Hip Clearance
Also known as: clearing the hips, hip rotation through impact
Hip clearance is the rotation of the lead hip out of the way through impact, creating room for the arms and club to swing freely past the body.
Without adequate hip clearance, the arms get blocked and the hands must flip or roll to save the shot, producing inconsistency and a loss of power. Complete clearance means the lead hip has rotated well open — past the target line — by impact, so the trail arm can extend fully without interference. Hip mobility and glute activation are the physical underpinnings of clearance. Players with tight hip flexors often substitute early extension for clearance, crowding the arms instead.
Example
A player whose belt buckle faces well left of target at impact has cleared the hips fully — the arms swung freely and the face arrived square.
Related terms
- Early ExtensionEarly extension is thrusting the hips toward the ball during the downswing, which causes the golfer to stand up out of posture and forces compensations at impact.
- Lateral ShiftA lateral shift is the small move of the hips toward the target at the start of the downswing. It moves the low point forward and sets up the lead-side post, working with hip rotation rather than replacing it.
- BlockingBlocking is when the arms and club fail to fully release through impact — the face is held open and the ball flies straight right (for a right-hander) with no draw curve.
- Kinematic SequenceThe kinematic sequence is the order in which body segments accelerate and decelerate during the downswing: pelvis → torso → lead arm → clubhead. Each segment slingshots the next for maximum speed.
Related guides & benchmarks
Put this into your swing
SwingVantage can spot this in your own swing — free to start.