In some ways the pivot is everything. If it isn’t correct, nothing else can be correct. The proper pivot sets up the proper motion of the clubhead away from the ball. It allows everything else to happen. It sets the position from which the hands can freely release the clubhead while at the same time adding considerable speed to the swing.
Once you have a solid address position, the pivot is simple. The backswing pivots around the posted right leg, and the downswing around the left. As you extend your right leg and flex the left, the right hip will move back towards the right heel and rise. Let the hands and clubhead move around your right hip and let the right elbow fold up. The right elbow folding and tilting of your spine will set the hands at top of the backswing. Let the clubhead move as your body moves, don’t try to move the clubhead with your hands at the beginning. Continue to add weight to the right leg as your body and hands turn, which allows the clubhead to continue following the path it started on.
Once you reach the top, pivot around the left leg for the downswing. Do not begin the downswing by pivoting around the right leg. When you start down, you must immediately switch to a left leg pivot or you will come over the top. One key that might prevent this OTT move: think about getting the right heal off the ground as you start the downswing (weight must move to the left post to accomplish this). Continue pivoting around the left leg until the right arm straightens and the club pulls you up to the finish.
When the pivot is executed properly, the rising of the right hip drives the right shoulder up and the left hip pulls the left shoulder down and rotates under the chin. The opposite happens on the down swing. As the left hip rises and drives the left shoulder up, it creates the pulling sensation mentioned in previous paragraph. Also, the right hip lowers pumping the right arm and club through impact.
It is hard to feel this sensation with a full swing, but the push of the right side and the pull of the left can be felt quite easily in short pitches. As the swing becomes longer, the push of the right side becomes a throwing action (sidearm). If you can keep the left arm relaxed and feeling like nothing more than a taut string (so you can pull with your body weight, not muscle in the arm) through impact, you can throw with three right hands just like hogan said. Don’t lose the tautness of the left side before impact or the right side throw will overtake it and you’re dead.
