Backswing Part 2 Setting The Club
Improve Your Backswing by Properly Setting the Club
After this video, you'll be able to:
- Understand the role of your spine and hips in setting the club correctly
- Learn how to position your arms to avoid common backswing pitfalls
- Identify the importance of weight distribution for a stable backswing
In this video, learn how to set the club during the second phase of your backswing for a more effective and controlled swing. Understanding the movement of your spine, hips, and arms will help you maintain balance and prepare for a smoother transition.
Tyler Ferrell. Golf Digest Best Teachers in California, 2026-27. The only person named to both Golf Digest's Best Young Teachers in America and Best Golf Fitness Professionals lists. Author of The Stock Tour Swing.
Video Transcript
WEBVTT
1
00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:04.380
In this concept video we're going to talk about setting the club or the second
2
00:00:04.380 --> 00:00:08.160
phase of the backswing. So we're going to assume that we've initiated our swing
3
00:00:08.160 --> 00:00:13.040
with the turning of our spine using the extending side bending rotating model.
4
00:00:13.040 --> 00:00:17.800
Well the simple thing is the spine is just going to continue making the same
5
00:00:17.800 --> 00:00:23.160
movements along with the pelvis. So you're going to continue doing this
6
00:00:23.160 --> 00:00:31.360
extend side bend turn extend side bend turn until you would basically be almost
7
00:00:31.360 --> 00:00:36.720
vertical not quite about 40 degrees bent left and then rotated somewhere around
8
00:00:36.720 --> 00:00:41.080
90 degrees somewhere in there whatever your body is comfortable doing you'll
9
00:00:41.080 --> 00:00:45.640
you want to make sure that in this finished position your weight hasn't or
10
00:00:45.640 --> 00:00:49.600
your movements haven't pushed you to the outside of the foot so if I faced here
11
00:00:49.600 --> 00:00:55.160
and I did that again here's my setup then I stand up I side bend I rotate that
12
00:00:55.160 --> 00:00:59.400
creates my backswing you'll notice that this foot stays flat it didn't drift up
13
00:00:59.400 --> 00:01:03.600
to the outside that means that I'm kind of in this good loaded position and you
14
00:01:03.600 --> 00:01:07.200
may feel some pressure in that right hip which a lot of players have
15
00:01:07.200 --> 00:01:12.640
interpreted as a load okay so that covers the basics of what we need the spine
16
00:01:12.640 --> 00:01:17.360
and the hips to do now let's talk about the arms they they have another job to
17
00:01:17.360 --> 00:01:22.680
do they want to bring the club kind of in preparation for what the arms need to
18
00:01:22.680 --> 00:01:28.320
do during transition so during the the takeaway if you recall the arms did very
19
00:01:28.320 --> 00:01:33.760
very little during the second phase of the backswing you're going to have a
20
00:01:33.760 --> 00:01:41.600
little bit of elevation just like so you're going to bend your right elbow and
21
00:01:41.600 --> 00:01:48.360
you're going to let your wrist cup just a little bit and you can even let your
22
00:01:48.360 --> 00:01:52.800
arm rotate in external rotation or you can let your hand rotate out but you
23
00:01:52.800 --> 00:01:56.760
want to keep your elbow more or less in front of your shoulder you'll get into
24
00:01:56.760 --> 00:01:56.840
a
25
00:01:56.840 --> 00:02:00.880
lot of trouble if you start getting this right elbow back too much behind your
26
00:02:00.880 --> 00:02:08.120
body unless you do a very nice transition the way Jack Nicholas or a Fred
27
00:02:08.120 --> 00:02:12.280
couples has done it it can be a power source but it can also be a really big
28
00:02:12.280 --> 00:02:20.250
cause of a cast movement so for argument sake I would say it's probably not
29
00:02:20.250 --> 00:02:21.000
worth
30
