Nelly Korda's Power Move: Verticals - Teaching this with Pelvis Lift Data

Elite movement can look effortless on video. The value of 3D data is that it makes the sequence underneath that motion visible and measurable.

In this Sportsbox analysis of Nelly Korda, the important pattern is not simply that her pelvis moves upward. Her pelvis lowers during transition, changes direction, and then rises through the downswing and impact.

What Pelvis Lift measures

Pelvis Lift measures the vertical movement of the pelvis relative to its position at address. The address value is set to zero. A negative number means the pelvis is lower than it was at address; a positive number means it is higher.

That definition matters because “using the ground” is difficult to coach from appearance alone. Pelvis Lift gives the coach and player a clearly defined number for how much the pelvis moves vertically—and when that movement changes direction.

First, the pelvis lowers

The carousel shows Nelly’s pelvis at -3.7 inches during transition. The negative value does not mean something has gone wrong. It identifies the lowering phase of the pattern.

For a coach, this is a useful reminder not to evaluate Pelvis Lift from one checkpoint alone. The number needs context:

• Where did the pelvis begin?
• How far did it lower?
• When did it stop lowering?
• What happened after the direction change?

The pattern is the lesson—not the lowest value by itself.

Then it changes direction and rises

The next slide illustrates the pelvis moving from a lowered value toward the address-height reference as the downswing progresses. Sportsbox makes that change visible as a curve and measurable at specific swing positions.

The simple coaching language is:

1. Lower first.
2. Change direction.
3. Drive upward through the downswing and impact.

That is more precise than telling a player to “use the ground” or “push up.” It defines the movement you are discussing and gives the student a sequence they can test.

Coach the player—not Nelly’s exact number

Nelly’s data is a useful example, not a universal target. Players have different bodies, swing patterns, physical capabilities, clubs, and ball-flight needs. Copying an elite player’s isolated value can create a new compensation instead of solving the original problem.

A better use of the example is to ask a coaching question:

Does this player lower, change direction, and rise in a sequence that supports the motion we are trying to create?

Then use the player’s own swings to establish the answer.

Turn the observation into a measurable coaching moment

A practical Sportsbox workflow could look like this:

1. Assess the current pattern

Capture several representative swings and inspect the full Pelvis Lift trace—not only the impact number. Identify the amount of lowering and the timing of the direction change.

2. Explain one number clearly

Show the student what negative and positive Pelvis Lift values mean. Connect the number to the exact swing position on the video and 3D avatar.

3. Set a custom goal

Choose a player-specific goal range or movement priority. The goal may involve the amount of lowering, the timing of the reversal, or the rise through impact. It should come from the player’s coaching need—not from copying Nelly.

4. Let the player practice with feedback

Use Sportsbox to check whether the player’s feel produces the intended movement. Each swing becomes feedback: maintain the feel, exaggerate it, or dial it back.

The coaching takeaway

Video can show that a player moved. Sportsbox can help define how much, in which direction, and when the direction changed.

With Nelly’s Pelvis Lift pattern, the useful takeaway is not “rise more.” It is:

Lower. Change direction. Then rise through impact.

Measure the player’s pattern, tie the coaching moment to a clearly defined number, and use feedback to help the student learn what the movement actually feels like.

Source: Sportsbox 3DGolf Instagram carousel.