What Is Hip Slide In The Backswing?
Hip slide in the backswing happens when the hips move sideways instead of turning. This makes it harder to rotate and often leads to pulls and pull hooks.
How It Affects Your Golf Shots
- Inconsistent Ball Striking
When your hips slide sideways, the club’s low point varies and your contact becomes inconsistent. - Loss of Power and Distance
A hip slide hinders proper rotation around the trail hip, reducing the power of your swing. “Poor pelvic rotation in backswing… essential to golf swing power generation.” (source) - Swing Path Issues
Sliding hips can also trigger an over-the-top downswing, leading to slices and poor directional control. - Poor Weight Shift
Being stuck on the trail leg prevents proper weight transfer toward the target on the downswing. - Flipping
If your upper body tilts back, it can lead to flipping and cause the ball to hook.
What Causes Hip Slide In Golf?
- Confusing a Sway with a Turn
Many golfers think they need to move sideways to shift their weight. Instead, you should rotate around the trail hip and not sway sideways. - Improper Setup
Starting with the spine tilted toward the target hinders your natural rotation. This often makes your body slide the hips sideways. - Excessive Forward Bend
Too much forward bend prevents proper rotation, causing your hips to slide in order to compensate. - Inside Takeaway
Pulling your hands inside excessively at the start can make your hip slide backwards. - Lack of Body Rotation
When your hips or shoulders can’t turn well, your hips slide sideways to create space for swinging.
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What Other Faults Does A Hip Slide Cause?
- Reverse Pivot
Hip slide in the backswing can push the upper body toward the target at the top and create a reverse pivot. - Lack of Rotation In Downswing
Once the hips slide, they can’t rotate properly in the downswing. - Early Extension
Standing up out of posture as the hips thrust forward reduces leverage. This limits your coil, power, and shot consistency. - Over-the-Top
A steep outside-in downswing often comes from hip slide because it becomes difficult to shallow the club. - Inconsistent Contact
Sliding hips make the low point vary, causing fat and thin shots and off-center contact.
Swing Cues & Feels
- Turn Into the Trail Hip
Imagine touching a wall with your trail glute and rotate instead of sliding sideways. - Load Into Inside of Your Trail Foot
Keep your weight on the inside of your trail foot and heel. - Coil Around, Not Across
Feel tension from your lead glute and oblique as you rotate.
Swing Adaptations
- Slightly Flare the Trail Foot
Turn your trail foot outward a little at address. This sets the hip for easier rotation and limits lateral sliding. - Adjust Stance Width
Change your stance width slightly for comfort. This allows controlled hip rotation while keeping your posture stable. - Shorten the Backswing
Use a three-quarter backswing if your mobility is limited.
FAQs About Hip Slide In The Backswing
Is a little bit of hip slide okay in the backswing?
A minimal lateral move to load the trail foot is acceptable, but more than an inch or two will reduce your consistency and power.
Can hip slide cause a slice?
Yes. Sliding hips often triggers an “over the top” downswing. It can cause slices.
How do I know for sure if I’m sliding my hips?
The GolfWiz AI app can detect hip slide for you instantly. The app highlights 50+ swing errors and shows you the exact drills to fix them. Start for FREE now.
Can my equipment contribute to a hip slide?
Clubs that are too long or shafts that are too stiff may encourage lateral hip movement to create more space or power.
How long does it take to fix a hip slide?
With consistent practice and drills, most golfers see improvement within a few weeks. Using GolfWiz AI Drills can help you improve faster.
Other Names
- Hip Sway
- Lateral Shift
- Lateral Slide
Final Thoughts
Hip slide produces weak, inconsistent shots and reduces your distance. Strengthening the glutes and core while practicing proper rotation can help you fix this problem.
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