shoulder tension

[DG_1234]

For those interested in the shoulder turn for golf, try this. this. Stand tall without a golf club, have your shoulders as relaxed and tension free as you possibly can. Next , turn your shoulders around a steady head. Now repeat the same as above but start the process with tense-rigid shoulders.
Did you find that making the turn was much easier, smoother, and required less effort when you initiated it with relaxed, tension free shoulders ?

 

[GolfLivesMatter]

Yep, and a flared right foot at address also helps with shoulder rotation, and takes the pressure off the right knee.

 

[razaar]

Not sure what shoulder tension has to do with turning the upper body given that the shoulders are not directly connected to the spine as is the ribcage. One can turn their shoulders ( tense or relaxed) without rotating the spine by protracting one shoulder while retracting the other.
Elite golf swings can give a spectator the impression that the player is using his shoulders to wind up the backswing when the player is using his spinal rotators and pelvic muscles to do the bulk of the work in what popular golf instruction refers to as a shoulder turn.
Many of the old golf theorists recommended lifting and protracting the left shoulder at address and keeping it up during the backswing. The aim being to get the sensation of swinging down and under the left shoulder during the down and forward swing. What we don't want is spinning shoulders where the shoulders out pace the hands - we want delayed (tilted) shoulders with the right shoulder working under the left during the first half of the downswing.

 

[DG_1234]

Stand tall without a golf club, have your shoulders as relaxed and tension free as you possibly can. Next , turn your shoulders around a steady head. Now repeat the same as above but start the process with tense-rigid shoulders.
Did you find that making the turn was much easier, smoother, and required less effort when you initiated it with relaxed, tension free shoulders ?

This is the OP. It is a question for those who want to try the exercise and respond with an answer about their results (s).

 

[Shag Baby]

Agree 100%. Tension in the shoulders and arms is a giant speed killer.

 

[DG_1234]

Agree 100%. Tension in the shoulders and arms is a giant speed killer.

I credit Faldo for turning me on to a focus of reducing/eliminating shoulder tension. For my full swing shots its helped promote a smoother, easier, bigger backswing turn/pivot.
For green side pitching/chipping reduced shoulder tension has promoted a smoother, better tempo motion that helps with quality of strike as well as distance control, touch.
When a Tour player starts mishitting shots Faldo usually makes a comment about the player's shoulders having become too tense at address, and I believe he is correct.

 

[GolfLivesMatter]

I suggest paying strict attention to left shoulder tension. For me, t's very easy to tense the left shoulder which slightly lifts the clubhead for a bladed wedge, thin drive, or low-liner iron shots.

 

[annsguy]

I have been playing for years but I am just now starting to understand the toll tension puts on the swing. I have always over-done it with tense shoulders. too much weight inside my feet....etc etc. I am trying to swing as stress free as I can and the difference is stunning

 

[razaar]

There are various forms of tension. One is active tension which prepares the body for movement, which is what we want in sport. Then there is stored tension from our every day life. If we have bad posture and/or bad movement habits, inflexibility issues etc we store tension in our myofascia, which we are not aware of. The problem is how to rid the body of stored tension when we don't feel it.