00:02:21.000 --> 00:02:25.160
it unless you've been doing it for so long and have no problem making a good
31
00:02:25.160 --> 00:02:29.600
drop into delivery position from there so let's just rehearse just the arms so
32
00:02:29.600 --> 00:02:34.920
if we went just the arms they're basically going to go like so I asked
33
00:02:34.920 --> 00:02:40.520
people all the time to just bend that right elbow just bend that right arm and
34
00:02:40.520 --> 00:02:44.680
let it rotate out and what usually ends up happening is both arms bend like
35
00:02:44.680 --> 00:02:44.880
this
36
00:02:44.880 --> 00:02:50.520
so you want to practice bending that right arm without having a whole lot of
37
00:02:50.520 --> 00:02:56.440
bend in the left arm the other last little piece is that this arm is going to
38
00:02:56.440 --> 00:03:03.960
rotate slightly palm away which gets the club more in line or pointed at the
39
00:03:03.960 --> 00:03:08.720
target as opposed to if it rotated palm away you would get the club pointed
40
00:03:08.720 --> 00:03:15.840
more laid off as opposed to rotating it or pronating it rotating palm towards
41
00:03:15.840 --> 00:03:21.040
you like so so it's a pretty simple movement with the spine you just keep
42
00:03:21.040 --> 00:03:24.160
that side bend moving it'll feel like your head stays pretty still and your
43
00:03:24.160 --> 00:03:29.200
shoulders point down towards the golf ball the arms are going to elevate and
44
00:03:29.200 --> 00:03:36.360
set and when you put them together they end up looking something like that
45
00:03:36.360 --> 00:03:37.160
which
46
00:03:37.160 --> 00:03:40.920
is kind of that toward backswing position preparing you for what we're
47
00:03:40.920 --> 00:03:45.080
going to do dynamically during transition
1
00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:04.380
In this concept video we're going to talk about setting the club or the second
2
00:00:04.380 --> 00:00:08.160
phase of the backswing. So we're going to assume that we've initiated our swing
3
00:00:08.160 --> 00:00:13.040
with the turning of our spine using the extending side bending rotating model.
4
00:00:13.040 --> 00:00:17.800
Well the simple thing is the spine is just going to continue making the same
5
00:00:17.800 --> 00:00:23.160
movements along with the pelvis. So you're going to continue doing this
6
00:00:23.160 --> 00:00:31.360
extend side bend turn extend side bend turn until you would basically be almost
7
00:00:31.360 --> 00:00:36.720
vertical not quite about 40 degrees bent left and then rotated somewhere around
8
00:00:36.720 --> 00:00:41.080
90 degrees somewhere in there whatever your body is comfortable doing you'll
9
00:00:41.080 --> 00:00:45.640
you want to make sure that in this finished position your weight hasn't or
10
00:00:45.640 --> 00:00:49.600
your movements haven't pushed you to the outside of the foot so if I faced here
11
00:00:49.600 --> 00:00:55.160
and I did that again here's my setup then I stand up I side bend I rotate that
12
00:00:55.160 --> 00:00:59.400
creates my backswing you'll notice that this foot stays flat it didn't drift up
13
00:00:59.400 --> 00:01:03.600
to the outside that means that I'm kind of in this good loaded position and you
14
00:01:03.600 --> 00:01:07.200
may feel some pressure in that right hip which a lot of players have
15
00:01:07.200 --> 00:01:12.640
interpreted as a load okay so that covers the basics of what we need the spine
16
00:01:12.640 --> 00:01:17.360
and the hips to do now let's talk about the arms they they have another job to
17
00:01:17.360 --> 00:01:22.680
do they want to bring the club kind of in preparation for what the arms need to
18
00:01:22.680 --> 00:01:28.320
do during transition so during the the takeaway if you recall the arms did very
19
00:01:28.320 --> 00:01:33.760
very little during the second phase of the backswing you're going to have a
20
