Sliding Hips In Golf Swing: Good or Bad?


The overall movement is more of a turn than a slide, but in most great golf swings there is an element of lateral movement in the swing towards the target.  Getting the right combination of a slight slide, but more hip turn will be the key to success.  Generally speaking, most golfers will want to have their hips open around 45 degrees at impact.

Golf can be a rather confusing game!

I am sure you have heard different, conflicting information about the hip movement in the golf swing.

We have been right there with you!

So, I dive into what the reality is and help determine if sliding hips in the golf swing is good or bad for the amateur golfer.

Most specifically, are the hips supposed to slide in the golf swing and if so, how much?

Here at golfjourney365, we love the game and the challenge that the game of golf brings both physically and mentally.  The ability to be outdoors with our friends or family enjoy the game of golf is priceless and something we try to do as often as possible.

Golf can be frustrating at the same time, but we are here to help!

As an amateur golfer that now plays around scratch, I have been in your shoes on the journey of golf.  Over the past 30 years of  playing the game, I have been able to learn the ins and outs of the game and help answer many of the same questions I had at one point on my golf journey.

Check out the video below on Fred Couples. He has a lateral element to the hips in his golf swing!

Should I slide my hips in the golf swing?

Overall, a slight forward movement with the hips towards the target should be present, but like most things in golf, if it becomes too much you will start to struggle with your ball contact.

Below, I will take you through the following topics related to the hips sliding in the golf swing.  These include:
  • Why you need a slight sliding motion in your golf swing (The Good)
  • Why too much slide will hurt your golf swing (The Bad)
  • Drills you can use for proper hip movement!
  • Measure your golf swing!
  • BONUS SPEED TIP!

Before we dive right in, I believe it is essential to check out what we believe to be the three fundamentals in golf.

The Stack and Tilt Instructors said it best when they described what they believed were the fundamentals of golf.  They explained it somewhat similar to this:

  • The first fundamental is the golfer’s ability to control the bottom of the golf swing.  The best golfers will hit the ground in the intended spot, close to 100% of the time.
  • The second fundamental is the golfer’s ability to control the curve of the golf ball. The best golfers are able to start the ball to the right or left of the target line and have the ball curve towards the target without the ball over curving past the target.
  • The third fundamental is the golfer’s ability to have enough power to play the golf course.  This means they are able to hit the ball far enough to play the course in regulation.

They explained that among the greatest golfers of all time there were different grips and different aim points. The fundamentals in golf are not grip, and alignment. 

Ben Hogan played with a weak grip, while Lee Trevino had a strong grip.  Lee Trevino and Fred Couples aimed way to the right, while Sam Snead and Arnold Palmer aimed well to the right.

Getting the proper hip movement will help you with all three fundamentals listed above.  Think about this for a second, if you could make clean contact, start the ball on your intended line and have enough power to play the course you could probably shoot in the 70s right? 

Breaking golf down into these basic fundamentals gives you something to measure your progress towards.

Sliding Hips in The Golf Swing

Why you need a slight sliding motion in your golf swing (The Good)

You may have heard to feel like you are swinging in a barrel.  This is to give you the image of completely turning your hips in the golf swing. 

However, there is slight forward bump right at the beginning of the swing.  The purpose of this slight slide is to get your weight forward onto your front side and to keep your swing on the inside.  Some instructors promote a bit more of a squatting motion, but there is still a slight bump forward.

Check out Fred Couples (Proper Slight Hip Slide)

Simply standing there and trying to completely turn will cause some issues in your downswing which may result in your hitting big slices. Fred Couples, one of the prettiest golf swings of all times, have a slight forward bump in his hips at the start of the down swing.

The key in the swing is to allow the arms to work down in front of you and if you’re just compelled to turn from the top your hand will either follow and come over the top or could fall behind you resulting in getting stuck causing blocks or hooks.

The golf swing is built on an arc and you want to hit the ball on the backswing of the arc which will help you produce a draw or at least hit the ball from the inside.  The complete turn from the top makes this near impossible.

Here is a complete post on how the hips should work in the golf swing.

Here is an excellent video on the bump, dump and turn (Proper Movement)

Why too much slide will hurt your golf swing (The Bad)

Like most things in golf, too much of one thing is bad for the swing.  I have heard that the golf swing is like taking a shower.  You need hot water, but too much hot water will burn you. 

This is the same thing for the slight bump or slide in the golf swing at the start of the downswing.

You see if you slide your hips too far back or too far forward you are going to lose a significant amount of power as this is one of the power leaks in the golf swing that many amatuers struggle with.

Remember, we want the slight hip bump forward to keep us on the inside of the golf ball, but too much and we are over sliding and pushing the ball way too the right.

Hip Slide Pros vs Amateurs

You will see in the video above there many amateurs slide too far causing issues with fundamentals #1 and #2 in the golf swing.

