Early hip firing?

[Mason]

I just started the program 6 days ago I’m on day 14. I do one video in morning and one at night. I also practice the movements throught the day to break up repeative motions during the work day. I’m putting in about 3 to 4 hours a day on this Tathata swing program. My old swing issues were no finsh or follow through. Slices and weak power. Hips firing to soon. While doing some movements today with full swing i noticed that on the downswing when my hands get to my back leg pocket my hips are starting to open. I know at that part i should be pushing back in glutes but with full swing speed i can’t seem to time it. Any ideas how to fix it.

[David]

Hi Mason,

It takes an incredible amount of strength to keep the hips around square coming into impact. With that said, I am curious what you mean by “my hips are starting to open.” The degree to which they have opened this point would be material to whether or not this was an actual that you should spend significant time working to address. At this stage of the swing things are measured in inches (or less) and milliseconds.

What is your back foot doing at this point? Same question with respect to your shoulders?

[Mason]

At the point where my hands are at back leg pockect. My back leg has surfed over my back foot outside is starting to rise up, same time front leg is starting to show crescent shape, and hip is dropping back on front side about 2 inches. that what i feel is opening to soon. Shoulders are just shy of square 1 inch behind ( back to target side). Just realized how open to interpritaion this can all be ( open and closed) reference point. Thanks for the reply.

[Les]

If I understand your statement, you’ve had a couple of days with Chapter 2. Probably where I would be looking is at how am I performing the baseball throw movement. At the finish of the baseball throw the back hand is just behind the back foot and the knees have initiated the surf to level. When you do the surf to level move itself without the baseball throw is there any indication of the lead hip rotating? Sounds like what you would want is when you are where you indicate (hands below hips coming into impact) you should be about where you are when you surf to level.

The pressure movements in Chapter 3 will work on this some more, but the aim is to surf to level just prior to impact then you are moving the hands through impact with the hips as you do the soccer kick and work up into your left side to the finish. So, if your hips are a little open I think you are in an ok position. If your hips are wide open, then your surf to level is off because your weight will be getting onto your front foot too soon.