This Hip Rotation Drill Fixed My 20-Year Golf Swing Fault

Jonny Leighfield demonstrating a 5-minute at-home drill, in three stages, that has provided positive results in his swing rotation after his first golf lesson in 20 years

In my first lesson for 20 years, one simple hip rotation drill set me on the path to better golf

(Image credit: Jonny Leighfield)

I'll bet you didn't know that 2000s party hit 'Hips Don't Lie' by Shakira was about the golf swing, did you?

OK, maybe that's not true, but I can't help but feel the Colombian singer-songwriter was on to something in regards to producing a more efficient movement with golf club in hand when she uttered the words "my hips don't lie and I'm starting to feel it's right."

This Hip Rotation Drill Fixed My 20-Year Golf Swing Fault

As an 18-handicapper who was prone to something of a fade on a good day and a slice on a really bad one, I was very much looking forward to meeting Tom and seeing what he could do about it.

I should, at this point, admit that I hadn't enjoyed a proper lesson for possibly more than 20 years.

I wasn't all that keen on someone picking all the faults in my swing when I had progressed to a point where I could basically enjoy the game and play some OK stuff occasionally.

Yet, I walked out of The Cube at The Kendleshire Golf Club near Bristol thinking "why on earth did I not book a lesson earlier?!" It took everything in my power not to immediately head to a range to work on what I'd been taught.

The crux of my issues - as you will have hopefully realized by now - was to do with a horrible lack of mobility in this 30-something's body. Despite being born in 94, I probably had about as much movement in my hips as a 94-year-old.

My colleague Baz saw improvements in his mobility by committing to 5 fitness exercises that have helped to make him a better golfer in just 30 days, but Top 50 Coach Tom Motley assured me that there was also something I could do in the lesson to improve this.

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Tom Motley

Tom Motley has been a PGA professional since 2005 and has helped golfers of all levels to play better for more than two decades. He offers a high level of coaching, utilising the best possible coaching technology with pressure plates, TrackMan and a vast array of training aids. Tom continually develops his skills through spending time with some of the best coaches across the globe.

Standing in the middle of an impressive array of golf clubs, equipment and training aids, Tom asked me to hit a few balls with a 7-iron into the screen to see what he was working with.

It took him all of about 30 seconds to diagnose one of the biggest issues, my setup, and he didn't even need to consult his Trackman launch monitor or the incredible variety of data points it offers.

I had gone to junior lessons for several years when I was very young but was not allowed to go anymore after a small meltdown which lasted several holes in a tournament at my home course around the age of 11. But that's by the by.

The point I was going to make was that while I had been taught a golfing technique at an impressionable age, I had clearly been taught some very different things to what Tom and his fellow stable of Top 50 coaches might tell students nowadays.

For example, my feet were perfectly square to the target, I had far too much flex in my knees and my golf grip featured a couple of digits almost in the wrong zip code. But other than that, it wasn't too bad.

Before and after shots of Jonny Leighfield's lesson with Tom Motley on January 29, 2026 — Before and after shots of my setup position during my lesson with a Top 50 Coach

Tom showed me how to perfect my golf swing setup fundamentals and then played a video he'd taken of me from a front-on view which showed me swaying out to my right while bringing the club back more than one of those inflatable car wash mascots you see.

Because I was producing so much lateral movement, my legs and arms had to compensate and the result is often a massively over-the-top swing which invariably leads to a slice.

The fix, as it turns out, is fairly simple. Tom told me to think about twisting my right hip "up and around" and nothing else. Let the arms follow.

In terms of a drill, this is something you can try at home in front of a mirror or at the range. Press a golf club - or something of similar shape - flat along your belt line and assume the correct set up position but stand up slightly straighter.

Then practice moving your right hip up and around so that the club points 45 degrees behind you before pushing off your right side and finishing with the club (still along your belt line) square to the target out to your left.

Be sure not to sway past the original position that your right pocket began. Effectively, you're just practicing the movement your hips would make during a full swing out on the course.

Once I put that drill into practice, the results were genuinely quite shocking to me. I'd always dreamed of hitting a lovely tight draw but felt it was quite unrealistic in my current state.

Yet, the first half-swing that we tried produced a 90-yard mild draw. Incredible. The club path had changed from being -6 to +3, simply by tidying my set-up position and thinking only about my right hip.

From there, the results were hit and miss as Tom and I ironed out the kinks of what felt like a mammoth change in my action.

Constant reminders to stand taller and push my hips or shoulders straighter proved that despite embarking on the winning trail, it will take time for these alterations to feel natural.

The next part of my journey towards hitting much straighter (and longer) shots is to practice, practice, practice.

I can now avoid one of the 7 things never to do at the driving range by actually arriving with a plan and sticking to it - which will make a big difference.

I can also complete the aforementioned drill at home, and then it will be about going to the range to check my progress as often as possible.

A GOLF LESSON CAN HELP YOU IMPROVE

As I mentioned earlier, I was hesitant to go out and have a lesson as I was worried about taking a few steps back to take more steps forward in the coming months and years.

But the instant positive feedback I witnessed, as well as the high-level coaching that Tom presented me with, made me think I'd wasted so much time not being as good as I could be.

Top 50 Coach Tom Motley in the finish position of the golf swing with driver — Top 50 Coach Tom Motley provided expert feedback in a way that was simple to understand

Tom's no-nonsense approach and motto of "if you can't do what I'm telling you within 10 swings, we try it another way" gave me confidence that once we found the right strategy, it would instantly feel right. And that is exactly what happened.

If you add in the plethora of data at Tom's disposal on the computer - which he always explained to me in a way I could digest - then I have to consider this lesson one of the most valuable hours of my golfing life.

And the best part is, I will return to The Cube at some point soon and we will hopefully kick on again.

I hope that my first-person account of returning to lessons after such a long time encourages you to do the same because there really is nothing to worry about - especially when you're in the safe hands of your local PGA pro or even a Golf Monthly Top 50 coach.

Jonny Leighfield is our Staff News Writer who joined Golf Monthly just in time for the 2023 Solheim Cup and Ryder Cup. He graduated from the University of Brighton with a degree in Sport Journalism in 2017 and spent almost five years as the sole sports reporter at his local newspaper. During his time with Golf Monthly, Jonny has interviewed several stars of the game, including Robert MacIntyre, Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood, and Joaquin Niemann. An improving golfer himself, Jonny enjoys learning as much about the game as he can and recently reached his Handicap goal of 18 for the first time.

With contributions from

Tom MotleyTop 50 Coach

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