00:01:33.760 --> 00:01:41.600
little bit of elevation just like so you're going to bend your right elbow and
21
00:01:41.600 --> 00:01:48.360
you're going to let your wrist cup just a little bit and you can even let your
22
00:01:48.360 --> 00:01:52.800
arm rotate in external rotation or you can let your hand rotate out but you
23
00:01:52.800 --> 00:01:56.760
want to keep your elbow more or less in front of your shoulder you'll get into
24
00:01:56.760 --> 00:01:56.840
a
25
00:01:56.840 --> 00:02:00.880
lot of trouble if you start getting this right elbow back too much behind your
26
00:02:00.880 --> 00:02:08.120
body unless you do a very nice transition the way Jack Nicholas or a Fred
27
00:02:08.120 --> 00:02:12.280
couples has done it it can be a power source but it can also be a really big
28
00:02:12.280 --> 00:02:20.250
cause of a cast movement so for argument sake I would say it's probably not
29
00:02:20.250 --> 00:02:21.000
worth
30
00:02:21.000 --> 00:02:25.160
it unless you've been doing it for so long and have no problem making a good
31
00:02:25.160 --> 00:02:29.600
drop into delivery position from there so let's just rehearse just the arms so
32
00:02:29.600 --> 00:02:34.920
if we went just the arms they're basically going to go like so I asked
33
00:02:34.920 --> 00:02:40.520
people all the time to just bend that right elbow just bend that right arm and
34
00:02:40.520 --> 00:02:44.680
let it rotate out and what usually ends up happening is both arms bend like
35
00:02:44.680 --> 00:02:44.880
this
36
00:02:44.880 --> 00:02:50.520
so you want to practice bending that right arm without having a whole lot of
37
00:02:50.520 --> 00:02:56.440
bend in the left arm the other last little piece is that this arm is going to
38
00:02:56.440 --> 00:03:03.960
rotate slightly palm away which gets the club more in line or pointed at the
39
00:03:03.960 --> 00:03:08.720
target as opposed to if it rotated palm away you would get the club pointed
40
00:03:08.720 --> 00:03:15.840
more laid off as opposed to rotating it or pronating it rotating palm towards
41
00:03:15.840 --> 00:03:21.040
you like so so it's a pretty simple movement with the spine you just keep
42
00:03:21.040 --> 00:03:24.160
that side bend moving it'll feel like your head stays pretty still and your
43
00:03:24.160 --> 00:03:29.200
shoulders point down towards the golf ball the arms are going to elevate and
44
00:03:29.200 --> 00:03:36.360
set and when you put them together they end up looking something like that
45
00:03:36.360 --> 00:03:37.160
which
46
00:03:37.160 --> 00:03:40.920
is kind of that toward backswing position preparing you for what we're
47
00:03:40.920 --> 00:03:45.080
going to do dynamically during transition
Tyler Ferrell. Golf Digest Best Teachers in California, 2026-27. The only person named to both Golf Digest's Best Young Teachers in America and Best Golf Fitness Professionals lists. Author of The Stock Tour Swing.
Backswing Part 2 Setting The Club
Improve Your Backswing by Properly Setting the Club
After this video, you'll be able to:
- Understand the role of your spine and hips in setting the club correctly
- Learn how to position your arms to avoid common backswing pitfalls
- Identify the importance of weight distribution for a stable backswing
In this video, learn how to set the club during the second phase of your backswing for a more effective and controlled swing. Understanding the movement of your spine, hips, and arms will help you maintain balance and prepare for a smoother transition.
Video Transcript
WEBVTT
1
00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:04.380
In this concept video we're going to talk about setting the club or the second
2
00:00:04.380 --> 00:00:08.160
phase of the backswing. So we're going to assume that we've initiated our swing
3
00:00:08.160 --> 00:00:13.040
with the turning of our spine using the extending side bending rotating model.
