Trevor Ng
Golf players often face the issue of dipping, which is a sudden shift forward that causes a loss of height in the downswing and impacts the consistency of the club's low point. This can be attributed to the movement of the shoulders and arms during the swing. To prevent dipping, golfers should focus on maintaining their spine angle and rotating their hips before their shoulders. Additionally, keeping the hands low and visualizing hitting off concrete can help correct the dip. Another suggestion is to level the shoulders at the address to prevent the forward shift. These techniques aim to improve consistency and accuracy in the golf swing by minimizing the dipping motion.
Characteristics and Values to Stop Dipping in Golf
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Shoulder movement | Avoid moving your left shoulder forward and your right shoulder down at the start of your downswing. Focus on rotating your hips before your shoulders and keeping your hands low. |
| Spine angle | Maintain your spine angle throughout the swing to prevent dipping. |
| Drills | Try placing a club against your butt – if you dip, the club will fall. Another drill is to act as if you're hitting off concrete and must pick the ball clean. |
| Head movement | Avoid your head moving forward and back during the swing. |
| Swing length | Shorten your swing to a 3/4 swing to reduce dipping. |
| Arm movement | Drop your arms simultaneously with your shoulder movement to shallow out the path and prevent a forward shift. |
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What You'll Learn
Focus on maintaining your spine angle
Maintaining your spine angle is critical to avoiding a dip in your golf swing. Here are some tips to help you achieve this:
Firstly, focus on keeping your back straight and your spine angle consistent throughout the swing. Imagine there is a golf club against your butt—if you dip, the club will fall, so keep it steady. This will help you maintain the correct spine angle and prevent any unwanted movements.
Secondly, be mindful of your shoulder movement. At the start of your downswing, instead of letting your left shoulder move forward and your right shoulder drop, focus on rotating your hips first. This may feel unnatural, but it will help prevent the dip. Try to get a sense of delivering your hands to the ball.
Another tip is to try shortening your swing. A 3/4 swing can help you maintain better form and avoid dipping. It's important to find a swing that feels comfortable and controlled.
Additionally, try to level your shoulders at the address. This can help prevent dipping by ensuring your shoulders are in the correct position from the start of your swing.
Finally, a good drill to improve your spine angle is to pretend you're hitting off concrete and that you must pick the ball clean. This drill will help you focus on maintaining a steady spine angle and improve your overall swing.
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Rotate hips before shoulders
To stop dipping in golf, one of the first things to focus on is rotating your hips before your shoulders. This is because, at the start of your downswing, if your left shoulder moves forward and your right shoulder comes down, you're effectively rotating your shoulders around your sternum instead of your torso, which causes the dip.
To help with this, a good drill is to act as if you're hitting off of concrete and that you must pick the ball clean. Get into your address position without a club and make a mock backswing. Let your arms flow freely to the top while rotating your hips and shoulders. Now, drive your left hip rotationally. Don't just slide—try to get your hips square to the ball by the time your left arm is parallel to the ground. Keep the width in your stance, too. Simply sliding your hips negates needed rotation. Stay "low" and focus on continually turning your hips. With a little practice, you’ll develop a smooth swing with loads of power.
It is important to note that there are mixed opinions on whether hip rotation is beneficial in a golf swing. Some believe that restricting hip rotation allows for sufficient power on impact, which is a strategy used by many professional golfers. However, others argue that hip rotation promotes a natural rhythm and tempo, improving speed and distance. Restricting hip rotation can lock up your movement, affecting your rhythm and tempo, and may put more strain on your lower back.
For amateur golfers, hip rotation can be beneficial as it allows for a more natural swing motion and can reduce recovery time. If you have been restricting your hip movement, it may take a conscious effort to allow your hips to rotate freely. A drill to help with this is to take your regular setup without a golf ball. On the back swing, step your trail foot back behind your body. As you swing down, return your trail foot to its original position. Practice this swing a few times, and then step up to the ball and take a real shot, maintaining the same hip rotation without moving your trail foot.
