(There are always exceptions, but exceptions are not what learning is about)
After having studied pros, the worst beginners and everyone in between for the better part of a year…I have found a common issue.
There is almost a one on one correlation with the shoulder turn and the quality of golfer. A good shoulder turn promotes the body to work in sync, which leads to good balance, good rhythm and a good release.
Here is a basic system I developed just now, for fun, to judge the quality of shoulder turn. I may add and modify…especially if you guys have some good suggestions.
+1 Does the shoulder turn control the lifting of the arms in the backswing
-1 Does the lifting of the arms control the shoulder turn
+2 Do the shoulders turn 90* to the spine in the backswing
+2 In the downswing
-2 Do they turn too level to the ground (horizontally/flat) in the backswing
-2 Do they turn too vertically on the downswing
+3 Does the end of the shoulder turn signal the end of the backswing
-1 For each frame on a slow-mo the arms continue after the shoulders stop turning.
Most PGA Tour players would be +4 to +8. In addition they are talented, flexible and practice enough to get away with a score that is not so high. Actually, you would probably find most low handicap golfers would score just as high or higher than PGA Tour players. I bet you could find some 2 and 3 handicaps, who don’t play much, would score +4 to +8 and that is what allows them to play so well, while playing so little.
You would find most high handicappers would score a -6 to -8.