rotated my hips and helps me finish the weight shift as well. Doing this as a shift into the lead leg/foot followed by the straightening of the lead leg/hip rotation feels more powerful but in The Magic Box video and DD2 and DD3 videos it appears that the shift and rotation begin simultaneously. Both ways I end up in a proper impact position but I am not sure which is more correct or if either works so long as I end up in the correct position. The first version to me feels easier to replicate consistently and feels more powerful. When rotation and weight shift happen simultaneously it feels more fluid but more difficult to do exactly the same way every time (at least right now).
January 11, 2021
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Gary. The lead shoulder will protract slightly creating a little stretch and as the weight of the club head finishes you will change directions towards the lead side increasing lag angle due to this change. There is the tiniest bit of a closed hip slides and will be weight slightly then rotation, but barely noticeable unless really slowed up. It will seem almost simultaneous.
January 11, 2021
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Gary C
I just watched chucks newest video in the 10 Secrets of the Pros and was thinking about his comments on Parametric Acceleration and how you want the hands to move in a small a circle as possible to create effortless power and club head speed. It occurred to me that this may also apply to other body movements in the sequence in the same way. Specifically when thinking of the transition and trying to make sure that the arms drop in close to the body so the reconnect it occurred to me that I may also want my hips to rotate on as small a circle as possible to both help the arms drop correctly and to create parametric acceleration through my shoulders, arms and club as I move through the transition and post-up. Curious if my thinking is correct or if this really only applies to the hands and happens as part of the post up.
December 29, 2020
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Gary. The hips should already be moving in a smaller circle unless you have a larger lateral movement, or hip drive.
December 30, 2020
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Elliot
Hi there, I am new to RST but enjoying the concepts so far. I probably find the transition drill the hardest as I expect it to be quite a large move but in fact it feels like a relatively small movement. Should your hips slide to the lead side during the squat to square in the same way that you see tour pros hip move forward in their swing or should the hips stay in the same position as they do with the back swing drill? Thanks!
December 27, 2020
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Elliot. The hips will have to move laterally and rotationally. The goal is to get that weight going. Take a look at Which Muscles to Feel in Golf Swing Transition Video.
December 28, 2020
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Gary C
In thinking about trying to develop the same basic swing for consistency while also trying to maximize power throughout the bag (when and where it is appropriate) I have come to a couple of questions. I have heard that when swinging the driver you want to maximize power for distance (thus why many tour players seem to squat/sit more during the transition to create more leverage pushing up from the ground) whereas with the irons the swing should be more about accuracy and consistency rather than maximum power. This has brought me to several questions. 1. In the RST method, at least as a starting point, should I be striving to create one swing sequence that I will use with every club, and, if so, do I want that swing to balance power and consistency as much as possible? Is there a middle ground that will work well for the driver and irons? 2. How much of an increase in knee flex during the transition is appropriate if I want to try to develop one swing sequence that I can use to both maximize power AND achieve consistency without ending up with a swing that may be too powerful for my irons or two weak to really hit my driver as far as possible? 3. Is it possible to have too much knee flex for my irons or not enough for my driver? I have been practicing the transition with what appears to be slightly more knee flex than what chuck demonstrates in the DD2 and DD3 videos. I think I started doing that after watching Tiger's swing several times in The Magic Box video. Am I overthinking this?
December 24, 2020
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Gary. 1. Yes. You want to balance power and consistency. You need consistency to start trusting adding more umpf. The middle ground is the DEAD Drill. 2. 1-2 inches increase in flexion is plenty for repeatability and power. I don't use anymore than that and have plenty of juice. 3. It is possible to have too much knee flexion. You don't want the post up having to be a recovering move. Most players tend to over squat with irons. You don't want to over think this as the legs need to be dynamic. Think about moving through positions versus trying to power lift tons of weight.
December 24, 2020
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Gary C
Does the 1-2 inches increase in knee flexion happen somewhat as a result of executing the transition move properly or is it something I need to consciously do? It seems that when I execute the transition properly and get my knees/quads in proper alignment when my hips get back to square that I automatically have more knee flexion than I had at setup. Is this all correct? I definitely have a tendency to over think things so any way I can simplify and synthesize the information proves helpful. Thanks.
December 24, 2020
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Gary. Happens as a byproduct of good transition. As you sit into the lead side the knees will have to increase in flexion a little when performed properly. Over thinking all of us golfers do. No worries. Just remember: at the end of the day. Stick and a ball. Stick hit ball and go find ball again .
December 24, 2020
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Gary C
Craig, Can you clarify the points of the transition a bit? After watching several videos on the site I may have gotten myself confused. How should I be thinking of executing the transition? Does the left knee start everything as it rotates/moves back over the left ankle while I also lean into the left side so my weight centers over my left ankle and drives into the ground? If I make sure my weight doesn’t move to the outside of my foot then that puts me is good position for NJA and post up, correct? How does squat to square and sitting into left side factor in to this?
December 5, 2020
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Gary. Squat to Square and sitting into the left side are basically the same thing. You are trying to shift weight as the hips will return to square in transition. The lead knee will externally rotate first to start the sequence as you pull the weight over and settle into the lead glute. This will allow you to start to get the leg stacked to push from the ground and post up. Take a look at Which Muscles to Feel in Golf Swing Transition, Fixing Your Weigh Transfer and Learn Perfect Weight Shift in Your Socks.
December 7, 2020
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Gary C
So the squat to square/sitting into left side is simply a result of moving the left knee back over the left ankle? Does the movement of the left knee alone accomplish the weight shift back to the lead leg or do I also need to consciously shift left as well?
December 7, 2020
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Gary. The lead knee external rotation, pulling the weight over with the inner lead thigh adductors, and settling into the lead glute. The shift will have to be intentional. The rotation of the knee won't accomplish the pull of the weight.
December 7, 2020
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Gary C
So the squat to square or sitting into the left side is a by product that happens when I move my left knee back over my left ankle?
December 7, 2020
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Gary. The knee is the first movement as you start to move the weight over.
December 7, 2020
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Gary C
One more point of clarification on this. I notice that from DTL view of chuck doing the transition that he returns to a postion with hips square to the target AND his knees, quads all in alignment. Do I need to be trying to execute my transition to look exactly like this or is the main point that my knee starts the transition and I need to be unwinding my hips and shifting my weight to the left left ankle during this step?
December 8, 2020
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Gary. If the knees don't get perfectly back into alignment I won't yell. But, the goal is to try and get the magic box. Take a look at The Magic Box - How to Check Your Lower Body in the Transition Video.
December 8, 2020
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Manning
If we are trying to improve right side dominance and early extension from the right side (whether it be hip, shoulders or both) while using this basic drill, conceptually, it seems like a good idea to promote the feeling of keeping your right hip back as you transition to the left leg and post. Obviously this can be overdone and perhaps turn into a closed hip slide, but I would guess that a closed hip slide would be a far less consequential mistake to make than standing up through impact that comes from casting, right hip/shoulder extension, etc. Also - even though you might have the 'feeling' of holding the depth of the right hip back as long as possible - the reality is it physically impossible to hold it back there and post up on the left leg when it counts. The feeling almost forces a squat in transition. I guess my question is - if you can successfully get to the left and let that left glute power and post the downswing, what is the harm of holding the depth of that right hip as long as possible - a 'closed hip slide' - in transition?
November 18, 2020
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Manning. Holding the hip too long would promote a closed hip slide and make it tough to get into proper post. The lead hip would usually slide out passed NJA and could cause damage to the hip. It all depends on the severity. I would prefer more like the Sam Snead Squat Video where you actually have counter torque.
November 18, 2020
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Alan
What joints should be above the lead ankle after the transition? Just the knee? The knee and hip? The knee, hip and shoulder?
November 11, 2020
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Alan. Lead knee. The hip and shoulder won't be perfectly stacked as of yet. But, the hip will be pretty close.
November 11, 2020
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Alan
Should I focus on contracting my lead glute and hamstring to move my lead knee, pull my lead hip back and shift my weight forward?
November 2, 2020
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Alan. Those muscles will activate for sure. But, you will be using the inner thigh adductors to help pull the weight over. Take a look at Which Muscles to Feel in Golf Swing Transition and Fixing Your Weight Transfer Videos.
November 2, 2020
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Alan
I also watched the Sam Snead squat video. I get that motion by screwing my lead foot into the ground as I’m transferring weight to it. I can really feel my lead hip being pulled back to square.
November 4, 2020
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Alan. The trail leg/foot will have the counter torque move. Make sure you don't externally rotate the lead too much during the squat.
November 4, 2020
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Alan
The lead knee swings over the lead ankle as the weight shifts from the top of the swing. Can this knee movement be used as the trigger for the downswing?
October 28, 2020
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Alan. Yes. Take a look at Fixing Your Weight Transfer. The lead knee will externally rotate first.
October 28, 2020
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Brandon
Hey, I feel like I’m not getting this. I’ve been working very hard on the clamshell drill. How does this work in conjunction with that drill? It seems that no matter what I do, when I transition over to the left side, and try to keep my left butt cheek touching the chair, my shoulders unwind back to a square position. Are my hips suppose to unwind independently of my shoulders? Is it purely a lateral move first? When I make just the lateral move first I feel like my upper body is sliding all over the place. It also feels like my head is moving like crazy. I’m in my 30’s, athletic and decently flexible. I feel like it shouldn’t be this hard...or maybe it should. Just wonder if I’m missing something here, or that the move is just that tricky and more work is needed. Thanks!
October 6, 2020
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Brandon. Same movement as in the clamshell drill. Lateral and rotational. If the Shoulders are 90 degrees rotated at the top with 45 degree of hip turn. Then, the hips will square in transition with the shoulders 45 degrees closed. Think of the hips always being 45 degrees ahead of the shoulders. You should easily be able to perform this move with your age/flexibility. Let the hips lead and they pull the shoulders.
October 6, 2020
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Brandon
Ok. So when I squat to square my shoulders don’t necessarily need to still be at 90 degrees? Meaning, as I transition, my shoulders will unwind a bit? Do I have this correct? I guess the problem comes when the shoulders lead the hips, instead of the other way around...thanks!
October 6, 2020
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Brandon. When you sq to sq the shoulders need to be 45 or more closed to the target. Not still fully wound at 90. The shoulders will have to unwind a bit as you transition.
October 6, 2020
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Joshua
Hi, How do transition the drills I learned and apply them to my swing, as in, is my new technique something i should be conscious of when actually playing, or should I rely on the reps i have done and just worry about my target etc and swing naturally. Is there a video on this?
October 3, 2020
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Joshua. Take a look at Should You Play Golf While Learning Your New Swing?, Why Your Practice Swing isn't the Same as Your Real Swing and Trust Line Video. You will need a lot of reps for them to show up in real golf. All the questions you have about whether to think, reps needed, etc.. will be there.
October 3, 2020
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Joshua
Thanks Craig.
