February 18, 2026
How to Analyze Your Golf Swing: A Complete Guide
Most golfers know something is off with their swing. They can feel it. But "feeling" isn't data. Proper swing analysis turns vague frustration into specific, fixable problems. Here's how to actually do it.
The 8 Phases of a Golf Swing
Every swing passes through the same sequence. Understanding these phases is the foundation of analysis:
- Address (Setup) — Your starting position. Spine angle, knee flex, and weight distribution are set here. Errors at address cascade through the entire swing.
- Takeaway — The first movement away from the ball. Watch for early wrist hinge, inside takeaway, or lifting the club rather than turning.
- Backswing (mid) — Club parallel to the ground. Check lead arm extension, hip rotation vs. shoulder rotation (X-Factor), and spine tilt maintenance.
- Top of Backswing — The transition point. Maximum shoulder turn, wrist set, and weight shift happen here. This is where most amateurs over-rotate or lose posture.
- Downswing — The critical sequence: hips lead, then torso, then arms, then club. Getting this order wrong is the #1 cause of slicing.
- Impact — The only moment that matters for ball flight. Shaft lean, hip clearance, and face angle determine everything.
- Follow-Through — Extension through the ball. Short follow-throughs usually indicate deceleration or early release.
- Finish — A balanced finish reveals whether the swing was sequenced correctly. If you're falling forward or backward, something upstream went wrong.
The Key Angles That Matter
You don't need to measure everything. Focus on these high-impact angles:
Spine Angle
Your forward tilt at address should stay consistent through impact. "Standing up" during the downswing (early extension) is the most common amateur fault and causes thin shots, blocks, and hooks. Tour average at address: 30-35 degrees.
Hip Rotation
At the top of the backswing, tour players rotate their hips 40-45 degrees while their shoulders turn 90+. This differential — called the X-Factor — stores elastic energy. Amateurs often over-rotate their hips (60+) because it feels powerful, but it actually reduces the X-Factor and costs distance.
Shoulder Turn
Full shoulder turn (90+ degrees) at the top is key for distance. But the turn needs to happen around a stable spine — not by swaying or lifting. If your lead shoulder drops instead of turning level, your swing plane steepens.
Lead Arm Angle
A straight (or nearly straight) lead arm at the top of the backswing creates a wider arc and more consistent contact. A bent lead arm shortens the swing radius and makes it harder to return the club to the ball consistently.
Knee Flex
Maintaining knee flex — especially in the trail leg during the backswing — keeps you grounded and prevents swaying. Loss of knee flex is a compensation for poor hip mobility.
How to Record Your Swing for Analysis
- Face-on angle — Camera directly in front of you (or behind), aligned with your hands at address. This shows weight shift, spine tilt, hip sway, and arm extension.
- Down-the-line angle — Camera behind you, pointed down your target line at hand height. This shows swing plane, club path, and posture changes.
- Frame rate matters — 60fps minimum. At 30fps you'll miss the impact position entirely. Most modern phones support 60fps or higher.
- Minimize setup friction — The more complicated the recording setup, the less likely you are to actually do it. Apps like Yippie let you prop your phone against your bag and detect swings automatically via audio — no tripod, no button press.
DIY Analysis vs. AI-Powered Analysis
You can absolutely analyze your swing manually — pause at each phase, estimate angles, compare to reference images. Many good players do this. But it takes time, and self-assessment is biased.
AI-powered apps like Yippie automate the measurement process: the app tracks 17 body keypoints and 5 club keypoints at 60fps, calculates 20+ angles at each swing phase, and compares your measurements to tour player averages. Instead of guessing whether your hip rotation is "enough," you see the exact number and how it compares to Rory McIlroy's.
The biggest advantage of AI analysis is speed. Yippie delivers coaching feedback in 3-5 seconds after each swing — so you can make an adjustment and try again immediately while the feel is fresh. That feedback loop is what turns range time into actual improvement.
Common Faults and What Causes Them
| Ball Flight | Likely Cause | What to Check |
|---|---|---|
| Slice (curves right) | Open face at impact, out-to-in path | Hip clearance, downswing sequence |
| Hook (curves left) | Closed face, early release | Wrist angles, grip pressure |
| Thin / topped | Early extension (standing up) | Spine angle through impact |
| Fat / chunked | Weight too far back, steep angle | Weight shift, swing plane |
| Short distance | Low X-Factor, early release | Hip vs. shoulder turn, lag angle |
Start Analyzing Your Swing Today
You don't need a coach or expensive equipment to start improving your swing with data. Download Yippie, prop your phone against your bag at the range, and start getting real-time feedback on every swing. The free tier includes swing capture, skeleton overlay, and basic angle analysis. Pro unlocks all 20+ angles, 8-phase breakdown, pro comparison, and personalized drills for $9.99/month.