A pivot movement in sports is a rotation about a stationary body part, such as the shoulder turn during a baseball pitch, tennis serve or golf turn when one or both legs remain planted. In golf, you pivot when you start your backswing, then again as you begin your forward swing.
Golf Biomechanics
Golfers generate most of their power from their lower body. The legs, trunk, hips and torso generate more watts of power than the shoulders, arms and wrists, and therefore help generate most of the club speed during a swing. Interrupting the kinetic chain of movements during a golf swing disrupts this transfer of power to the club, so correct pivot turn is essential to power. A correct pivot turn also helps create a correct swing path.
Backswing
The initial pivot occurs when you move your shoulders backward, keeping your hips and legs straight. Your hips and weight will move lower to the ground as you take your club backward and turn your torso. Your hips will gradually move backward as you continue to move your arms back, with your shoulders initially pushing your arms back before they separate from your body and finish the backswing. Your hips will open as your front leg moves your forward hip slightly backward.
Forward Swing
Your forward pivot occurs after you have finished your backswing. Your initial movement forward is with the back hip, which drives forward, pulling your shoulder forward. Your shoulder and torso will then drive your arms forward. If you begin your forward swing with your arms, driving your shoulders forward, you will hit the ball with more upper-body effort, decreasing your hip pivot. This creates a variety of problems including improper swing path, standing up on your toes and decreased power.
Role of the Legs
Your legs provide stability during the pivot turn. If you rock back and forth, completely shifting your weight from your front leg to your back leg, then back to your front foot, you will create multiple problems. This back-and-forth weight shift creates more linear momentum --- movement in one direction --- than angular momentum --- movement around an axis, decreasing your power. You may also lose control by not pivoting around your firmly planted legs, since your swing path will change.
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