October 4, 2020
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Brett
This step has been tough for me because I do the typical lift trail heel and trail leg breaks down. Should this feel more like the lead leg/foot pulling instead of trail leg/foot pushing? I am using lead and trail because I am a lefty. thanks!
September 15, 2020
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Brett. Yes. Lead leg pulling and planting the lead foot. Take a look at Sitting Into the Left Side and Learn Perfect Weight Shift in Your Socks Videos. Also, if you really struggle with the trail foot you can add counter torque. Sam Snead Squat Video.
September 16, 2020
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Brett
Craig, thanks fo the update! Sitting Into the Left Side video makes much more sense to me. Is this basically the same thing as squat to square? It sitting left just seems easier to wrap my head around
September 16, 2020
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Brett. SQ to SQ, Sit, DEAD 2, etc. The same premise you are trying to achieve.
September 16, 2020
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Richard
Hi, as I squat, how far over my left foot should my left knee bend. Right now when I squat, I can still see most of my left foot. Should my squat be so deep that I cover more of the foot? I feel I can get more power that way. Thanks
August 28, 2020
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Richard. If you want more leverage pull from the ground you can add more squat as desired. You can see about the average with tiger in this video: The Magic Box - How to Check Your Lower Body in the Transition.
August 29, 2020
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Andy
Hi Craig, when you squat to square and shoulder got turn by lower body, do you feel separation between upper and lower body? and upper body lag a little bit?
August 27, 2020
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Andy. Yes. You will feel the hips being about 45 degrees ahead of the shoulders.
August 27, 2020
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Steve
Are there any videos that show the appropriate lines that we should check on our own video during the transition? I’d like to know whether or not my left leg goes out too far or my head goes down too far, etc.
August 24, 2020
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Steve. The head will drop slightly due to the sit/squat. The lead knee should work to being stacked over the ankle joint during the transition phase. I can't think of one, but let me look.
August 25, 2020
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Kyaw Thet
Hi Craig, After doing several reps with both hands on the club and watching clamshell drill, the way I try to master this move is by just focusing on pulling my left glute backwards while increasing my knee flex without thinking about other things. Is that the correct way to think?
August 10, 2020
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Kyaw. That is one way to think about it. If by simplifying the procedure you hit the proper checkpoints. Sounds fine to me.
August 10, 2020
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Alfred
My shoulders tend to level out during this move. I find that I can better force my left shoulder to stay lower than my right if I squat down on my left leg more than my right leg. Is this okay to do?
August 3, 2020
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Alfred. The trail knee will add more flexion, but it sounds like you are falling into the lead side. Take a look at Learn Perfect Weight Shift in Your Socks Video. Same sensation I think you are experiencing.
August 3, 2020
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david
In the squat to square mindset, are you turning your hips quickly or just letting them go back to square slowly during the shifting weight to the left?
July 28, 2020
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello David. Start slowly to get the movement correct. However, when going at normal speed you don't want the shift back to the left to get too lazy. Not a race, but needs to be dynamic.
July 29, 2020
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Robert
Hi Craig, I've been practicing sitting into my left side, and getting the sensation of pulling vs. pushing. In some ways it almost feels like I'm coming over the top. When I do this in front of a mirror it doesn't look like I'm coming over the top though. Is that a normal feeling or am I on the wrong track?
July 24, 2020
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Robert. Feel is a little subjective. Tough for me to say without seeing the actual move. I can say that in"my" move it almost feels over the top.
July 25, 2020
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Robert
Some of the best advice I've gotten for my swing was to turn my left pocket to the target. Is that the same as the squat to square move?
July 21, 2020
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Robert. The weight will be moving towards the lead side as the hips square. If you are allowing for hip turn during transition with this thought you may be on the right track.
July 22, 2020
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Maury
I just watched the lesson 3:59 / 38:51 Should You RESTRICT Your Hip Turn in the Golf Backswing? My question is: after I load up on my right hip using my left side to get my left knee out over my left foot is it correct to use my left knee as the trigger to turn my hips (squat square) to set my weight on my left foot before I post up on my left side?
July 13, 2020
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Maury. Yes. The lead knee will be the first thing to externally rotate to get the knee stacked over the ankle.
July 13, 2020
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William
In the backswing I find it confusing or contradictory to say "turn your shoulders" some times and "turn with your core" at other times. do I turn both? together? in sequence? what should I focus on in the backswing? thanks,
July 11, 2020
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello William. The trail lat is what pulls the shoulder blade diagonally across the back of the rib cage. This is involved in core movement. We sometimes stress pulling the shoulder behind because it is much easier to feel/focus on. You will use the lat, abs, and obliques to facilitate rotation. Pull the shoulder back, rotate the rib cage, or rotate the core/belly are all achieving the same goal.
July 12, 2020
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John
When transitioning to the left side, can I move the left knee past the left ankle then pull my left side into NJA then apply the post move? I find this move difficult to feel. How aggressive should this move be? Thanks for your time...
July 7, 2020
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello John. You don't want to externally rotate the lead knee too much. The move doesn't need to be aggressive. Take a look at Which Muscles to Feel in Golf Swing Transition, Fixing Your Weight Transfer, Perfecting Lower Body Stability, and Dump Truck vs Drag Racer.
July 8, 2020
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Jarrod
Hi, new to the site, what is the dead drill? is it one drill? or these 6 steps combines?
June 30, 2020
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Jarrod. Welcome to the site! The DEAD Drill is one drill broken down into 6 parts to make sure that every step along the way you build it correctly. The goal is to work through the parts so by the end you have one drill that encompasses all you need.
July 1, 2020
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Richard
Hi, I have been having a hard time feeling the squat to square movement. I notice when practicing in front of the mirror, that if I start the sequence by moving my left knee out to the target laterally, it gets me into the proper position. Thoughts on using the left knee as a trigger to the squat to square sequence?
June 29, 2020
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Richard. The first move will be external rotation of the lead leg. Take a look at Fixing Your Weight Transfer Video.
June 29, 2020
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Marc
Where is " Fixing Your Weight Transfer Video"?
July 2, 2020
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Marc. Type the word "Fixing" in the search box. Let the videos populate. It will be the second one on the list.
July 2, 2020
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Richard
Will do, thanks
June 30, 2020
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Stephen
Hi... I have big issues with using my upper body to start the transition and often have them open at impact leading to all sorts of inconsistencies. I understand the concept of using the lower body to shift/transition and the idea if letting my hips turn back whilst keeping my shoulders closed but my brain is just not allowing it to happen!.. is there a ‘feel’ I should be trying to work with that Teaches my brain to stop spinning my shoulders out of control....thanks
June 28, 2020
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Stephen. Take a look at Keep the Rear Shoulder Back Video. You may have to exaggerate a little to get over the hump.
June 28, 2020
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Richard
Hi When do this drill should i be doing it with axis tilt - its a little hard to tell from the videos
June 27, 2020
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Richard. A resounding yes.
June 27, 2020
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Bernd
Hi. I am participating in Bootcamp 6 and am facing some problems in uploading my videos. I am still working on the transition. I have the problem, that I increase axis tilt during transition. What would help to fix this? If I do it very focused and slowly, I see some improvement, but still have too big of a tilt of my spine (as seen from face on) at the end of transition. Can you recommend a drill - this would be of such a great help!
June 21, 2020
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Michael (Certified RST Instructor)
Hi Bernd. Try to log out and clear your history in order to get the upload to work. As for your axis tilt take a look at "The role of the right foot" video. It is most likely because you push from the right side at the transition.
June 21, 2020
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sjahari
what does NJA mean?
June 17, 2020
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Sjahri. Neutral Joint Alignment. Where all your joints are stacked in a safe/neutral position.
June 17, 2020
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Jens
Hi Craig! I've started to get 285 yards out of my driver consistently so Think im starting to do something right, trying to think less of positions and more of having a consistent trigger that i start the turn with my shoulders and the arms stay passive and that i let the body react. But i am still comming over the top, which is limiting my shotshaping. Haven't found any video discussing it, maybe i haven't looked hard enough. I always feel that i max out the separation between my shoulders and torso in the backswing, thinking of it, it makes sense to me that it would mean that i come over the top, but i feel unsure cuz i cant find anything on the topic. Should i feel like my upper body is more turned together and that i get to full separation between the core and shoulder in transition, logically that would mean that my hands shouldnt come over the top, no?
June 10, 2020
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Michael (Certified RST Instructor)
Hi Jens Hope it's ok I answer you? Great to hear you getting your driver out there and by the sound of it there are more in the tank for you. The main reason for getting over the top is using the right side to much in the downswing. Take a look at the video "Stop Coming Over the Top in the Golf Swing and Slicing". Let me know if that helps.
June 10, 2020
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Jens
Hi Michael! Of Course . So i should still feel like i have my shoulders fully stretched from the core at the top then?
June 10, 2020
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Michael (Certified RST Instructor)
Yes, when you are doing the drill it should feel like you are fully loaded at the top. When you do the squat to square and keep the shoulders away from the target you will be able to get a bit more stretch even though you feel fully loaded at the top. It will happen automatic when you swing with the club.
June 10, 2020
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Don
I’m having trouble executing a “ squat to square” without my head moving toward the target. What am I missing?
June 2, 2020
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Don. The head won't stay perfectly still. It will have to move slightly. Excessive movement is the bad one.
June 2, 2020
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Don
Would my head moving be a clue that I have moved to square with my shoulders and not my left hip?
June 2, 2020
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Don. Not necessarily. Take a look at Preventing Hip Pain to see why the head reacts they way it does.
June 2, 2020
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Don
I would like to thank you for your recent review of my swing. Should my next review be a submitted swing or a drill of just Setup/Backswing/Squat to square stacked on each other?
June 2, 2020
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Don. You're most welcome. I love to see drills. That way I know you are practicing correctly what we preach
June 2, 2020
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Alessandro
I'm trying to follow these videos in order, but am getting really confused. The fourth video in the weight transfer section is labelled DEAD Drill Step 2, but there is never a step 1.
June 2, 2020
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Allessandro. I apologize. It is much easier if you click the dashboard to follow along with the DEAD Series 1-6. Video menu--->Dashboard.
June 2, 2020
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Alessandro
Thanks for getting back to me so fast. Could you please help point me to the best spot on the site for full swing instruction. After looking around, it appears as though there are 4 separate tracks all for full swing instruction. So I'm a bit confused what to follow. I'm finding the 6 DEAD drill videos immediately listed in the dashboard aren't giving me the full information. For example, it jumps right from weight shift to transition and then I have to click through a bunch of stuff just to find out about how to finish the takeaway. Thanks in advance. Let me know if my descriptions below are unclear 1. There is the "Full Swing Course", which I think is also called the University sometimes. This is the module with the quizzes and numbered lessons. 2. There is the DEAD Drill sequence that can be found my clicking on "More Reference Videos" at the bottom of the dashboard. This track divides steps up into (i) RST Foundation, (ii) Deeper Learning, and (iii) RST Drills. 3. Under the "Video Menu" button under full swing there are a bunch of options such as setup, weight shift, takeaway, etc. that all lead to different libraries. 4. While viewing any videos there is a horizontal list of options (i) Step 1 weight shift, (ii) core rotation, and so forth.
