The biomechanical analysis of a swing is a massive undertaking—even when you have cutting-edge software to crunch the numbers like we do at Jacobs 3D. With a subject that complex, it can often be very helpful to break it down one piece at a time and work your way through it systematically. One segment isn't necessarily more important than others, but it does make sense to examine some of the "neighborhoods" earlier in the process because they effect so much of what is going on in the overall swing motion.

Throughout 2024, I'll be conducting a series of single-session Dives into the various body segments that make up the swing motion. We'll cover what the best players do within those segments to maximize performance and consistency—and how those actions contribute to the overall whole. We'll talk about both the underlying biomechanical concepts and norms and what that means for real-world golf swings.

First up? The hips—broadly defined in this case as the hip joints, top of legs, pelvis and lower abdomen.