Reverse K Setup: Should You Use It?
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Have you ever heard the term “Reverse K” on your favorite golf show and had no clue what it
meant?
The Reverse K in golf is a simple but effective technique that can help you make more consistent ball contact. If you’re looking for more distance with your driver and better ball striking, you are going to want to keep reading.
Here is a quick example to show you the Reverse K in action…
One of the great drivers in the game today is Rory McIlroy. Despite being only 5’9” and weighs around 160 pounds, he is able to consistently bomb it off the tee. He regularly averages over 315 yards off the tee for two reasons. Plus, his fairway woods and irons are also extremely long as well.
The first reason is that he has a tremendous amount of speed in his swing. If you want to hit it further, speed is crucial. But another reason is that he uses his lower body extremely effectively. He is able to push off the ground and explode into the golf ball at impact.
If you need help improving your swing speed, check out our post on swing speed. But if you want to learn more about generating power from your lower body, the Reverse K setup can help. Plus, this setup can help improve your contact with wedges and irons.
What is the Reverse K in Golf?
Let’s assume you’re a right-handed golfer. When you grip the club, your right hand is lower than your left, this naturally makes your right shoulder dip lower. But if you leave your hips level, your hips and shoulders are now on two different planes.
This setup position makes it difficult to create a powerful backswing and hit the golf ball consistently. The solution is adjusting your hips to counteract your shoulders.
Otherwise, if your hips are level, it’s easy to sway on the way back or even reverse pivot on your front leg. This will result in wildly inconsistent shots and a frustrating day on the links.
By bumping your hips slightly toward the target, you are making sure your hips and shoulders are on the same plane. These are the basics of the reverse K.
Keep reading to learn how you can get this setup in your golf game.
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Reverse K 101: Everything You Need to Know
To get in the proper setup position, you want to think of your body as forming a reverse-K at address position. This means that your left side (assuming you are right-handed) is fairly straight and your right side is slightly kinked at the waist.
From this position, are poised to load into your right side and then return to your left foot on the downswing. That will keep the low point of the swing just behind the ball and allow you to get your weight back to the left side.
Setup for Reverse K
1. Makesureyourkneesarebentandyouareinanathleticposition 2. PushyourHipsSlightlytotheleft,towardyourtarget
A lot of what you do before you ever swing has a huge impact on the golf shot. If you’re aimed way right or way left, gripping incorrectly or have bad posture, it’s harder to hit it consistently.
The setup that you need for the Reverse K is crucial. At address, you want to make sure that your knees are bent and that you are in an athletic position.
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This will help you use your legs for leverage and ensure that you can push off the ground. For the upper body, you want to make sure that you are standing tall and not hunched over.
The next thing you want to do is push your hips slightly to the left, toward your target. By bumping your hips forward, it will allow your upper body to get behind the golf ball at address. Scott McCarron talks more about the Reverse K posture in the video below.
Don’t overdo it and push your hips way forward. This will create a much more drastic angle and make it hard to properly shift your weight.
Here is how you should think about the Reverse K with different clubs:
Reverse K with Driver and Woods
I would argue that the reverse K is the most important with your driver. By having the proper setup, you can load up on your right side and keep your head behind the ball. But this only works if you have the ball positioned off of your left heel.
By setting up in this position, it will help you deliver an upward blow to ball and use your legs to generate more power (a la Rory McIlroy). This move is key to hitting your driver better. This move alone:
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Increases your ball trajectory Increases total carry distance Reduces backspin on your driver
This was even proven in a Stanford study and talked more about in the video below.
With your 3 or 5 wood, the only thing you need to adjust is the ball position. To hit a pure fairway wood off the ground, make sure it’s in the front-center part of your stance. Otherwise, your posture should remain the same.
Reverse K with Irons
The proper setup for irons is slightly different as you want to have a descending blow at impact. To hit pure irons, you have to hit the ball then the turf. When you hit down on the ball, it will go up thanks to the loft.
For longer irons, you want to have the ball positioned in the front or center. With shorter irons, you want just ahead of center. Make sure that your hips are bumped slightly toward the target.
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Reverse K with Wedges
The wedges also change slightly from your irons or woods. Moving the ball slightly back of center, this will put your head a little ahead of the ball.
By having your head and weight forward slightly, it will promote a clean and crisp strike that traps the ball. This should help generate a ball with less spin and a more controlled, lower trajectory.
Does Reverse K Help Your Contact?
Yes, having the right setup at address can make a drastic improvement to hitting it more consistently. The goal is to work on the reverse K position so much in practice that it becomes second nature on the course.
The Reverse K will make it easier to figure out what’s going wrong with your swing and easily assess yourself. For example, you might hit the irons pure but the driver all over the golf course. The first thing to evaluate is your setup and head position.
Make sure to video your swing and find a golf app that lets you draw lines to ensure your hips and shoulders are aligned.
Conclusion – Should You Use the Reverse K in Golf?
The reverse K is a no-brainer move to incorporate into your golf swing. By setting up in a reverse “K” position, you won’t have to do much other than turn your shoulders. This will help you if you come over the top with the driver and fairway woods.
Remember, just bump your hips slightly forward at address position. This will make sure that your shoulders and hips are on the same plane. Done consistently, this move should help you hit the ball farther as the contact is much more consistent.
For more tips about the fundamentals of a good golf swing, click here.