June 3, 2020
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Alessandro. Following the University Course with the quizzes, etc. will be a full comprehension of the swing. The DEAD Drill is the approach to get the core fundamentals down to build a great swing. You work on the takeaway once you can perform the body and arm movements correctly. My recommendations because both will end with the same goal. Follow DEAD cycle then do the little nuances with particulars in takeaway etc. Or, University to reach full potential.
June 3, 2020
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Mike
Should I be feeling the transfer go from my trail glute/upper hamstring to my lead glute/upper hamstring? I’m concerned that I’m not totally square with my knees. Should I not worry about that and just let that blend into the post up move later?
May 27, 2020
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Mike. In the transition, you will be planting the lead leg to start activating the lead glute. However, you should feel the sit/squat in both glutes. Engaged and stabilized ready for post up. You may have more awareness of the lead since that will be the focal point.
May 28, 2020
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Stephen
Hi - so I find the squat to square move the hardest. Seems when I focus on it on the course I get all out of sync and hit it fat or slice. Recently though, instead of thinking about a squat I have been concentrating on increasing the lead knee flex as a way of starting the downswing. Is this, effectively, generating the correct movement in the transition? I am getting improved ball striking results but still have a habit of then spinning out of control as I try and post up...!
May 27, 2020
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Stephen. Take a look at RST Tempo Drill and Weight Shift Sweep Drills to get the balance. As long as you get the glutes loaded, you may have just been over doing the move.
May 27, 2020
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Shane
Hi. In order to get this right and pull from the left side, I need to flex my left glute, left adductor,hammy, and left obliques but at the same time relax those muscles on the right side? My tendency is to squeeze both cheeks whenever I squeeze one but that centers my hips instead of shifting all the way to the left. Squeezing one cheek and not the other feels like a harder version of learning to wink again.
May 22, 2020
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Shane. You won't lose all that healthy engagement you recruited in the backswing first thing in the transition. You need to pull yourself over, but just not push and fire with those trail side muscles. Take a look at Perfecting Lower Body Stability and Which Muscles to Feel in Golf Swing Transition.
May 22, 2020
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Jeff
RST devotee since July 2019. Have had great success. Especially with weight shift & lead side dominance. But . . as have added 'squat' attempts to start transition, I get all out of whack. But when I ignore 'squat' and just shift to lead side, it seems to work. Is it ok to just ignore 'squat' move? I know I am giving up power, but I need to find the fairway first. Thoughts?
May 14, 2020
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Jeff. You may just be overdoing the squat when adding into the mix. Weight shift is of the utmost importance. A little squat is required for a great transition. But, you maybe doing one and not realizing it.
May 14, 2020
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Ryan
A few questions about the transition: 1) Is it okay for my head to move downwards about 3 inches and to the left (towards the target) 2 inches as I squat back to square? 2) I have noticed that the angle of my shoulders gets slightly steeper during the transition. Is this okay or should they stay parallel to where they were at the top of the backswing? I appreciate the help.
May 9, 2020
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Ryan. As you squat and shift the head will have to move. I don't want to quantify too much the numbers. The head will move about 1 - 1 1/2 in the backswing and it should return back to address. So, you aren't that far off. Flexion in the knees will increase and inch or two. So, again not that far off with head drop.
May 9, 2020
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Martin
Hi, thanks again for the great lesson yesterday. You said that during transition that I should imagine someone is holding my shoulders trying as hard as possible to stop them turning and still facing back. So just to check, not only should I retain the tension in my core built up during the backswing but during transition it should, if anything increase? Then during postup I don't need to do anything to conciously turn my shoulders, other than relax and let it all go?
April 30, 2020
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Martin. Thanks. During the post up you slam on the brakes and let the club release independently of the body. You don't need to do anything except let the club go. It can increase, but there is such a thing as restricting so much the shoulders don't react to the lower half.
April 30, 2020
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Mikko-Pekka
Hello Craig! I just wanted to make sure that if my squat to square is alright and the only problem is my post up?
April 28, 2020
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Mikko. Sometimes it is a little off, but most of the time the SQ to SQ into the post.
April 28, 2020
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Scott
I have a hard time keeping my left shoulder lower than my right in the transition? Any tips or videos that specifically address this? I shift my weight and rotate my left leg, but my right shoulder ends up lower than my left.
April 22, 2020
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Scott. You can use a club similar to the Golf Backswing Shoulder Plane Drill.
April 23, 2020
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Richard
I have a question about the follow thru after impact past the golf ball. my right arm does not straighten , its bent slightly, I broke 6 right ribs that has healed and a slight tear in my rotor cuff frontal right shoulder my swing speed is 111, with driver, at max capacity. ARE any of these issues holding me back to get a few more miles per hour
April 22, 2020
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Richard. Technically, you can let go with the trail arm and hit it with plenty of speed. However, if you have a hard time with extension you may be losing just a little juice. I would need to see to confirm how much.
April 22, 2020
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Richard
Hi, i have acknowledged and applied the good stuff to improving my turn using rotary connect. It made a big difference in my width on the top of backswing i’m getting 115 on radar gun . from 101-105 thanks
May 30, 2020
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Awesome Richard! Long ball
May 31, 2020
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Richard
My next inquiry is how to advance the ball from deep rough , i use an 8 iron do i play ball way back of stance, break wrist early and just chop down or is there another way that’s easier, I tried using a 5 wood, ball squirts out to right Its new york wet rough 2. -3 inchrs deep
May 31, 2020
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Richard. Usually stand a little closer so it will make the swing plane and AOA a little steeper. Keep the wrist a little firmer then usually so the grass doesn't turn the face.
June 1, 2020
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Richard
Do you believe handicap s can change more than 3 shots up or down doubted by USGA measures. Using RST, Can I shoot 73 on my home course and lower my handicap 7 shots?
June 2, 2020
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Richard. I don't know all the rules and specifics with the handicap systems used nowadays. I haven't had one for almost 20 years. I apologize.
June 2, 2020
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Richard
ok, but you must hear stories from your members lowering their handicaps by perfecting the rotary tour system. My ball striking is evident on long par 3 but my scrambling percentages. are less than 30% and sand saves about 15% so can we put more content into the short game and putting. Seen all the videos , looking for different approaches to the short game scenarios..
June 2, 2020
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Richard. We have lots on the short game. I will be happy to guide you through with your specific needs. We may have more content in the future the more we refine our techniques . But, yes I hear players all the time dramatically lowering their handicaps. A good short game is necessary to be at that next elite level though.
June 2, 2020
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Christopher
Hi guys- I asked this question during the last boot camp session, and I want to make sure that you said "yes" to what I was asking. During the transition, should you feel as if your left butt cheek is moving backward to meet the depth of the right hip depth (at 45deg open)? In the words, from DTL, the right butt comes back slightly as the hips turn 45deg during the backswing, and then the left butt cheek comes back to meet the line of the right butt cheek to keep the tush line. So, you are feeling that your almost clearing space in the bottom to hit the ball with the post up and release.
April 21, 2020
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Christopher. Yes. And, the feel can be you are clearing the space to make room for the club to come through.
April 22, 2020
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Christopher
Thanks Craig...definitely a "light bulb" moment for me. I've been feeling the transition incorrectly for 20 years...but better late than never! I love the Boot Camp! One suggestion...I would make it a point to demonstrate the DEAD drill at full-ish speed more often (you did this in the last Boot Camp session on Tuesday). I found it extremely helpful to see how the 3 moves blend together. Also, the amount of leg (muscle) action was really defined. It helped crystallize what we are trying to ultimately achieve. Thanks again!
April 22, 2020
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Christopher. Awesome. Very happy you are enjoying the show and had an "aha" moment. I will try to show more at pace. If I don't do enough. Just yell at me through the forum when live. I'll give it a rip.
April 22, 2020
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Francois
Hello Chris. I'm part of the current boot camp and have a question on the transition. During the transition, should I actively try to keep my trailing shoulder back or should I just let it passively follow the hip and squat movement?
April 21, 2020
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Francois. Most players use their shoulders too much. A little restriction and allowing them to get pulled by the legs is what you are striving for. However, you don't need so much tension you never let them move and they hang back.
April 21, 2020
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Bernie
Craig, I am currently in the Boot Camp 5 instruction and we just covered the transition....man, am I challenged. During your video, you did a good job; however, it is taking me reviewing that video a number of times to pickup on all of the nuances in making this move. Am I supposed to noticeably feel the weight shift from my trail ankle to my lead ankle before I start moving the lead knee "out"? Man, this is such an important part of the swing. Thanks, Bernie
April 19, 2020
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Bernie. The lead knee external rotation will be first. You don't want to get into a closed hip slide. So, as you start to increase the pressure into the lead side (not all the way planted) from the weight shift the knee will rotate to a safe/stacked position.
April 20, 2020
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Richard
on my backswing, I get into a stable, turn at the top, slightly less than 80 degrees, hip turn about 40 measured by another company's technology. My head is in a good position ( I use a framed window reflection to see this. My question is :as I shift my weight my head moves forward out of the frame slightly I notice in still pictures of chuck, his head stays pretty still against the line drawn on his downswing. Does the head move forward slightly and than backwards thru impact. what's natural with head movement
April 18, 2020
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Richard. The head won't stay perfectly still in the swing. It will have to move a little due to the fact that you are shifting weight. We just don't want excessive movement. In the downswing, it will move slightly towards the target. If shouldn’t be moving back into the release. But, you may see that from time to time on players try to hit very long drives to create a maximum extension point.
April 20, 2020
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Jens
Feels kinda crazy that i haven't asked this before. So, the separation that i want to establish in the transition should be between the upper body and the lower body. It hit me today that i am actually uncertain what constitutes the upper body in this movement. Is the upper body just from my pec/shoulder area and up, guess i can also reverse the question and ask, do iwant to feel like my lower back/obliques are turned as a package with the hips or do i want to feel like i create the "xfactor" in my lower back. If you had to pick a point/section of the body where i feel it turns in opposite directions where should that divide be?
April 17, 2020
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Jens. You don't want a massive x factor to shy away from too much shear/compressive force on the spine. The trail lat, abs, and obliques will be helping you complete the turn and you will start to feel the external rotation of the lead knee, lead thigh adduction and lead oblique start to go in the opposite direction. Take a look at Which Muscles to Feel in Golf Swing Transition Video.
April 17, 2020
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Jens
That explanation was perfect Craig, thanks! Then i sorta know that im on the right track if i feel the movement is helped by my muscles below the rib cage on both sides. Been trying to resist that cuz i thought it was wrong. Do i still want to feel that i create a minor separation with my lower body before i start helping the rotation with my obliques and the rest? Trying to perform that movement always makes my lower back really tense up, is that from overdoing it, or just doing it at all? Lead thigh adduction is the biggest enigma to me. I just dont know how to activate it in a way that isnt just for the sake of it, whatever i do it just feels like im missing the point, is the tensing of the adductor the result of another movement or is the individual crunching of it supposed to do something im completely oblivious to?
