Struggling with Small Backswing or Unstable Axis? Try Emptying a Basket

If asked to name the two most important elements in a golf swing, I would say axis and rotation. Among these, many golfers find rotation seems easy yet somewhat unclear in meaning. While there is a vague concept that the axis should remain fixed in place, the criteria for how much or how to rotate remains ambiguous. I hope this basket exercise will definitively resolve your concerns about backswing rotation.

Pour the Items Behind Your Back

Backswing form varies from person to person. Those with good flexibility can wind their upper body while keeping the lower body stable, but some golfers with stiff bodies must rotate their pelvis together, almost taking a "right-face" position.

The backswing is the foundation for a good downswing path and impact. Many amateur golfers make the mistake of either focusing only on rotation to the point where their axis collapses, or giving up rotation to maintain their axis too rigidly. Here is a new rotation concept that will eliminate both problems.

Prepare a basket or appropriately sized box. Place several items inside, such as rubber balls, ping-pong balls, or hollow practice golf balls. The method is simple. Once ready, hold the basket in front of your body with both hands and take your address position. Rotate your body while lifting your arms to perform the backswing motion. Lift to the top of the backswing, with the goal of spilling the items onto the ground behind your right back.

Pouring items behind your back is not as easy as it sounds. When I recommend this to amateurs, they commonly just lift the basket sideways without rotating. Others collapse their axis and cannot lift their hands upward, instead rotating sideways so the basket moves behind their hips.

Complete the Ideal Top Position by Solving Axis and Rotation

When performed correctly, your shoulders rotate more than usual in place, and you will feel your shoulders and back being pulled. Bending the left arm is not a problem. Think of pouring the items as far behind your back as possible. From this position, have a friend remove the basket and place a club in your hands to create the ideal club position at the top.

This is a practice method frequently used by Lee Jeong-eun6, who often struggles with shoulder rotation. During her time on the U.S. LPGA Tour, she often receives online lessons via video, primarily using this method to check her backswing motion.

When shoulders fail to rotate or the axis wobbles causing sway, the basket opening faces the sky at the top position. In actual swings with a club, this type of backswing causes the face to close or open depending on compensating movements, easily leading to missed shots.

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Kim Ki-hwan, director of Logic Golf Academy at Namseooul CC, is a former Korea Professional Golf Association (KPGA) Tour player who coaches Lee Seung-taek, who advanced to the U.S. PGA Tour, and veteran Park Sang-hyun.