How to Identify a Slide in Your Golf Swing with Handy Golf

A slide in the golf swing happens when the hips move too far laterally toward the target during the downswing. Using the HandyGolf app, you can quickly check whether your lead hip is sliding past your lead foot line.

What Is a Slide in the Golf Swing?

At setup, imagine drawing a vertical line up from your lead foot. For a right-handed golfer, this is the left foot. For a left-handed golfer, this is the right foot.

A slide occurs when, during the downswing, the lead hip moves beyond that line instead of staying behind it or rotating around it.

In simple terms:

• Slide: Lead hip crosses past the lead foot line in the downswing.
• No slide: Lead hip stays on or inside the lead foot line while the body rotates through impact.

How to Analyze a Slide in the Handy Golf App

Follow these steps to check for a hip slide:

1. Open your swing video in the Handy Golf app.
2. Select the line drawing tool.
3. Draw a vertical line from the outside of your lead foot at setup.
4. Scrub through the swing frame by frame into the downswing.
5. Watch the position of the lead hip as the downswing begins and continues toward impact.
6. If the lead hip moves beyond the line, that movement is considered a slide.

What to Look For

When reviewing your swing, focus on the lead hip rather than the club or hands.

You likely have a slide if:

• The lead hip shifts past the line drawn from the lead foot.
• The pelvis moves more laterally than rotationally during the downswing.
• The hip crosses the reference line before or near impact.

You likely do not have a slide if:

• The lead hip stays behind or close to the line.
• The hips rotate without drifting excessively toward the target.
• The lead hip does not cross over the lead foot reference line.

Why This Check Helps

A simple reference line makes it easier to see whether your lower body is moving efficiently. Instead of guessing, Handy Golf lets you compare your hip position at setup and during the downswing using clear visual feedback.

This is especially useful when reviewing swings frame by frame, because a slide can happen quickly and may be difficult to spot at full speed.

Quick Summary

To identify a slide in the golf swing, draw a vertical line from the lead foot at setup. Then scrub through the downswing. If the lead hip moves beyond that line, it is classified as a slide. If the lead hip stays inside the line, the swing does not show a slide by this definition.