April 17, 2020
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Jens. The lead thigh adduction you should feel at first. But, even for myself. I have shifted my weight so many times I am basically numb to the sensation. I always felt more of the sit. Like in the Learn Perfect Weight Shift in Your Socks Video. If the back is overly tense then you are overdoing the move creating excessive separation. More of a subtle move just as the lead arm passes parallel to the ground you change the direction starting with the lead knee external rotation. Chuck recently did a YouTube Video on this with his swing in comparison to Tiger.
April 17, 2020
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Mark
I feel like the left glute is by far the most activated muscle in the squat-to-square. Does that sound correct?
April 16, 2020
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Mark. Take a look at Which Muscles to Feel in Golf Swing Transition. You will feel a lot of lead glute and some inner thigh adductors.
April 16, 2020
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Jens
Hi Craig! Unfortunately got hit by the flue, but am feeling better now and am getting some reps in and Will have a video sent to you soon. Got a question about the arms in transition. Do i want to feel like my left arm moves more across the chest and adducts at the beginning of the transition or do i wanna feel that my lat starts pulling as soon as it starts stretching from the movement?
April 15, 2020
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Jens. I hope you feel better. Sorry to hear. The lead lat will be primarily responsible for getting the arms in front. However, in the transition you are looking to do as little as possible with the arms as you focus on the leg movement.
April 15, 2020
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Bruce
Hi. Your video talks about starting the transition before completing the backswing. When I do this, I see on video an untidy finish at the top, with my hands low - already being brought down by my squat. There are many articles on the web that talk about ensuring you finish your backswing and even put a pause in before starting down. On video this looks much better. Which do you recommend? Thanks
April 13, 2020
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Bruce. The downswing will start before you complete the backswing. But, it seems you are jumping the gun a little bit. Focus more on getting the motions correct. This advanced transition move will blend itself in when you start working more advanced lag creation, etc.. For the record: I almost feel like I pause because I will jump gun too quickly as well.
April 13, 2020
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John
When I concentrate on pulling from my left side, the weight shift back to neutral is occurring prior to the squat to square hip turn. Is that OK? Or should I try to make the two movements at the same time ? Thanks, John
April 13, 2020
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello John. The lateral and rotational motion should be pretty blended. Take a look at Fixing Your Weight Transfer and Closed Hip Slide Video.
April 13, 2020
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marc
Hi, a quick question if i may. When squatting to square, i can feel the power building up in my lower body resulting in a much more explosive club head release. -Thank you, what a difference using the ground properly makes in my swing!!!! However i am noticing a lot more tension building up in my shoulders, arms and hands. Historically in my old swing, a tension free upper body produced a faster club speed. Should i be focusing on trying to limit upper body tension? Thanks
April 11, 2020
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Marc. Yes, you want to keep the box muscles/arms/hands from being too rigid. Take a look at Proper Muscle Activation Video.
April 11, 2020
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Paul
When I squat to square and then post up, I find it difficult to shift enough weight to the left leg. The lead leg is straight but angled slightly away from the target. I do not have this problem when I use the "sit into the left side" approach. While this approach achieves NJA between foot, knee, and hip in a mostly vertical line, my right hip seems to be shifting more toward the target compared to squat to square approach. What should I do to achieve NJA with the squat to square move or should i just stay with sit into the left side?
April 10, 2020
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Paul. When you are "sitting into the left side" as long as the hips don't slide and you post up properly. The squat portion should be good. Same concept. Weight shift and post.
April 10, 2020
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Greg
RJ, I have gone back to the transition piece to clean up some things. I am having some issues with my hips and want to get your advice. When I rotate for "squat to square" my trail hip remains high and my lead side is lower. This could be because I am straightening my trail leg in the backswing, which you pointed out and I am working on. Other than that cause, is this something you see if people are not engaging the correct muscles? I am trying to focus on engaging the obliques on my lead side.
April 3, 2020
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R.J. (Certified RST Instructor)
send a pic of what you look like at the end of step 2, you could be bending the lead side knee too much or still have your trail side leg too extended, either would cause you to have a tilted pelvis, but it should be parallel to the target line and parallel to the ground at the end of step 2.
April 3, 2020
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Chuck
In doing the squat to square, you are shifting to the L as you rotate. It looks like Chuck's L hip-knee-ankle are in neutral joint alignment at the end of this move. Am I seeing that correctly?
March 28, 2020
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Chuck. Yes. But, not the hip. The lead ankle and knee will be stacked. The hip should be just shy as you still will be moving weight in the post up. Take a look at Closed Hip Slide Video.
March 29, 2020
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Daniel
Question for RJ: You recently did a review of my dead drill and I was moving the shoulders independently and losing tush line in transition. I have been fighting pushing off my right toe in the downswing and really feeling my weight get to my left ankle for a long time. I've been doing over 100 reps per day but trying not to move on until I get this simple part right. I recorded myself again and its a little better but still a lesser degree of the same mistakes. I do it much better looking in the mirror but without the mirror as soon as I think "squat" I square my hips and shoulders. Do you think the two points made in this video of screwing the right foot into the ground and moving the left knee away from the right knee / toward the target are good things to focus on to overcome this?
March 25, 2020
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R.J. (Certified RST Instructor)
I think if you focus on the muscles on the left side, instead of being as concerned with the parts of the body on the right side, as it sounds that you are, you may have a better time with getting over and rotating the hips to move the torso. There's a video for what muscles to feel in the transition that should help you with what to specifically focus on while making the move.
March 26, 2020
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frank
When I'm doing the squat to square drill and I stop to check should I be able to lift my toes up on my lead foot. Is that want I'm trying to achieve is having my weight on my lead heel?
March 14, 2020
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Frank. The weight should be centered over the ankle. When firmly pressing the squat into the ground you may not be able to lift the toes. A little wiggle will suffice. After post the lead toes will be lighter and trail foot rolled onto the instep.
March 15, 2020
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Jeff
With this drill am I using my left oblique along with the hips to get back to square?
March 4, 2020
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Jeff. The obliques will aid in pulling the hips. The lead oblique will help you get back to square. But, you will have much more awareness of that oblique when you post up.
March 4, 2020
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Alfred
Hello I am to trying to have a checkpoint for the right left side of the foot; it feels that if I focus on putting pressure on the inner left side of the balls of the foot (let's say the balls of the foot are five with each ball lining up with one toe) so if I put more pressure on the right big toe and second toe balls) and right inner heal would that be a sufficient to use a marker for my foot to begin squat to square?
March 3, 2020
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Alfred. I would rather you shy away from thinking anything with the balls of the feet. There will be supporting areas there and weight does move almost like a figure 8 if looking at a force plate. However, don't over think the move. The goal is to start dialing down swing thoughts with simplicity. As you start to squat/shift think more about trying to place the weight over the center of the ankle joint. If you take a look at How to Swing From the Ground Up Video. Chuck will give you a good trigger to shoot for.
March 4, 2020
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Mike
Is it common to get worse when in the initial stages of Drills? I'm at step 2 of the DEAD Drill and I can 't hit a ball well now for the life of me. Is this common??
March 2, 2020
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Mike. Commonly, when you start changing your movement patterns you will struggle at first because it is a brand new sequence and you get caught in-between the old and new movement.
March 2, 2020
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Chad
I'm really struggling with the transition. After my backswing I sit into the left side, my chest is pointed away from the target. At this point, I'm in a semi-squat and feel very stuck. If I post up I lose my toosh line, if I try to force everything back I feel extremely awkward like I don't have any power. I'm doing all this without a club still. If I do it at full speed I don't have much of a squat and end up in a reverse C. I've watched this video dozens of times and can't seem to get it.
February 27, 2020
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Chad. If you end up losing the tush line you have to be pushing with the trail hip. Same goes for the reverse c. Take a look at a few videos for me. Eliminating Early Extension, You Hit the Golf Ball With Your Legs, and Preventing Hip Pain. You will see how the combination of the errors in those videos are creating the issue.
February 27, 2020
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Trevor
Hello I recently had a swing review done of the dead drill (body only) and my right toe was moving up slightly during the transition. The reviewer said this is because I’m pushing from the right leg. I am having trouble correcting this I don’t feel like I am pushing from the right. Also what part of the left foot should my weight be on during transition. Any help would be great thanks !!
February 14, 2020
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Trevor. The weight should go from the inside to over the lead ankle joint in the downswing. Shy away from rocking to the outside of the foot. Also, your trail foot push is solely a trained motion. You have to work really hard to calm it down. Moving from the lead side deadening the trail push. Take a look at Eliminating Early Extension and Role of the Right Foot Videos.
February 14, 2020
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Chris
Message for RJ:- following my recent lesson (another awesome lesson- thanks). You mentioned my arms are pinned across my chest and I can really see that now! I’m not sure what you meant by ways of fixing it however. If I try to stop my shoulders turning I’m struggling to get the club down at all and it feels like I want to bash myself in the side of the body.. And if I do really keep the should from turning with the club coming down then my hips don’t want to turn. I hope that makes sense any help would be appreciated.
February 10, 2020
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R.J. (Certified RST Instructor)
You're welcome. It's not that you want to physically prevent your shoulders from moving, it's that you don't want your shoulders to be the driving factor in your downswing rotation because it causes too much centripetal force which sends the club away from your body at the top of the swing. You simply want to focus on the weight shift to the left and then the hip rotation and post up to be the reason why your shoulders and arms are moving. I apologize if I wasn't clear enough about that in the video. Thank you for using the message board to get this cleared up. Let me know if there's anything else that I can help you with.
February 10, 2020
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Ronan
Hi Craig, I figured that the head is allowed to move just slightly during the backswing and can't move forward during the downswing, it has to stay back where it is at the top of the backswing (or just come back to the original setup position). Is that a correct statement ? When working like this, i have the impression that my left shoulder goes pretty high at impact, but when i see the good players on video, i see this move quite obviously..
February 10, 2020
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Ronan. The head will at least need to get back to original setup position. If it hangs back excessively the lead shoulder will get high due to extra secondary axis tilt.
February 10, 2020
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Ronan
Hi Craig, Thanks for your answer, Ok, the head needs to get back to its original position. Could the head go past that is my question ? Would it be wrong if the head slides an inch in the direction of the left side ? Do we have to focus on not to do it at all ?
February 11, 2020
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Ronan. You can see on most of Chuck's swings that it may move a hair passed original setup. But, not enough where the head gets out in front of the ball.
February 11, 2020
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Charlie
Hi I have just worked through the first 3 videos. However, in the 4th video you mention the backswing. However, I haven't worked through any backswing videos or drills. Dead Drill Step 2 -- The Transition is my next video. Do I have that correct? Thx, Charlie...
February 7, 2020
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Charlie. When following the DEAD Drill Series go in succession. After DEAD Drill 1 you would move on to DEAD Drill 2. If you struggle with certain aspects along the way. That's when you would use other videos highlighted in the category for the specific issue.