4
00:00:13.040 --> 00:00:17.800
Well the simple thing is the spine is just going to continue making the same
5
00:00:17.800 --> 00:00:23.160
movements along with the pelvis. So you're going to continue doing this
6
00:00:23.160 --> 00:00:31.360
extend side bend turn extend side bend turn until you would basically be almost
7
00:00:31.360 --> 00:00:36.720
vertical not quite about 40 degrees bent left and then rotated somewhere around
8
00:00:36.720 --> 00:00:41.080
90 degrees somewhere in there whatever your body is comfortable doing you'll
9
00:00:41.080 --> 00:00:45.640
you want to make sure that in this finished position your weight hasn't or
10
00:00:45.640 --> 00:00:49.600
your movements haven't pushed you to the outside of the foot so if I faced here
11
00:00:49.600 --> 00:00:55.160
and I did that again here's my setup then I stand up I side bend I rotate that
12
00:00:55.160 --> 00:00:59.400
creates my backswing you'll notice that this foot stays flat it didn't drift up
13
00:00:59.400 --> 00:01:03.600
to the outside that means that I'm kind of in this good loaded position and you
14
00:01:03.600 --> 00:01:07.200
may feel some pressure in that right hip which a lot of players have
15
00:01:07.200 --> 00:01:12.640
interpreted as a load okay so that covers the basics of what we need the spine
16
00:01:12.640 --> 00:01:17.360
and the hips to do now let's talk about the arms they they have another job to
17
00:01:17.360 --> 00:01:22.680
do they want to bring the club kind of in preparation for what the arms need to
18
00:01:22.680 --> 00:01:28.320
do during transition so during the the takeaway if you recall the arms did very
19
00:01:28.320 --> 00:01:33.760
very little during the second phase of the backswing you're going to have a
20
00:01:33.760 --> 00:01:41.600
little bit of elevation just like so you're going to bend your right elbow and
21
00:01:41.600 --> 00:01:48.360
you're going to let your wrist cup just a little bit and you can even let your
22
00:01:48.360 --> 00:01:52.800
arm rotate in external rotation or you can let your hand rotate out but you
23
00:01:52.800 --> 00:01:56.760
want to keep your elbow more or less in front of your shoulder you'll get into
24
00:01:56.760 --> 00:01:56.840
a
25
00:01:56.840 --> 00:02:00.880
lot of trouble if you start getting this right elbow back too much behind your
26
00:02:00.880 --> 00:02:08.120
body unless you do a very nice transition the way Jack Nicholas or a Fred
27
00:02:08.120 --> 00:02:12.280
couples has done it it can be a power source but it can also be a really big
28
00:02:12.280 --> 00:02:20.250
cause of a cast movement so for argument sake I would say it's probably not
29
00:02:20.250 --> 00:02:21.000
worth
30
00:02:21.000 --> 00:02:25.160
it unless you've been doing it for so long and have no problem making a good
31
00:02:25.160 --> 00:02:29.600
drop into delivery position from there so let's just rehearse just the arms so
32
00:02:29.600 --> 00:02:34.920
if we went just the arms they're basically going to go like so I asked
33
00:02:34.920 --> 00:02:40.520
people all the time to just bend that right elbow just bend that right arm and
34
00:02:40.520 --> 00:02:44.680
let it rotate out and what usually ends up happening is both arms bend like
35
00:02:44.680 --> 00:02:44.880
this
36
00:02:44.880 --> 00:02:50.520
so you want to practice bending that right arm without having a whole lot of
37
00:02:50.520 --> 00:02:56.440
bend in the left arm the other last little piece is that this arm is going to
38
00:02:56.440 --> 00:03:03.960
rotate slightly palm away which gets the club more in line or pointed at the
39
00:03:03.960 --> 00:03:08.720
target as opposed to if it rotated palm away you would get the club pointed
40
00:03:08.720 --> 00:03:15.840
more laid off as opposed to rotating it or pronating it rotating palm towards
41
00:03:15.840 --> 00:03:21.040
you like so so it's a pretty simple movement with the spine you just keep
42
00:03:21.040 --> 00:03:24.160
that side bend moving it'll feel like your head stays pretty still and your
43
00:03:24.160 --> 00:03:29.200
shoulders point down towards the golf ball the arms are going to elevate and
44
00:03:29.200 --> 00:03:36.360
set and when you put them together they end up looking something like that
45
00:03:36.360 --> 00:03:37.160
which
46
00:03:37.160 --> 00:03:40.920
is kind of that toward backswing position preparing you for what we're
47
00:03:40.920 --> 00:03:45.080
going to do dynamically during transition
1
00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:04.380
In this concept video we're going to talk about setting the club or the second
2
00:00:04.380 --> 00:00:08.160
phase of the backswing. So we're going to assume that we've initiated our swing
3
00:00:08.160 --> 00:00:13.040
with the turning of our spine using the extending side bending rotating model.