You consistent ball contact can struggle as will the start line and the ability to control the curve of the ball.

Drills you can use for proper hip movement!

Drills are great ways to practice the proper movement of the hips in the golf swing.  Here are some drills we have used over the years to help develop the proper hip movement. 

One of my biggest struggles with my golf swing is to make sure I am turning enough and not over sliding forward.  I grew up in an era where we constantly heard to shift our weight back and forward and that was just poor advice that lead to improper hip movement.

Complete overview of the roles the hips play in the golf swing

Drill #1:
Drill #2:

Measure your golf swing!

In today’s golf world, there are now affordable golf launch monitors that every golfer can have as a part of their golf setup to ensure they are using the best equipment and keeping their swings on track. 

With today’s topic, I would highly recommend measuring the difference in swing speed and ball speed with the proper or improper hip movement.

Being able to make your own conclusions on changes in your golf swing before hitting the course will go a long way in helping your experiment and have your game reach its full potential.

With anything in golf, we recommend testing it out for yourself.  We know that every golf swing is slightly different and that golfers have different expectations and budgets. 

As a result, we highly recommending testing products out for your game and your swing.  This is now affordable and can be done!  We live in an amazon time!

There are three excellent options in today’s market that allow you to measure your swing at the driving range, in a net, or in a home golf simulator.  These versatile options below give you instant feedback and the information you need to experiment and see what works best for your!

I would recommend one of the three launch monitors listed below:

I personally use the SkyTrak Launch Monitor and am able to use it in my golf simulator setup in my garage and take to the driving range or course.  The real time data on ball speed, spin rates and spin axis gives me the feedback I know to test out different clubs and setups on my drivers or what clubs I am hitting the best.

The affordability of these products is rather impressive and if you are serious about improving your game, you have to check these out!

The SkyTrak has been a game changer!

BONUS DRILL: GAIN SPEED

Let’s face it, regardless of the current state of your game we all want more speed.  It has become very clear the need for speed in the golf swing and there are ways to add speed! 

The analytics on all levels of golf show how important speed and additional speed are in reducing golf scores.

It is time to start training for some additional speed.  This is a drill and training protocol that I would highly recommend.

SPEED DRILL: Increase your swing speed through overspeed training

  • Check out SuperSpeed Overspeed Training Protocols
  • Train every other day for 10-15 minutes.
  • See a 4-6% increase in swing speed as early as the first training protocol.

The number one thing that has helped me gain significant distance is the SuperSpeed Training System.  This overspeed based system where you train every other day for about 10-15 minutes with different swing sticks can help you increase your swing speed by 5-8% which can be 20-30 yards.  Who wouldn’t want an extra 20-30 yards.  Plus it helps improve your mechanics.

SuperSpeed Golf – Use Discount Code Golfjourney365 for some savings!

The analytics are pretty clear on the importance of speed in the game of golf.  Would you rather hit your approach shot from 130 yards of 160 yards?  The answer is pretty simple! 

We know that over the course of time, we will hit shots from 130 yards much closer than from 160 yards, whether we are an average amateur golfer, a scratch golfer, or a PGA Tour member!  

The key is having shorter approach shots, so we can hit the ball closer to the hole and then make more putts!  Speed is king in the game of golf!  Make sure you check out SuperSpeed Golf!

My Secret To Golf Improvement

Here is the reality…in order to get really good at golf, we must practice frequently.  About three years ago, I made the leap and invested in a golf simulator build for my garage. 

I went with a SkyTrak Launch Monitor and the TGC software and can now play over 100,000 courses including Augusta, Pebble Beach, Bethpage Black, Whistling Straits. St. Andrews and many other of the top 100 courses in the world.

This golf simulator setup, which is more affordable that you might imagine, has been a game changer.  I can now play golf everyday of the year regardless of rain, snow, cold weather or time of day.  I can practice or play rounds of golf.  I can stand in the 11th fairway at Augusta and with the auto-rewind feature I am able to practice my approach shots from various differences.

It is worth checking out through Rain or Shine Golf as they offer some incredible packages along with financing offers that are difficult to beat.

Some direct links to Rain or Shine Golf for pricing and financing:

Take Action – What You Can Do Today to Get Better

What does this mean for you?  I believe in the following recipe to get better:

1 – Improve your motion in the golf swing by identifying a golf instructor.  Here are some options:

Here is a list of golf instructors that we have reviewed:

2 – Train to swing faster and improve your swing speed.  Here are some options:

Looking to gain more Speed and Distance in your swing. Two Options:

3 – Understand course strategy and work to break through your next barrier.  Here is a series on breaking through:

We have provided guides on how to break 100, 90, 80 and 70. Check out more below, if interested.

4 – Practice Frequently

Did you know that I build a golf simulator in my garage and have played over 500 rounds of golf on my SkyTrak system?  It has been a game changer and one worth checking out. Here are some of my other posts on golf simulators frequently asked questions:

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