February 7, 2020
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Mike
I'm having a hard time with this. Do I need to squat with my weight feeling more toward my heels? I feel like my left knee is leaning out to the ball on when I complete the move. Hard to explain what it looks like.
February 5, 2020
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Mike. The weight will be over the center of the ankle joint. Take a look at Fixing Your Weight Transfer and Which Muscles to Feel During Golf Swing Transition.
February 5, 2020
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Martin L
I have been using the dead drill for a few weeks. It seems like good swing thoughts consistent with it are keep right knee back and right thumb pointing up on transition. Does this make sense? It sure produces good ball flighy6
January 31, 2020
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Martin. Maintaining a good trail knee position is vital. No issue there. Ideally, I don't want you thinking too much about trail hand position because it is hard to feel/control in the periphery.
January 31, 2020
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Mike
quick question on how to count these reps. I know its silly to ask but I want to make sure I get to 3,000 reps the way its intended. If I'm on to step 2 of the dead drill will I count one rep here as one rep for step 1 also? I would think so if I'm doing both drills at once, right?
January 29, 2020
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Mike. If you are blending drill 1 with drill 2 and both are being formed correctly. That is one rep that counts for both. The beauty about the DEAD Drill is the more you rep you a reinforcing the older learned movements.
January 29, 2020
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ryan
as i start the transition, is it ok to leave the shoulder plane as vertical as possible, instead of bringing them to a 45 degree angle? i find if i leave them as vertical as possible at this part of the downswing, it helps to keep them level at the post up move.. thanks in advance.
January 22, 2020
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Ryan. You don't want to change the shoulder plane. You want to stay balanced. Are you meaning changing the actual shoulder plane angle, or the unwinding to 45 degrees?
January 22, 2020
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ryan
if i were to draw a line across the top of my shoulders at end of my backswing, it is roughly 180 degrees, or a vertical line, (or 12&6 on a clock).. at the squat to square, instead of bringing that line to a 45 degree angle , i tend to not rotate my shoulders back to 45 degrees,.. more like 60 degrees or so.. i dont unwind them that much.. if i unwind all the way to 45 degrees, i cant get my shoulders parallel at post up . not sure if that would create a problem, or not. as long as i get my shoulders to parallel by post up, isnt taht ok? or will i be coming in too steep?
January 22, 2020
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Ryan. The goal is to be parallel at post up (roughly) and not come in too steeply. If the shoulders are unwound to only about 60 degrees you should be fine. Less shoulder spin and the lead shoulder staying down will be fine. Less shoulder spin will also tend to shallow the plane more.
January 23, 2020
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ryan
hi Craig, are there any videos specifically related to how to keep the left shoulder down through transition and post up? thanks.
January 23, 2020
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Ryan. Level Shoulders is the only one I can think of.
January 23, 2020
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william
Ok I understand what your saying but the main thing is to not come up and out of the shot with your left shoulder. If I cant get my left shoulder lower but have level shoulders at impact is what im looking for right.
January 20, 2020
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello William. For drill only the shoulders will be practically level with the ground at impact. When adding the club and trail arm the lead shoulder will be higher. So, you don't need to be in a negative tilt position, or actually have the lead shoulder lower than the trail at impact. In the transition, the lead shoulder will be lower because you are maintaining the shoulder plane you created in the backswing.
January 20, 2020
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william
I think i figured it out. if i keep my hips back in the downswing it keeps the left shoulder down.
January 17, 2020
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Bill. Take a look at the Closed Hip Slide Video. The hips must rotate in shifting and transition as the lead shoulder stays down.
January 17, 2020
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william
forgot something, how long should the left shoulder stay lower than the right in the transition?
January 17, 2020
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello William. The whole time and in fact most players feel it staying lower all the way into impact.
January 17, 2020
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william
hey Bill Cole here, im haviing good results with the program. i worked on the 9 to 3 drill for hours and now starting to see it pay off. now on the transition drill and having trouble keeping the left shoulder lower than the right in squat to square move.
January 17, 2020
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Bill. Glad you are seeing great results. Take a look at the Level Shoulders Drill and Shoulder Plane Drill to help keep the lead shoulder lower.
January 17, 2020
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Bruce
Hi Craig, I’ve been working on RST and the dead drill and am seeing great results. It is the transition that’s been a real game changer in terms of accuracy and distance. HOWEVER I’ve noticed some significant pain in my left knee and ankle that occurs whenever I play or practice. The combination of squatting, twisting my right foot and feeling massive connection with the ground feels like the cause. It could be that I’m using new muscles or could be that I’m 51 and too old to do this aggressively. I also remember Tiger had big problems with his left knee. Grateful for your thoughts.
January 16, 2020
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Bruce. Lead knee pain is usually attributed to 2 things (Same for Tiger): Weight getting towards the ball of the foot and hyper extension. If you are posting up aggressively and the weight is moving towards the ball/toes of the foot (achieving the "lift off" position). You are making the lead knee the primary balancing joint which is not safe. The knee only has a few degrees of rotation and will wear out quickly. Also, the lead leg should be straight and not locked out. We don't want to tear an ACL or MCL. Side note: Check your tush line and trail foot push .
January 16, 2020
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Bruce
Perfect. So it’s the heal of the left foot that drives the post up rather than the front / toes? That was my mistake. Thanks as always for great support.
January 17, 2020
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Bruce. Thanks for the compliment. Yes, you want to stay over the center of the ankle joint and shy away from the toes.
January 17, 2020
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David
I completed the RST 5 step and all the REPS last year and it made a huge improvement for me. This year I want to use the DEAD DRILLS for winter tune up and continuing improvement. How come the DEAD DRILS are not included in the rep tracker?
January 14, 2020
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello David. Good question. I will see what we can do.
January 14, 2020
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Gary C
I’m new to rotary swing and so far I really love it. I am not quite sure what part of my body I should be focusing on during the transition (step 2 of the dead drill). I have watched several videos and chuck has said that the knee should end up stacked over the ankle and the weight should be in the heel of my left foot and distributed evenly or slightly more on the left leg but I am not sure if I should be focused on moving my knee to pull my hips back to square or if I should be focused on turning my hips and letting that movement pull my knee and everything else back to a squared and square position. I am sure there is a video that explains this in detail but I’m not sure I’ve found it yet. Can someone point me in the right direction?
January 14, 2020
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Gary. Thanks for the compliments of our content. Take a look at Fixing Your Weight Transfer, Closed Hip Slide and Which Muscles to Feel During Golf Swing Transition. The lead knee will externally rotate first as you pull the weight with the inner adductors and allow the hips to square.
January 14, 2020
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Mark
Hi there, I have traditionally been a golfer who swings under the plane, and though I've managed to get rid of the low hooks a few years back, I do hit a lot of blocks and pushes. I realize that I have been early extending and I really need to get the transition down. For me, it helps with this move to think of it like belt buckle down. When down the line, this thought helps get me to squat to square. My question is on the feel of this move. You hear of really good golfers having a weightless part of their swing, which I assume is the time during this move. If that assumption is correct, should this feel more like falling downwards into a squat to square as opposed to using muscles to actively rotate you there? Thanks!
December 31, 2019
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Mark. Some players have the sensation of falling into their lead side to shy away from spinning/pushing. However, that is a feeling. Similar to the Sitting Into the Left Side Video and Level Shoulders Drill Video.
December 31, 2019
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Louise
During the downswing I tend to bring my chest and head down towards the ball. This causes me to have to shorten my arms in order to hit the ball. How can I stop this downward and forward movement?
December 23, 2019
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Louise. Combine the drill above with the Keep Your Rear Shoulder Back Video. Sounds like you are pushing the shoulders with weight shift.
December 23, 2019
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Lester
Unfortunately NY weather is not allowing me to get much practice other than no club work in the living room. I am going to Orlando early Feb to visit my kids and am hope I have some of this down by then I asked in a different video about triggering the transition by allowing the lead heel to lift & replant. My question now is related to the twisting of the foot mentioned here. If I set up, prebackswing, with clockwise twisting of the back foot and counterclockwise twisting of the front foot it feels like I am almost getting the “squat” feeling at address and it makes it easier to return to that position in transition. Am I deviating from the teachings?
December 22, 2019
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Lester. No club work is the best work! Master those body positions during the winter weather and you will be amazed by the time you can sneak outdoors. You don't want to preset your legs in a squat position because it will make it hard for you to shift weight. You will need the inner thigh adductors to help pull weight during the swing. I would rather you setup like described in the Anchor to the Ground Video.
December 22, 2019
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van
Chris/Craig- I am in the 2nd Boot Camp and I find that while trying the release drill that I am inconsistent with the strike of the mat. Looking in the mirror I note that my left hip posted is far enough forward that I find it difficult to keep the rear shoulder up and I think that I probably have too much weight staying o my right foot. Trying to figure out why I realize that in my squat to square position effort I actually am going past a truly balanced position and actually get into a more or less posted up position with my hips which becomes accentuated when I do get into my post up effort. In other words a line between my left ankle joint and left shoulder joint would be behind my left hip joint on post up.A sort of C. Question : In the squat to square is there a 50-50 distribution of weight between legs??? It seems like when I do that I straighten up some so that the joints are much more in a line and it is easier to keep my right shoulder up and keep the right foot down.
December 21, 2019
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Van. In the squat to square you are striving for at least 50/50. Most will get around 60% of their weight at this time. Then, you finish the last bit of weight during the post up. It sounds like you were pushing the hip too far past NJA and getting into the reverse c position with excessive secondary axis tilt.
December 22, 2019
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Fred
Would t be fair to say, since it all happens in a fraction of a second, the squat to square almost feel like a small dip in the downswing just before the post up?
December 10, 2019
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Fred. Feel can be too subjective sometimes. You may feel an increase in flexion in the knees which would lower you a touch before posting up.
December 11, 2019
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Fred
So the squat is almost reaction of the clubs momentum downward more than a real thought in the head of "now I squat"? Of all the Dead Drill this is the hardest to make sense of.
December 11, 2019
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Fred. You need to shift and squat. That is what allows for the change of direction with the club and to start bringing the clubs/arms down.
December 11, 2019
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Andre
I've just submitted my first review ever. Are Dead Drill video reviews to be reviewed by you guys or other RSC Instructors? Although i agree with my review, i feel there are some contradicting terms/comments/instructions. Almost like the instructor isn't in sync with the RS Bootcamp.
December 9, 2019
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Andre. All RST Review Instructors are up to speed with the RST DEAD Drill Material. If you would like me to perform your next review. Leave in the comments that you want Chris or Myself from BC to do the follow up reviews.
