Posted by: tom.guerry (tom.guerry@kp.org) on Mon Oct 7 09:46:23 2002

Hitman-

I though the same thing when I looked closely at the first few Tiger clips.However,on further analysis what I "think" I see is very pure rotation but with great flexibility/separation.With the back arched and a big "torque angle"the hips are rotating around an axis thatis somewhat behind the body.A way to look at this is what is the head doing at the same time.With good rotation and the hips still moving forward some,there is a great degree of head drop as the swing reverses(starts uncoiling) followed by head going back as swing gets through contact.So this forward motion of the hipsis actually not "hip slide" in the sense of swaying/ruining rotation.You have to see what the club and head are doing at the same time to tell the difference.

Hip slide (in the negative/linear sway sense)is a big flaw in golf.I urge you toread Tioger's chapter on hitting the driver.The stability of the back hip is one key to coiling for rotation as opposes to swaying back.The weight should not drift outside the back foot and the vertical angle of the back leg should not increase toward perpendicular on the back swing.Weight is expected to go from the front to the heel of the back foot and then back to the toe.It may be important in hitting as well to avoid instability of the back hip.Keeping weight always on the toes may not be so important as some hitting authorities recommend.

I think it is the combination of rear hip stability and timing of coiling/uncoiling so the torso is still coiling while the hips are opening(maximizing separation around a stable back hip) that helps prevent linear "hip slide".As mentioned before.the club being in plane and a set circular handpath are necessary but not sufficient when the torso uncoiling("launch") starts.