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Keep your hands low
Keeping your hands low is an important thought to prevent dipping in your golf swing. Here are some tips to help you achieve this:
When you start your downswing, focus on keeping your hands low and close to your body. Imagine that you are trying to reach for something below waist level, this will help keep your hands from dipping too early in the downswing.
Try to rotate your hips before your shoulders. This may feel unnatural at first, as your instinct might be to move your shoulders first, but by leading with your hips, you can help control the movement of your upper body and prevent dipping.
Another drill to help keep your hands low is to visualise hitting the ball off a concrete surface and having to pick it clean. This promotes a shallower swing path and helps prevent dipping, as a steep downswing often leads to the clubhead bottoming out too early.
Additionally, pay attention to your shoulder movement. A common mistake is to let the lead shoulder drop too early on the downswing, which can cause a shift forward and impact the consistency of your swing. Ensure that your arms drop naturally by completing your backswing first. This will help you deliver the clubhead to the ball more effectively without dipping.
Finally, try to maintain your spine angle throughout the swing. A consistent spine angle helps to stabilise your swing and can prevent excessive movement, such as dipping, that can impact the accuracy and power of your shot.
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Shorten your swing
One way to stop dipping in your golf swing is to shorten your swing. This means reducing the length of your backswing to a 3/4 swing. By shortening your swing, you can maintain better control and consistency in your swing path, which can help eliminate the dip.
To do this, focus on keeping your hands low during your swing. This will help you manage the height of your swing and prevent excessive dipping. Try to maintain a consistent spine angle throughout your swing. Keep your spine angle by rotating your hips before your shoulders. Although it may feel like your shoulders are rotating first, focusing on hip rotation will help encourage a more stable upper body.
Another drill to encourage a shorter swing is to visualise hitting off concrete. This drill helps promote a cleaner ball strike, which can lead to a more controlled swing. You can also try the "bump-drop-turn" method. Start by letting your lead shoulder bump, then let your arms drop, and finally, turn. This shallowing out of the swing path can help prevent excessive dipping.
Additionally, ensure your shoulders are level at the address. Uneven shoulders can contribute to dipping, so levelling them out can help you maintain a more stable and balanced swing. Focus on dropping your arms simultaneously with your shoulder movement. This synchronisation can help you avoid shifting forward during your downswing, which can cause impact issues and contribute to dipping.
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Level your shoulders at address
To stop dipping in golf, one of the first faults in your swing that you should address is your shoulders. At the start of your downswing, if your left shoulder moves forward and your right shoulder drops straight down, you are effectively rotating your shoulders around your sternum instead of your torso, which causes the dip.
To level your shoulders at address, you can try the following:
First, focus on maintaining your spine angle. Try to rotate your hips before your shoulders, even though it will feel like your shoulders are moving first. Keep your hands low, as this will help to reign in your shoulders.
Second, try the Belt Buckle Drill. Get yourself stacked into impact position over your left leg, with your hips feeling shut. Then, work on axis tilt and levelling your shoulders at impact. Most golfers get more tilt than they need for a stock shot. To figure out how much tilt you need, take your stance and hold a club up to your centre line, from your sternum to your belt buckle. Then, tilt your spine back, away from the target, until the club touches your leg.
Third, if you're a hip spinner, you want your spine to feel very upright, with your shoulders feeling level. You want to feel that your left shoulder stays lower than your right one all the way into impact.
Finally, try addressing the ball with your left heel off the ground. This will keep your right shoulder lower and result in better shots, with fewer topped balls.
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Frequently asked questions
Try focusing on maintaining your spine angle and rotating your hips before your shoulders. You can also try a drill where you act like you're hitting off of concrete and that you must pick the ball clean.
One common cause of dipping is the movement of the shoulders at the start of the downswing. The left shoulder moves forward and the right shoulder comes down, causing a rotation around the sternum instead of the torso. Another cause could be a shift forward in your stance, which can lead to impact issues.
One drill to prevent dipping is to place a club against your butt and keep it from falling by maintaining a straight posture. Another drill is to focus on levelling your shoulders at address, ensuring they are aligned properly to avoid dipping during the swing.
