Pelvic … pinch?

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Pelvic … pinch?  

  By: Zach F on Aug. 1, 2025, 6:01 a.m.

Hi Tyler!
My question today has to do with “hip pinch,” or the idea that in a proper hip turn, you should be able to hold a golf ball or pinch your fingers in your right groin area(is it the pectineus?) in the backswing and transition, and in the downswing, do the same with your left hip. Padraig Harrington talks about this in detail in the hip turn episode of his online series, and some of the “new school” rotation guys do too. When I try this, I definitely notice that I stay in posture, but I also notice that my range of motion is quite limited and I feel a strain in my lower back. However; I do feel a big stretch in my gluteus medius, so perhaps it’s another aspect of hip bracing and I need to work on my mobility? Is it like the “gloves under your armpit” sensation, that it may apply during the middle of the swing but the “gloves” might fall out on either side of a full swing? What are your thoughts?

As always, thank you Tyler!
Zach

 Last edited by: Zach F on Aug. 1, 2025, 6:30 a.m., edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Pelvic … pinch?  

  By: Zach F on Aug. 2, 2025, 7:28 a.m.

Upon further consideration, I think I was looking at it wrong, and it’s something I already do, albeit to a lesser degree. There’s a little pinch in my trail hip in that picture. The pinch mainly applies to the side-on aspects of the swing though, correct? Tiger Woods and Bubba Watson aren’t pinching any balls at impact with driver with their hips facing the target, but in delivery they might well be. As long as in transition there’s adequate lead side crunch and the iron man light points at the ground, the hips have to be doing things mostly correctly, and the degree of this or that- flexion or rotation- is an individual thing. Correctish?

 Last edited by: Zach F on Aug. 2, 2025, 7:29 a.m., edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Pelvic … pinch?  

  By: Tyler F on Aug. 18, 2025, 1:59 p.m.

That hip pinch you demonstrated would come from a fair amount of pelvic tilt. It would be a strong recruitment of the hip flexors. That's likely why you would feel that movement in your lower back. It would also limit some of the hip movement on the way through the impact. That said, feeling something similar to that hip pinch could help stop early extension. Albeit, not in the best biomechanical way, but it could keep the spine angle and help with contact.

Pectineus is one of the hip flexors, but it has more of a component of adduction. I think the trail side pectineus comes into play most significantly during the release. When the hip is trying to externally rotate and abduct while the pelvis wants to pelvic tilt. I don't think it gets worked too hard in transition.

Happy Golfing,
Tyler

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