December 9, 2019
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Jens
I am really struggling with this move. I don’t know if it is due to a language barrier but i don’t get how i am supposed to pull my weight over to the left, from the left side. When i’ve sat in to my right side and am at the top of the backswing i feel i have no traction helping me to drag my body to the left from the left. Only through pressing against the ground with my right foot can i get pressure under my left foot and only once i have squatted down can i feel the sensation of pulling my body up and over to the left side ( sort of similar to when you are kneeled and push yourself up with one leg). I’ve also tried creating proper momentum in my swing through really focusing on resisting the movement of my lower body with my upper body (If i’ve understood things correctly the upper body really is supposed to lag behind naturally from a correct lower body movement?) but with no real results of actually feeling any real build-up of momentum and getting the sensation of my club trailing my body movement, swishing in to a release as i decelrate the rest of my body. I’ve practiced the initial move of the ball throw – externally rotating my left knee and dragging my weight over to it as i throw the ball, and dragging my left leg on the ground to activate the hip adductors, but i can’t get these sensations as i stand in the golf posture. Since way before and now way after bootcamp i have practiced hours up on hours on the transition move to get the feeling of building momentum through my body. I’ve come to the conclusion that it isn’t that i am lacking dedication but that i am failing to understand how my body actually should move even though i’ve gone through all content available and plenty of biomechanic studies i’ve found scouting the internet. Simply put, i must just be doing poor movements over and over expecting them to just turn great eventually. In a swing with my 7 iron i am able to generate around 78mph clubhead, doing a drill step right – swing back – lunge left – swing through i am able to generate around 88mph which is still way short of where i want to be i feel fairly confident that i do a garbage transition when in golf posture. What is it left for a person with an illiterate body to do. I love the sport and would do any work no matter how elementary or demanding to get to a tour level swing, but i simply seem unable to get there with squat to square, sit into your left side or stomp your left foot. I seem unable to grasp how my body is supposed to move. I assume the reason i cant get in to the box properly is also due to that i don’t get the sensation of trailing which should create the proper force on my wrists.
December 9, 2019
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Jens. After your last review it didn't look like your shifting was much wrong at all. I know you mentioned you can do it with stepping back and forth. But, when I viewed your first 2 DEAD Drill components you were barely off. You may be searching for a feeling that might be somewhat less exaggerated now after you have completed a few reps. If you still have some swing reviews I would be happy to take a look at the current version.
December 9, 2019
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Kevin
As I work on pulling with my left leg and not pushing off the right leg (along with twisting the right foot into the ground) it feels like I am hanging back on my right side and not shifting left as my legs separate? I feel like I have conflicting forces in my lower body as I work on pulling vs pushing - very difficult to completely deactivate my right leg and only pull from the left
December 4, 2019
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Kevin. Use Fixing Your Weight Transfer and Preventing Hip Pain for tips on better pulling the weight over to the lead side. Also, don't over think the move. The RST Tempo Drill is a simple way to focus on just making sure you move throughout the swing.
December 4, 2019
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Eddy
In the backswing portion, my weight is balanced on the center of my right ankle. During the squat to square, where should you feel the weight during the shift on to the left foot? Does it start out towards the toe and move in toward the center ankle or does it move from center ankle to center ankle only? Also, looking down, my left knee moves in a semi-circle going left and then post up, is this right, or should it be going straight back.
December 1, 2019
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Eddy. The weight will move a little more like a figure eight in the feet during the swing. But, we try to have players focus on making sure the weight doesn't get to the outside of the feet and concentrate on getting over the center of the ankle joint in both backswing and downswing. The lead knee will externally rotate first to get stacked which is giving you that semi-circle impression (Fixing Your Weight Transfer Video).
December 2, 2019
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Rich
I first joined Rotary Swing 2 years ago and applied the RST 5 step program. It allowed me to drop my handicap by about 8 strokes in the first year. This year I decided to revisit the training and specifically the Dead Drill sequence. As I apply them I go through each video again after every 400-500 reps to make sure I am not misapplying points, and that I am remembering and hitting checkpoints. I am currently on Step 2. And after a second look at the video, I paid more attention to keeping the chest back and the logo pointing more towards the back when looking down the line. As soon as I did that I was able to notice I was still pushing off a little with the right foot. When I focused on stopping that movement and putting the transfer in to the left knee movement and moving at least half the weight to my left hip I immediately began to feel a much increased tension in my right abs. I experimented with it a little and found that when the chest stays (like Chuck says, still seeing the shirt logo down the line), I felt the tension increase, and didn't seem to push off my right leg. When I didn't it was too "easy" to push off without feeling any feedbak.. So for me keeping this in mind seems to be a eureka moment. It seems to me a key point. Do I have that feel right?
November 25, 2019
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Rich. The tension shouldn't be like maxing out in the gym. But, if you lose that initial tension in the core too soon when transition you will tend to push/unwind too soon. Sounds like you are keeping the engagement and good load you built on the backswing. That's okay to me.
November 25, 2019
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Larry
I am navigating the site and wondering if the starting point is the Dead Drills or RST foundation?
November 22, 2019
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Larry. For a quick jump into the rebuild you can't beat the DEAD Drills. For all the nuts and bolts I recommend going through Rotary Swing University Full Swing Course.
November 22, 2019
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Adrian
Hi RJ I'm at a stage where I'm pretty happy with how the downswing and transition is looking since my last swing submission. I've been trying to add the ball back into play with my videos and have noticed that I still seem to be opening the shoulders up and pushing too much from the right side. Its actually pretty subtle but its not allowing me enough time on the transition and subsequently I have an open club face at impact causing me to flip. Could you suggest some drills to try and get rid of this habit? It never shows up in my practise swings, only when I put the ball back which is super frustrating.
November 14, 2019
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R.J. (Certified RST Instructor)
When your practice swings are fine but when you put the ball into play it gets thrown off, that simply means you're thinking too much still to do the drill so, you need to get more reps in without the ball. Have you done 3,000 - 5,000 reps of each of the DEAD drill stages yet?
November 15, 2019
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van
Craig, I am somewhat confused , again,. In this video he says to keep your head still(same position) yet if it does when you do the squat to square move you get into an inverted c position with the belt line the center of the c, which I think is making my back sore and makes it difficult if not impossible to keep the right shoulder higher than the left. Does he mean that the head does not swivel or turn toward the front or back? I note that his head changes position with respect to the mountains in the background (moving laterally) during his explanation of the squat to square move but his spine is not changing position. Thus it is moving but not twisting
November 12, 2019
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Van. That's why I am here. To help with the confusion. You goal isn't to actively move your head. It will react with weight shift. You can't keep you head perfectly still (Preventing Hip Pain Video) and shift your weight. Slight motion is fine so that the upper half doesn't hang back.
November 12, 2019
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Nicholas
I have been working on the dead drill and I am curious about how much our shoulders should be closed to the target at the end of the transition. In the photo below, Chuck is able to get his hips to square with his chest facing quite a ways back. His shoulders looked to be 60-70 degrees closed. When I video myself, I can't seem to keep my shoulders as closed, they seem to get pulled more open than what Chuck's look like. Will this come with more practice or could it be a flexibility issue? Here's a picture of me and Chuck at the same points. I am a lefty by the way!
November 12, 2019
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Nicholas. The goal is no more than 45 degrees. With more practice and deleting the urge to spin you may start having the ability to leave them a little more closed. But, for now as long as you aren't passing 45 degrees (which from the image) it looks like your fine.
November 12, 2019
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David
Question on the right shoulder in the downswing. I'm sliding the shoulder blade to start the backswing. Does the shoulder blade stay back and down during the entire downswing or should it return to neutral position at some point in the movement?
November 10, 2019
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello David. The trail shoulder will remain down and in the box. If you lose the connection early on in the downswing you won't be able to transfer power from your core.
November 11, 2019
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Christopher
Hello This question may be a bit granular in nature, but I have a question about the left knee in the transition. Does the left knee move itself back to nja or does the knee end in that position because of the left quad turning it there? In other words, what is the driver? Thanks! Thanks!
November 7, 2019
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Christopher. Most players will naturally make this move because it is similar to the same motion in any hitting/throwing sport. However, the lead knee external rotation will happen first. Take a look at Fixing Your Weight Transfer Video.
November 8, 2019
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Calhoun
Can you explain in greater detail the right foot move that Chuck talks about and shows? It looks from his brief demonstration that his foot is moving in the opposite direction of the transition. Ca you explain in some detail the direction and movement of the right foot to get the added power Chuck advises.
November 6, 2019
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Calhoun. It is basically a feeling of a cork screw move in the opposite direction. Take a look at the Sam Snead Squat Video. That video is where Chuck explains it in detail.
November 6, 2019
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Calhoun
I went back and looked at the Sam Snead video. What I found that really stabilized and strengthened my lower body was externally rotating my right knee a bit on the down swing as Chuck said that Sneed did. It seems to produce you described as a corkscrew in the opposite direction and Chuck accomplishes with right heel work. Feeling this right knee external rotation and seeing it in the mirror seems like an easier move for me to make. Will thus accomplish the same thing that you and Chuck advocate?
November 7, 2019
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Calhoun. The knee won't move, but will have the sensation that the trail knee is externally rotating. It sounds like you are accomplishing the same goal.
November 8, 2019
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Kevin
Craig - I’ve been working on my transition a lot since my review with you. You mentioned my move was clunky/ wiggly as I started down into the squat to square move. Any suggestions on how to smooth things out? I’ve found it’s improved if I make more of a core rotation along with the leg moves. The faster I make the move it’s smoother but thought you’d want to see the slower move for a swing review - please let me know how you’d like me to proceed with speed and smoothness
October 30, 2019
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Kevin. Seeing slower more methodical moves for perfection. But, with the end result of being able to do the drill properly at normal swing pace. Could you elaborate on what you mean with "more of a core rotation?"
October 31, 2019
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Kevin
Thanks Craig - I guess when I feel like I use more of my left oblique instead of just just the left knee it has helped.
October 31, 2019
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David
Can you tell me if I have access to the live session you mentioned in your reply to Jens
October 30, 2019
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Davo. If you are currently in the BootCamp you certainly can do the live session. Right now we are only doing live sessions during the webinar. But, will be expanding in the future.
October 30, 2019
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Adam
Is it really necessary to go through this position (i.e. Dead Drill #2) between the end of Dead Drill #1 and Dead Drill #3? I find it easier to think of going directly from #1 to #3 without worrying about #2, which means that I don't try to squat but instead work on bumping the Left hip to the Left and pushing it Back (while straightening the Left leg). Is there any danger in doing it this way? What do I need to be careful of? When I try to go through #2 on the way to #3, I feel really "bouncy" and sloppy.
October 30, 2019
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Adam. The transition is the crux to a proper downswing. The vast majority of players get this movement wrong. Your end goal is to do 1-3 blended. But, my fear is you would start spinning by not shifting properly and having correct glute engagement. You need to have a transition to prep you for a dynamic post up.
