Many swing characteristics can separate good golfers from bad ones: swing speed, attack angle, low points, distance … you get the idea. But there’s one data point that nearly always differentiates good and bad golfers — and you don’t even need to see a golfer’s full swing to know where he or she falls on this spectrum.
That data point comes in the form of pelvis sway. With swing analysis tools like Sportsbox AI, you can track this number easily on every swing, providing a good indicator of where you fall on the handicap spectrum.
Sportsbox AI founder Jeehae Lee recently pointed out that tracking your pelvis sway number at “P4” (a point near the top of the backswing) generally reveals the effectiveness of your swing. For high handicappers, this number typically shows that the pelvis has swayed several inches away from the target when they reach the end of the backswing. For low handicaps, that number is closer to 0.
There’s nothing wrong with a little sway away from the target during the backswing. But the key distinction is that among higher level golfers, that shift back toward the target starts before they reach the top of the backswing. This move — commonly referred to as re-centering — is executed by virtually all low-handicap golfers and is a key indicator of a great swing.
So, next time you are asking yourself where you should start in trying to build a swing that mimics the world’s best, remember that pelvis sway number at the top of the backswing. If you can re-center properly and start that shift sooner, you’ll be well on your way to swinging like the best players in the game.
3 things I’m thinking
1. Team-golf season: After a thrilling Walker Cup last week, we get yet another team golf match this weekend with the Solheim Cup in the Netherlands. Team USA won two years ago on home soil, but Europe had been dominant before that, holding the Cup in three consecutive meetings. With home-field advantage for the Euros this week, I see them getting back to their winning ways.
2. LIV 1.0 is no more: The news of the week in the golf world is LIV Golf’s bankruptcy filing. What this means for the long-term future of the league is unknown, but it has given fans a peek under the league’s hood, which to this point had been shrouded in mystery.
3. Commander in cleats: It’s sounding like President Trump will make an appearance this weekend at the Irish Open at Doonbeg, which is one of his (many) properties. It’s sure to be a chaotic scene for fans — and players — on the day he attends. Ticket-holders will want to arrive early.
