A sway is defined as any excessive lower body lateral movement away from the target during your backswing that forces your weight to the outside of your back foot. This swing fault makes it difficult to develop a proper weight transfer during the transition move from backswing to downswing. If there is no stable platform to drive your weight off of during transition, you will lose power and try to develop speed in an inefficient sequence.

In order to coil around the trail hip during the backswing, several physical characteristics must be developed. First and foremost, the trail hip internal rotation capabilities are necessary to have in order for full rotation to occur without the presence of a lateral sway. If the body is unable to rotate around the trail hip due to joint or muscular restrictions than lateral movements will result. Secondly, the ability to separate the upper body from your lower body allows the lower body to laterally stabilize while rotating during a large shoulder turn. Limited trunk to pelvis separation is usually caused by reduced spinal mobility and shortened lat flexibility. Finally, the ability to laterally stabilize your trail leg during the backswing is directly proportional to the strength and stability of the gluteal musculature. When it comes to lower body stabilization the glute medius is of utmost importance. This muscle helps prevent the trail hip from elevating and shifting laterally during an aggressive coiling of the trail hip.

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