October 30, 2019
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Jens
I can't get this move down. Dont get my hips to turn if i dont shove my right leg forward to get the square squat. Honestly i have no idea what i am doing wrong. Can get the hips to turn nicely if i just go straight from backswing to weightshift-postup . But not when i try splitting the post up and transition into parts. Should the external rotation of the lead knee happen as an effect of the increased pressure into my leadfoot or should i feel that it is a separate move. Should it happen before/after/simultaneously with the weightshift? I feel i need an explanation on how to actually sit in to the lead side to get the squat, if it is a movement of the leadhip, left obliques, magic? Feeling so discourage that i couldnt get my 100 reps today :/
October 27, 2019
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Jens. If you have the capability try to get in on the live session tomorrow. Chris and I will be happy to look during the seminar. You may need to practice making the lead knee transition first (Fixing Your Weight Transfer). Most players as they start to plant the lead leg automatically make the external rotation of the lead knee. Lead knee rotates as you start to sit into the glute. Try not to overthink the motion. Also, take a look at How to Swing from the Ground Up Video and Sitting Into the Left Side. It can almost feel as if you are sitting/falling into the lead leg.
October 28, 2019
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Jens
Hi Craig, Unfortunately the webinar is at 4am my time so won't be able to join live. Been at it for a while now and have come to a couple of conclusions. 1. My leg does externally rotate if i feel i increase pressure towards the ground in my left foot, either through falling/squatting or pushing off the ground. From simply feeling my weight increase on my left side my hips do not rotate, left knee is still far ahead of my right. 2. If i feel that i fall/increase knee flex only way too generate a rotation from my left side for me atm is feeling that i shove my left side deep backwards. This leads to a severe increase in my forward hinge and it doesnt feel fluid or like i naturally could follow with a post up from this position. 3. If i feel that i push against the ground i can feel my left side pulling my body over and this also leads to my left hip rotating to square, This hovever leads to a too early post up and i dont have my right shoulder behind my head so i ruin my swingplane. Do you think it would help if i send in short sequences of my different ways to transition? maybe im doing some of the frequent pitfalls without realizing it, or i might be missing out on something in the move. Watched the webinar over and over and i can see exacly how your body is moving as you sit in to the left side, i just cant get mine to do the same thing.
October 28, 2019
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Jens. Seeing it would be the quickest way to diagnose. I don't think I need to see all the different versions. Your best bet at the proper one. Number 3 sounds more on par. We just need to get those shoulders off.
October 28, 2019
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Lippen
Chuck said in the video to do nothing with the shoulders to not lose all that healthy tension built up in the obliques. When I perform the Squat to square and try to do nothing with the shoulders I seem to not feel the torque in the abdominals. As long as I still see the logo at the end of the squat move is that a good position? Does it help to try to pull my right shoulder back while moving into the squat move to increase abdominal tension? Hard to do for me to move in two different directions at the same time. It seems easier to look for the logo.
October 14, 2019
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Lippen. If you still see that logo you should be okay. The key is not a max out tension feel, but the shoulders are being pulled and not actively spun open.
October 14, 2019
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Kevin
Hi Craig - in my swing review you mentioned my right leg pushing. I’ve been working on this and every time I post it pulls the right leg closer to the left without any push. The only way I’ve been able to keep the right leg back is by doing the “turn move” with my right foot...it’s mentioned as a “graduate move” but I don’t see how else to pull it off with out it - just curious if you thought something else would be helpful or to just work on that move as part of the squat to square?
October 13, 2019
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Kevin. You can work on the "turn move" with the trail foot. Remember, the trail foot will roll slightly on to the instep into impact. I don't mind the trail leg following the lead as long as it's not excessive and/or driving towards the ball too much. The picture above looks a little top heavy. Make sure you don't drive the upper half into the strike.
October 14, 2019
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steven
I'm struggling with the transition. Is it a the case of rotating your left knee over you left ankle and rotating your hips to square?.
October 12, 2019
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Steven. Yes, as you sit into the lead side the lead knee will externally rotate to get stacked as the hips will rotate to square. Take a look at Closed Hip Slide and Squat to Square Videos.
October 12, 2019
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David
Please clarify the 1st move... is it a left heel stomp? A left leg internal rotation?
October 8, 2019
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello David. The lead leg will externally rotate first as you start to push the lead foot into the ground.
October 9, 2019
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Jens
When in transition do i want to crunch my abdominals? So i assume as i start it i want to create a stretch but to maintain space ill have to crunch my abdominals at some point to level out my pelvis. Do i do this first at post up, or should i feel my core stays connected to my lower body all the time, just that i let my hips lead. So uncertain on this area feel i really need this explained... assume that my issue with getting my arms stuck might have to do with that i dissengage lower body and core as i ait in to my lead side but not sure
October 5, 2019
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Jens. The abs will be engaged. You don't need to feel a max out in pressure though to create the proper move. From the top of the backswing and into post up. Let the legs, hips and core lead the way. If you feel like you shoulders are staying closed, or back to the target. The weight shift and rotation of the hips will bring them down into a proper impact. Don't over think the move too much. Shift and post while keeping you back to the target. The shoulders will have no option, but the follow the legs/core movement.
October 5, 2019
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Josephine
Just re-watched Dead Drill 2 and answered my own question. Left shoulder must be kept lower than right.
October 5, 2019
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Josephine. Exactly. You must maintain on proper shoulder plane.
October 5, 2019
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CJ
I am feeling still using 20% off the right side during the transfer, or is it supposed to be 100% left side move? I am having trouble keeping my right knee not moving towards the lead leg during this exercise also. thoughts?
October 4, 2019
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello CJ. The lead side should be doing the pulling of the weight to the lead side. Take a look at the Sam Snead Squat Video to help with counter the trail leg motion.
October 5, 2019
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Tausif
Hi Craig. So is the transition two moves? As in #1. moving lead leg to NJA independently (letting basket ball drop between legs) and #2. sit on the lead leg? Or is #1. supposed to lead to #2. automatically? Is there any active pulling or rotation involved? Trying to understand the exact concept.
October 3, 2019
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Tausif. Blended move. Sit into the lead leg and settle into your squat. The hips will need to square in this move so don't fight the obliques wanting to rotate the hips (Closed Hip Slide Video). And, you will be just shy of NJA as weight shift isn't completed. You will need to pull your weight towards the lead leg with the inner thigh adductors (Preventing Hip Pain and Which Muscles to Use in Golf Swing Transition).
October 3, 2019
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Tausif
I see. In summary, a properly completed weight shift is done by pulling with lead inner thigh adductors and settling with a slight sit into the lead leg in harmony. This will square up hips naturally and put the lead side into NJA. Next is the post up move correct?
October 3, 2019
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Tausif. Yes. Except you won't be in perfect NJA Lead Side until post up.
October 3, 2019
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Tausif
Thanks Craig. Correct me if I'm wrong. Weight shift is not complete in transition. It is complete in post up. And you were referring to the transition phase when you mentioned about pulling weight towards lead leg with inner thigh adductors. Because at one point I confused myself thinking we have to pull with adductors while posting up. The movements tend to get tricky until 100% certain.
October 4, 2019
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Tausif. The adductors will aid in finishing the weight transfer after the transition. But, the main focal points will be posting up, firing the glutes and letting the lead oblique clear the hip. Pulling and momentum are already going in that direction. You just have to let it finish.
October 4, 2019
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Nicholas
So I've started working on my transition with the DEAD drill. I feel like I understand intellectually exactly what I need to do and I can go and do a rep really slowly and do it correctly. As soon as I start to rep it to ingrain it, I'll take a video and I notice I am getting outside of neutral joint alignment. This is something I seem to have struggled with my entire golf career. It seem like no matter what I do, I subconsciously push off my trail side as soon as I add any speed or lack a little focus. Are there any cues or tips that you have found help the most to avoid pushing off the trail side for people who struggle with this?
October 2, 2019
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Nicholas. Make sure you are pulling the weight correctly (Preventing Hip Pain Video). And, try the Sam Snead Squat. A little counter balancing may help.
October 3, 2019
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Keith
One mistake I've recently discovered I am making is that, in spite of properly shifting my weight into the squating position, I still actually cast the club with my right hand. I find that I have to intentionally keep my wrists cocked while the transition is occuring, which takes all my attention away from the post up and release. Is there an easier way to avoid any casting tendency, while transitioning??? Thanks, Keith
October 1, 2019
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Keith. It's typically from tension, or push of the hand/thumb. I would actually work on making sure you have the wrists/hands relaxed even more because the tension is going to want to make you fire too soon.
October 2, 2019
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Byron
when sitting into left side I am assuming your weight should be over the ankle or closer to the heel side of the left foot. I have a tendency to shift my weight towards my left toes. Any swing thoughts on how to stay closet to the center of the foot?
October 1, 2019
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Byron. Weight shift kinda moves in a figure 8. You will have a tendency to feel some towards the balls of the feet when initial starting down, but the center of the ankle/heel will be the main show of attraction when planting the weight. The RST Tempo Drill with the stomp, or How to Swing From the Ground Up may help give you the correct placement.
October 1, 2019
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Byron
Craig: So in the figure 8 it goes from right (trail) heel to right toe, to left toe to left heel? I realize my description is an over exaggeration for the weight shift for the Figure 8, but Is the general feeling?
October 3, 2019
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Byron. Slight over exaggeration, but a force plate will show it is more like a figure 8. Nevertheless, you primary goal is to stay focused on getting over those ankle joints and shy away from being too much on the balls of the feet.
October 3, 2019
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Larry
Bootcamp question (sorry for long winded explanation): Common fault for many of us seems to be spinning right foot out internally(heel away from target) before release thus lifting right heel early. I feel rushed trying to get the weight to the left and think it may be caused by right side push resulting in left knee outside NJA even though it does not feel that right is very involved. The longer I keep weight 50-50 in transition to downswing I seem to be able to keep heel down. Worried that will keep weight on right too long. Is the weight to the left during transition moved target side using the left side mostly? Essentially keeping right side posted or static at transition and pulling from right to left using the left core after squat to square? Note: when I rotate right foot externally (heel toward ball) helps keep heel down but not sure when to do it (before, during, after squat to square) and whether it is subtle or should I grip into ground to initiate the transfer. Thank you for taking time to reply.
September 28, 2019
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Larry. Yes, the move to the lead side is used primarily by lead sided muscle groups. Take look at Which Muscles to Feel During Golf Swing Transition and Preventing Hip Pain Video. Using the left side to reach squat to square and weight placement. As you squat to square you may use the trail foot "screw in" move - Sam Snead Squat Video. It sounds like you still have some push and leaving the weight back helps, but can hinder a proper downswing/impact position. Make sure the lead side muscles are doing the pulling.
September 30, 2019
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Dave
I would like a little clarification on transition. It is sometimes said that the transition move that Chuck describes and shows should actually start before the finish of the backswing. In the DEAD drill it appears that the backswing and the transition are separate, meaning that the transition doesn't start until the backswing is completed. (One of the commonly taught drills is the "step drill", which is designed to initiate the transition during the backswing, but I have always found that very, very difficult to perform.) Am I misinterpretting these two aspects of the drill? Maybe I overlooked something. Is there a range of acceptable times during the swing to start transition, just so long as the lower body initiates it (that is what seems most important to me, I guess)? I know that if I try to start transition while the club is still going back I get into all sorts of issues. Thanks for your help!
