Losing Posture on Downswing

[tomallinder]

Well... I thought I had this fixed but it has come back. This is really driving me nuts. I am 47 yrs old and have a well above average knowledge of the golf swing. I have videoed my swing many times. I will try to post it here. Now here is the problem:

I take the club back, everything looks good getting to the top then starting down. As I near impact, I rear up violently to the point of almost standing vertically. Also, I lead the downswing by a slight bump to the left (I am right handed) and an uncoiling of my hips. But, as I near the impact the hip turn stops with the standing up action at impact. ...

The result of this is shots hit weakly to the right, a big power drain, thin shots etc. Really ugly golf shots.

If I slow my swing down to 25 or 50% power, the standing up is not as bad but still occurs. On the course, If I really try to belt one, the standing up action is so violent that I have to step backwards to keep from falling over.

I cannot stop doing this... I have no physical problems... I have had many lessons from pros and they essentially tell me to stop standing up and stay down and through it. Its not that simple. Pls someone help me!!!

[pnearn]

Re: Losing Posture on Downswing

Heres a couple of things too try

How tall are you? It may be you need to stand taller to the ball with less hip bend or further away with more? Try and experiment with your posture to see if that helps

Secondly it may be that you are trying to either hit the ball up or trying too hard to come from the inside (this happened to me when I was trying real hard to come from the inside, id stand up as I tried to force my arms go to right field). Try looking at a spot on the inside back left side of ball, make a good backswing (not overly flat or steep) and then feel you are going to swing left whilst holding your shoulders back (keeping them facing the target for a split second). That is swing down on the back of the ball, hitting that spot you are looking at and getting the club around you more on the follow through. Will feel like you are going OTT but forget that and just see what happens

[Robert O' Keeffe]

Re: Losing Posture on Downswing

Sounds to me like you are looking for the result before the shot is finished. Try concentrating on moving your body around your spine and keeping that head still. This should encourage a stable position from start to finish of your swing. Forget about the result until the ball is gone. Also try little half shots in practice. This should give your body a feeling of rhythm which should also encourage a slowing down of your swing.

[kbp]

Re: Losing Posture on Downswing

When you uncoil your hips, make sure they aren’t pushing in toward the ball or crowding the space between you and the ball. Make sure the left hip is opening up and working behind you, over your left heel, like someone is pulling your left belt loop from behind you. Make sure the right hip is working toward the target, not crowding in toward the ball too much.

Try this. Address the ball and then move yourself into an "ideal" impact position....hjps facing the target, shoulders slightly open, shaft and left arm straight, cupped right hand, good spine angle, head behind ball, club head square to the target and the ground. (See Greg Willis’ Impact Drill) Now take a full back swing, starting from this impact position and then downswing MAKING SURE YOU MOVE BACK THROUGH THE PRESET IMPACT POSITION hitting the ball and then following through.

[BrianW]

Re: Losing Posture on Downswing

Hi,

Do you have a concern of hitting fat shots (behind the ball)? If you do then your straightening may be caused by a subconscious desire to keep the club off the ground. Look into your weight shift and try to push your left knee out while turning your hips, try to obtain a squat feeling at the start of the downswing.

[shootin4par]

Re: Losing Posture on Downswing

Well... I thought I had this fixed but it has come back. This is really driving me nuts. I am 47 yrs old and have a well above average knowledge of the golf swing. I have videoed my swing many times. I will try to post it here. Now here is the problem:

I take the club back, everything looks good getting to the top then starting down. As I near impact, I rear up violently to the point of almost standing vertically. Also, I lead the downswing by a slight bump to the left (I am right handed) and an uncoiling of my hips. But, as I near the impact the hip turn stops with the standing up action at impact. ...

The result of this is shots hit weakly to the right, a big power drain, thin shots etc. Really ugly golf shots.

If I slow my swing down to 25 or 50% power, the standing up is not as bad but still occurs. On the course, If I really try to belt one, the standing up action is so violent that I have to step backwards to keep from falling over.

I cannot stop doing this... I have no physical problems... I have had many lessons from pros and they essentially tell me to stop standing up and stay down and through it. Its not that simple. Pls someone help me!!!

sounds very easy to me but I could be wrong.
Go out and place a tee in the ground, then set up to it like you would a normal ball. make a SLOW, VERY SLOW, practice swing and stay down like you feel you should, and use no adjustments. Tell me when your stike the ground, and if you stayed down how long and deep would that divot be. My guess is that it would be 2 inches or deeper, maybe 3-4. Like I said I could be wrong but go outside and check it out then report back.

