Secret #1- The 6-Second Torque Test
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(Try this power move now) Most golfers fail it. Here's why... Hey Joshua, We all know a bigger shoulder turn equals more power, right? More coil. More torque. More distance. But here's what most golfers don't realize... Flexibility is JUST AS IMPORTANT for fixing swing flaws and improving your mechanics as it is for unlocking your full power potential. In fact, I'd argue it's even MORE important for that. Here's why: Almost every single swing flaw in the history of golf — whether you're a weekend warrior or a tour pro — stems from tightness or immobility in one or more places in your body. Think about it. Early extension? That's tight hamstrings and glutes (your posterior chain). Standing up through impact? Same thing. Coming over the top? It can be caused by a number of things, including a tight right front shoulder and/or limited elbow rotation. That's why you can't get the club into the slot no matter how many times your golf instructor tells you to tuck your right elbow. Chicken wing? Usually tight hips or limited shoulder mobility. I could go on and on. The point is this: your swing flaws aren't always a "swing problem." They're often a BODY problem. And here's the kicker... You can drill those flaws until you're blue in the face, but if your body physically CAN'T get into the right positions, you're just spinning your wheels. For example, that's why you'll almost never see an LPGA player early extend at impact. They're naturally more flexible in their posterior chain, so their bodies don't FORCE them into that bad position. It's also why guys like Ernie Els and Fred Couples can effortlessly drop the club into the perfect slot, deliver it into the golf ball, and release their hands to hit powerful drives with seemingly zero effort. They're limber in the RIGHT places. Their bodies aren't fighting them. They're not compensating for tightness. They're just... flowing. Now here's the good news: Over the next few days, I'm going to share 3 secrets with you that will help you unlock a bigger shoulder turn, create more torque, and improve your swing mechanics almost instantly. And today, I'm starting with Secret #1. But before I reveal it, I want you to take a look at something... |
This is a collage of 12 swings from some of the longest hitters ever on both the PGA Tour and Long Drive Tour.
Tiger Woods. Rory McIlroy. Jack Nicklaus. Fred Couples. Ernie Els. John Daly. Jamie Sadlowski. Adam Scott. And a few others (including myself).
Now, take a good look at these swings.
Notice anything?
Here's a hint: these swings all look VERY different.
John Daly? Super long, loose swing.
Rory? A little short of parallel.
Tiger? Right at parallel.
Jamie Sadlowski? Crazy long and explosive.
But here's what's wild...
There's ONE thing that every single one of them is doing in this picture that you've probably never noticed before.
And once I point it out, you'll never look at a golf swing the same way again.
Ready?
**Their heads have barely rotated to the right.**
Look closer.
Even at the top of their backswing, they're still looking straight at the golf ball.
Their heads are facing almost the exact same direction as they were at address.
Even Tiger and Jack who were known to pivot their heads a little bit still BARELY rotate it overall.
Now compare that to most amateurs...
Most amateurs rotate their heads way to the right (for a right-handed golfer) as they make their backswing.
And here's the problem with that:
The second you start rotating your head to the right, you start LOSING torque.
It's like letting the air out of a balloon.
Don't believe me?
Try this...
Stand up right now and try this:
Put your hands across your chest (like you're giving yourself a hug).
Now turn your shoulders to the right and rotate your head way to the right at the same time.
Feel that?
Almost no torque, right?
Now go back to "address position."
Keep your head facing forward — don't let it rotate to the right — and turn your shoulders around your neck.
Feel the difference?
Even with a SMALLER shoulder turn, you feel WAY more torque when your head doesn't rotate away from the target.
That's because you're creating resistance. You're coiling around a stable axis.
And that's the secret.
**You will ALWAYS create more torque if you keep your head facing ahead and turn your shoulders AROUND your neck instead of rotating your head away from the ball.**
Now, I'm not saying you can NEVER rotate your head a little bit. There are always exceptions to the rule.
Dustin Johnson, for example, rotates his head quite a bit on his backswing.
But he's Dustin Johnson. We're not.
And if you look at the vast majority of the longest hitters in history — including the guys in that collage — they all keep their heads facing forward with very little rotation to the right.
Look at Rory McIlroy and Jamie Sadlowski in those pictures.
They're so good at keeping their heads from rotating that it almost looks like they're looking BACK over their shoulders at the ball.
Their necks are so flexible that they can make a MASSIVE shoulder turn without their heads rotating away from the target at all.
And it's no coincidence that they're two of the longest hitters in the world for their size (and overall).
**They're preserving maximum torque.**
Now here's the thing...
You might be thinking, "Okay, so I should just keep my head from rotating and make a smaller shoulder turn to feel more torque."
No.
That's not the point.
The point is this:
**Imagine how much MORE torque you'd have if you could turn your shoulders FURTHER... while keeping your head facing forward.**
That's the game-changer.
And the only thing stopping you from doing that right now?
**Your neck flexibility.**
If your neck is tight, you physically CAN'T make a big shoulder turn without your head rotating to the right.
Your body won't let you.
But here's the good news:
It's actually really easy to improve your neck flexibility with just a few easy moves.
And when you do, you'll be able to make a way bigger shoulder turn, create way more torque, and hit the ball way farther... all while swinging smoother and more effortlessly.
You can see in that bottom right picture how little my head rotated in my prime, bombing it 400+ yards and setting world long drive records.
And it's still one of the biggest reasons I'm able maximize my torque to bomb it 400+ yards at 41 years old without practicing hardly at all.
That's exactly what I want to help YOU do over the next few days.
So here's what's next...
On Friday, I'm going to share Secret #2 with you.
And this one's even crazier because it's something that affects your shoulder turn that's not even CLOSE to your shoulders or torso.
It's something that guys like Bryson DeChambeau and Sergio Garcia do that instantly unlocks more shoulder turn and creates more torque.
And the best part?
You can literally start doing it RIGHT NOW without any stretching at all.
Keep an eye out for that email on Friday.
Talk soon,
Josh “look over the shoulder for power” Crews
P.S. — Seriously, if you haven't done that "hands across your chest" test yet, do it right now. It'll blow your mind how much more torque you feel when you keep your head from rotating away from the target.