4
00:00:13.040 --> 00:00:17.800
Well the simple thing is the spine is just going to continue making the same
5
00:00:17.800 --> 00:00:23.160
movements along with the pelvis. So you're going to continue doing this
6
00:00:23.160 --> 00:00:31.360
extend side bend turn extend side bend turn until you would basically be almost
7
00:00:31.360 --> 00:00:36.720
vertical not quite about 40 degrees bent left and then rotated somewhere around
8
00:00:36.720 --> 00:00:41.080
90 degrees somewhere in there whatever your body is comfortable doing you'll
9
00:00:41.080 --> 00:00:45.640
you want to make sure that in this finished position your weight hasn't or
10
00:00:45.640 --> 00:00:49.600
your movements haven't pushed you to the outside of the foot so if I faced here
11
00:00:49.600 --> 00:00:55.160
and I did that again here's my setup then I stand up I side bend I rotate that
12
00:00:55.160 --> 00:00:59.400
creates my backswing you'll notice that this foot stays flat it didn't drift up
13
00:00:59.400 --> 00:01:03.600
to the outside that means that I'm kind of in this good loaded position and you
14
00:01:03.600 --> 00:01:07.200
may feel some pressure in that right hip which a lot of players have
15
00:01:07.200 --> 00:01:12.640
interpreted as a load okay so that covers the basics of what we need the spine
16
00:01:12.640 --> 00:01:17.360
and the hips to do now let's talk about the arms they they have another job to
17
00:01:17.360 --> 00:01:22.680
do they want to bring the club kind of in preparation for what the arms need to
18
00:01:22.680 --> 00:01:28.320
do during transition so during the the takeaway if you recall the arms did very
19
00:01:28.320 --> 00:01:33.760
very little during the second phase of the backswing you're going to have a
20
00:01:33.760 --> 00:01:41.600
little bit of elevation just like so you're going to bend your right elbow and
21
00:01:41.600 --> 00:01:48.360
you're going to let your wrist cup just a little bit and you can even let your
22
00:01:48.360 --> 00:01:52.800
arm rotate in external rotation or you can let your hand rotate out but you
23
00:01:52.800 --> 00:01:56.760
want to keep your elbow more or less in front of your shoulder you'll get into
24
00:01:56.760 --> 00:01:56.840
a
25
00:01:56.840 --> 00:02:00.880
lot of trouble if you start getting this right elbow back too much behind your
26
00:02:00.880 --> 00:02:08.120
body unless you do a very nice transition the way Jack Nicholas or a Fred
27
00:02:08.120 --> 00:02:12.280
couples has done it it can be a power source but it can also be a really big
28
00:02:12.280 --> 00:02:20.250
cause of a cast movement so for argument sake I would say it's probably not
29
00:02:20.250 --> 00:02:21.000
worth
30
00:02:21.000 --> 00:02:25.160
it unless you've been doing it for so long and have no problem making a good
31
00:02:25.160 --> 00:02:29.600
drop into delivery position from there so let's just rehearse just the arms so
32
00:02:29.600 --> 00:02:34.920
if we went just the arms they're basically going to go like so I asked
33
00:02:34.920 --> 00:02:40.520
people all the time to just bend that right elbow just bend that right arm and
34
00:02:40.520 --> 00:02:44.680
let it rotate out and what usually ends up happening is both arms bend like
35
00:02:44.680 --> 00:02:44.880
this
36
00:02:44.880 --> 00:02:50.520
so you want to practice bending that right arm without having a whole lot of
37
00:02:50.520 --> 00:02:56.440
bend in the left arm the other last little piece is that this arm is going to
38
00:02:56.440 --> 00:03:03.960
rotate slightly palm away which gets the club more in line or pointed at the
39
00:03:03.960 --> 00:03:08.720
target as opposed to if it rotated palm away you would get the club pointed
40
00:03:08.720 --> 00:03:15.840
more laid off as opposed to rotating it or pronating it rotating palm towards
41
00:03:15.840 --> 00:03:21.040
you like so so it's a pretty simple movement with the spine you just keep
42
00:03:21.040 --> 00:03:24.160
that side bend moving it'll feel like your head stays pretty still and your
43
00:03:24.160 --> 00:03:29.200
shoulders point down towards the golf ball the arms are going to elevate and
44
00:03:29.200 --> 00:03:36.360
set and when you put them together they end up looking something like that
45
00:03:36.360 --> 00:03:37.160
which
46
00:03:37.160 --> 00:03:40.920
is kind of that toward backswing position preparing you for what we're
47
00:03:40.920 --> 00:03:45.080
going to do dynamically during transition
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