If you have been looking for golf swing instruction on the Internet lately, you have probably noticed the recent surge in various golf swing techniques being offered. Vertical golf swings, Moe Norman golf swings, rotary golf swings, stack and tilt golf swings, etc.
One swing that I have been studying lately is the “new” square-to-square golf swing. I say the “new” golf swing because there was a “square-to-square” golf swing proposed in the late 1960s and early 70s that is different from the one advertised today. However, some components of that past swing are present in the “new” swing, but the current version appears to be be much more palpable.
In preparation for this article, I sat down with tour player Sam Goulden and discussed the basics of this new swing theory. Here are the highlights from that interview.
The Setup
Compared to the modern golf swing, the square-to-square golf swing recommends a slightly stronger grip, and presets the hands forward to help keep the club face square.
“The preset stronger grip does two things,” Goulden said. “Along with the kickstand trail foot, the preset helps ensure that the bottom of the arc is on the target side of the ball. [A] stronger grip makes it easier to keep the face square longer in the backswing. See Zach Johnson.”
Conventional golf swing wisdom says that the spine should be tilted slightly toward the trail leg to promote a more flat or ascending blow to the ball with the driver. With the irons, the spine should be vertical to promote a more descending blow to the ball. However, Goulden instructs golfers to preload the trail leg with all clubs.
“When pre-loading the trail leg, it’s actually the feeling of having a kickstand or support as you turn,” he said. “So at address, more weight will not be on the trail leg even though we want to feel “pressure” there. [Put] pressure on the ball of trail foot.”
The Takeaway
Keep your spine rotation centered with no posterior shift. You may also find this teaching in the stack and tilt golf swing.
Start the takeaway by “nudging” the lead shoulder down instead of initiating the swing with the arms moving back. This is a considered a “more square” backswing since the shoulders initiate the first part of the backswing. Golfers should avoid lifting their arms and rolling their wrists open. This keeps the club face slightly more closed, instead of rolling the wrists so the toe of the club is facing directly up. From here, the backswing is continued with rotation: no arm lift or vertical motion.
“[Keep] the club more comparatively square until about half-way up in the takeaway and allow the golf club face to then move naturally with the body turn,” Goulden said.
The trail leg is allowed to rotate and slightly extend, but no lateral knee motion is allowed. This is consistent with most swings.
Square-to-Square Swing Differences in the Through Swing
When I interviewed Sam Goulden, he stated that one of the most critical components of the square-to-square swing is to pause the swing slightly at the top. This gives the lower body a chance to move before the upper body to prevent an over-the-top swing motion and help the swing get on the right plane.
He further instructs that golfers should feel the lead shoulder moving back upward toward the target. I see the benefit of this in getting the swing back on plane, but you would have to avoid the tendency of pulling out of the swing. Focusing on keeping your spine angle consistent through the impact position would accomplish this.
Another big difference is that you want to focus on maintaining a square club face traveling down the target line as long as you can. Of course you don’t want to get carried away with this by contorting your swing. Once your arms travel past a certain point, you want to naturally allow them to turn around the body.
Physical Benefits of the Square to Square Golf Swing
For the golfer over 50, the appealing aspect of the square-to-square golf swing is its more limited impact on the body. More limited motion at the wrists and shoulders should reduce the risk of injury.
The focus of the swing is rotation. This can be a benefit to some, but might be detrimental to others. Four-time PGA Tour winner Doug Tewell promotes a three-quarters or less backswing to minimize spinal motion, but if rotation causes you back pain, this may not be the swing for you.
You can limit the rotation of your individual spinal segments by rotating your trail foot outward 20 degrees. This allows more hip rotation which is generally frowned upon by proponents of the modern swing and the X-Factor. However, if you have a lot of pain, the modern golf swing may no longer be a good option for you anyway.