September 27, 2019
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Dave. Yes, as long as the lower body initiates it. However, the above drill is in a sequence for training purposes. Once, you get the moves down you can start to blend the starting down before move. That is challenging at first because of it being dynamic. When you can perform the moves walking and chewing gum. You can start transitioning just slightly before the shoulders finish their rotation.
September 27, 2019
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Dave
Okay, thanks. This might take a couple of hours....lol. I am guessing that one can play pretty well without that final dynamic blending. Correct? Now, just for future reference, is there a video somewhere on the site that covers the blending of transition just before finishing the shoulder turn?
September 27, 2019
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Dave. I trained without that final dynamic blend and I am a tremendous slouch . When you start mastering components. You will see some of that move automatically blend itself. Nevertheless, in future training take a look a Starting the Downswing Before Completing the Backswing Video.
September 27, 2019
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Paul
The dead drills do not show up o n rep tracker will they be adding them to the list
September 26, 2019
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Paul. I will have to ask the higher ups.
September 26, 2019
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Donald
Hi, at what point of the transition do you start twisting the trail foot that Chuck talks about in this video? Thanks!
September 26, 2019
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Donald. Take a look at the Sam Snead Squat for further info. As you start to settle/lower into the glutes/squat.
September 26, 2019
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Paolo
Hello, Is this move to be performed using the adductors of the lead leg? They are meant to bring "their limb" towards the median of the body (sort of). Not sure how we can ask these muscles to pull 50-60% of our body weight in an explosive motion. To squat, these muscled need to pull down - is the internal side of the lead foot providing enough anchorage to pull down? Then you need to post up (with the hamstrings) - All this in milliseconds.... Everybody else seems enthusiastic about how this move is explained on the different videos (Closed Hip Slide , Squat to Square, Preventing Hip Pain, Keep Rear Shoulder back, etc) . So what am I missing? Thanks
September 25, 2019
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Paolo. Yes, the inner thigh adductors. Lead knee external rotation, inner thigh adductors, glutes. Take a look at Which Muscles to Use in Transition Video. To squat "sit" into glutes. Not sure the key component missing. Try not to over think it. Take a look at the RST Tempo Drill. Same feeling, but without the pickup.
September 25, 2019
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Alan
When you squat, does it feel more like you're squatting down or down and towards the target? I think I've been moving to much forward. I tried a few tonight feeling more like squatting down and seemed to have a lot more consistent contact and ball flight. What should it feel like?
September 25, 2019
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Alan. The move will be lateral a little because weight is moving towards the lead side. But, down and slight shift forward.
September 26, 2019
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Alan
Hi Craig. Does the point where the knees have the most flex (the bottom of the squat) occur at the point your hips/thighs square up or before? Maybe a better question would be: Does post up start when you get squared up or just before? I know by the time we get to the delivery position (hands in front of right thigh), we're posted up. I got busy about the time the boot camp started and got behind so I'm just starting transition reps. I'm stopping at square, then checking knee flex to make sure I'm actually squatting. Thanks!
September 29, 2019
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Alan. The bottom of the squat will be when the hips square. The post begins from here to start pulling the leverage from the ground. When going full speed it will not feel so clunky.
September 30, 2019
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Gratton
Recently joined as premium member and struggling through the array of material. I'm pumped so see the new DEAD Drill direction and more pumped to see it comes at no additional cost. Congratulations on this initiative. Some questions: 1. Is Bootcamp a face-to-face or online program? I'm in Sydney Australia so US travel is not in my budget. 2. Given that the Rotary Swing websitewill be revamped, should I now focus SOLELY on the DEAD Drill and work towards the 3000-5000 repetitions while keeping track of my own reps? 3. I have been recovering from a recent elbow injury (yes, swing related) so have not submitted my initial swing video so should I do this now? Thanks in advance, Gratton B
September 25, 2019
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Gratton. The bootcamp is via webcam (webinar). You can work on our array of material on the site. But, the dead drill is the quickest overhaul. I would submit either your normal swing so the instructor can recommend additional videos based on your need, or if you have started the dead drill submit your current drilling stage.
September 25, 2019
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Gratton
Thanks Craig. When will the next bootcamp commence and how do I enrol?
September 25, 2019
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Gratton. We will send an email out to all members with a link. We don't have a definitive date yet. Trying to figure out best selection with holiday season coming up.
September 25, 2019
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Barry
Great video. I have two questions. First, how do you feel about lifting the left heel on the backswing just a little and then starting the downswing by pushing down on the heel. My second question is when do you actually start the transition move? Is there some trigger I should be aware of? Do you wait until you’re all done with the backswing and then start? How do you know you’re at that point? Does a pause help? Thanks!
September 24, 2019
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Barry. Ideally, you would like to keep the lead foot down. If you have a little lift during training not a big issue. But, you must make sure not to allow the lift to move the head off the ball too much, or break trail hip line. The transition will slightly start before the backswing is completed. However, in the beginning using chucks/pauses is a good way to train the motion. When you can start performing the proper move without much thought. You will start shifting the lower half back to the lead side as the shoulder turn just finishes in the backswing.
September 25, 2019
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Guy
Awesome follow up to the first Dead drill video. Will these become accessible for future reference to premium members?
September 24, 2019
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Guy. Every premium member, but you . No worries. These aren't going anywhere.
September 25, 2019
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Charles
WOW! Dead Drill Step 2 CEMENTS everything. Also really like the comment regarding the right foot during transition. I have found when able to do this movement it just increases a sense of power and control. Again, Chuck and Team THANK YOU for all your hard work as it makes ours easier. PS: Sure could have used this clarity 30 years ago. Thanks again, Charles- Indianapolis
September 24, 2019
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Charles. Great. Love hearing the good news! Sorry we couldn't be there 30 years ago.
September 25, 2019
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Steve
Great as usual. Makes everything we have been working on make more sense. Thanks, Steve N
September 24, 2019
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Steve. Thanks!
September 24, 2019
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James
Thanks as always for the great instruction. I’m in the midst of boot camp but I need your help. My fatal flaw forever has been that my shaft gets vertical at and just before the transition. I realize that if the hands are truly passive this won’t happen but it has been so ingrained that it’s almost like a tic. I can perform all of the body and arm moves properly but once the club is added I get steep again and it is impossible for me to perform the body movements properly after that. Any suggestions?
September 24, 2019
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello James. Take a look at How to Fix Plane and Path. As we as Left Arm Only Downswing Drill. Let me know if that helps.
September 24, 2019
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James
Thank you Craig, but I was not able to find those specific drills on the site. Could they be named differently? Thank you again.
September 25, 2019
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello James. In the search box type key words. Plane will bring up the first video, and LADD will bring up the second video.
September 25, 2019
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van
Finally a better explanation of the sit move. He never spent much time or thorough enough explanation to get through my skull in the mass of video explanation heretofore available. Maybe for some and not me. I think that Rotary Swing has the best information available but I wasn't getting this key component and thus I was hitting it well( for me ) some days and the next I would be a disaster since I clearly wasn't performing. It took going to Buddy Christianson at 1 Swing Golf ( one of the few certified Rotary Swing instructors in the Phoenix area] to spot my issue and give me and idea of what I should look like and. ergo , what it felt like. I am 86 and I am now hitting my 7 iron in the high 150's to low to middle 160's most of the time.At times I try to revert to the Active right leg and shoulder/over the top monstrosity but at least now after untold thousands of dollars in lessons/schools and hundreds of hours of driving range time I know how to fix myself. Long way to go God willing but I finally have the confidence that I can do this
September 24, 2019
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Van. Love it! Keep up the hard work.
September 24, 2019
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Jack
Wow you are getting good! Very clear and precise movements of exactly how to correctly complete the transition. The graphics makes this video highly polished and professionally done. Keep up the high standard we have learned to expect!
September 24, 2019
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Jack. Many thanks. Glad you enjoyed! More to come.
September 24, 2019
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PATRICK
The right foot screwing into the ground has been what has allowed me to really feel power during the backswing, keep my right knee stable and really feel the transition as I move my left leg out and squat into it during the squat to square. That one feeling has made me really start to feel powerful throughout the swing. Awesome job with the video and explanation.
September 24, 2019
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Patrick. Thanks!
September 24, 2019
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MICHAEL
Also how many reps per dead drill do you recommend. Thanks
September 24, 2019
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Chuck (Certified RST Instructor)
The goal is to work on the DEAD Drill as a whole to get the 3,000 reps needed in to master the movement. How long you may need to work on each individual piece will vary person to person. If you're unsure if you're ready to stack a new piece on, use a swing review so we can help.
September 24, 2019
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MICHAEL
Hi I love the dead drill videos but are there drills to go with each step of the dead drill?
September 24, 2019
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Chuck (Certified RST Instructor)
Yes, the new layout of the site we're currently working on will make it simple to follow and find. I just wanted to get these videos up for everyone ahead of time so you could start working on each key movement.
September 24, 2019
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Anthony
I have always been an "arms swinger" and this sensation of weight pushing down on my right leg going back and then turning my lower body first is REALLY, REALLY hard. Any drills or advice you have to ingrain this motion would be greatly appreciated. I can see how this will eliminate hip thrusting then throwing the club at the ball (destroying lag), but it's really hard!
September 23, 2019
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Dave
Right there with ya Anthony. 40 years of top down just doesn't disappear.
September 26, 2019
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Anthony. Practice this motion in combination with the Sway Drill. You must first learn to do this move in chunks. For shoulder spinners it is really hard to train. But, you can do this! I have players of all makes and models transforming their move in the downswing to a pull versus a push. Have you submitted a review of your drill so one of our instructors can take a quick peak?
September 23, 2019
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Brendan
Wow, hold on that right foot move Chuck just mentioned has blown my mind!? It feels like from the top when i am wound correctly, twisting that right foot in that way seems to start a chain reaction - like pulling the floor apart with both feet....hmmm interesting!
September 23, 2019
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Brendan. I see that trail foot move has peaked your interest. Take a look at the Sam Snead Squat Video .
September 23, 2019
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Angelo
Are you pulling with the left hip/glute and oblique in the "squat to square" move? It seems like 2 different feels to me- 1. squat to square 2. pulling with the left hip/glute/oblique to get left hip into neutral joint alignment over left knee and ankle.
September 22, 2019
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Angelo. Yes, you will feel abs, oblique, glutes and inner thigh adductors on the lead side. The squat to square will be just shy of NJA. You might be over doing the move initially to the lead side.
September 22, 2019
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Kevin
I am struggling with how these moves blend as well. I’m struggling with not shifting my weight and rotating or sitting into my left too much and feeling some hip pain - I think as I work on keeping the chest closed and sitting left I’m getting into a closer hip slide - does that make sense?
September 24, 2019
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Kevin. Take a look at Preventing Hip Pain and Closed Hip Slide. Sounds like the culprit.
September 24, 2019

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