[tomallinder]

Re: Losing Posture on Downswing

Thanks! All very good points...

The standing up is a result- (I worked on it after my post) of poor hip action. I have been playing for many years and my hip turn has never been right. After working on that this morning in slow motion, I think this is the actual root of the problem. If my hips are in the way, I have to straighten up to get the club back in front of me.

Its important to identify the root of the problem.

I am also going to work on my flexibility. This is another problem.

Bottom line is I have to do a lot of work then find a way to take it onto the golf course. Things can be great on simulator or on the range but on the course, I, as most others will, revert back to the old swing.

[tomallinder]

Re: Losing Posture on Downswing

<<Go out and place a tee in the ground, then set up to it like you would a normal ball. make a SLOW, VERY SLOW, practice swing and stay down like you feel you should, and use no adjustments. Tell me when your stike the ground, and if you stayed down how long and deep would that divot be. My guess is that it would be 2 inches or deeper, maybe 3-4. Like I said I could be wrong but go outside and check it out then report back.>>

With a CORRECT impact position (hips turned out of the way) the ball is hit very solidly. Problems is in the hips. With lazy hip turn coming down, I am steep and have to stand up to clear hips.

My drill is to continue to hit balls very slowly by turning hips first and forgetting about what my arms, shoulders are doing. If I turn the hips out of the way, everything else falls into place.

Amazing that all these years of instruction and video could not identify the problem.

Another thing: The only reason I play well for the most part is my athletic ability to find a way with all the faults to still get the club back to the ball. Too much technicals have gotten in the way of a simple fundamental which is that the golf swing starts with the upper body going back then reverses with uncoil of lower body starting down. If a golf swing is not sequenced this way, it will be inferior and very much dependent on lots of practice and TIMING. With proper sequencing, the swing is much easier and is not so dependent on timing and hitting thousands of balls a week.

This is a great site with lots of great people. Thanks so much!

[BrianW]

Re: Losing Posture on Downswing

<<Go out and place a tee in the ground, then set up to it like you would a normal ball. make a SLOW, VERY SLOW, practice swing and stay down like you feel you should, and use no adjustments. Tell me when your stike the ground, and if you stayed down how long and deep would that divot be. My guess is that it would be 2 inches or deeper, maybe 3-4. Like I said I could be wrong but go outside and check it out then report back.>>

With a CORRECT impact position (hips turned out of the way) the ball is hit very solidly. Problems is in the hips. With lazy hip turn coming down, I am steep and have to stand up to clear hips.

My drill is to continue to hit balls very slowly by turning hips first and forgetting about what my arms, shoulders are doing. If I turn the hips out of the way, everything else falls into place.

Amazing that all these years of instruction and video could not identify the problem.

Another thing: The only reason I play well for the most part is my athletic ability to find a way with all the faults to still get the club back to the ball. Too much technicals have gotten in the way of a simple fundamental which is that the golf swing starts with the upper body going back then reverses with uncoil of lower body starting down. If a golf swing is not sequenced this way, it will be inferior and very much dependent on lots of practice and TIMING. With proper sequencing, the swing is much easier and is not so dependent on timing and hitting thousands of balls a week.

This is a great site with lots of great people. Thanks so much!

Yes, that's correct. I think you must put back in the downswing what you took in the backswing (and a little bit more at impact) . On the way back the upper body moves then has to slow for the lower to catch up, in the downswing the lower body moves and has to wait for the upper to catch up.

Anyway, good to see you have reasoned it out yourself now with help from the members

[gman4500]

Re: Losing Posture on Downswing

I have/had a similar prob. I now wait for the hands to drop into the slot and then to stay on plane I feel my right shoulder move toward the ball(important not to let r shoulder move to early.) Feels weird at first like you are watching the shot from upside down but after a while you get use to it and have what they call keeping your head on a pillow into the follow thru(tilted right.) Because your right shoulder is now closer to the ball at impact, it is easier to maintain that slight bend in your right arm and the cup in your right wrist well thru impact.

[RandomHero1090]

Re: Losing Posture on Downswing

I have/had a similar prob. I now wait for the hands to drop into the slot and then to stay on plane I feel my right shoulder move toward the ball(important not to let r shoulder move to early.) Feels weird at first like you are watching the shot from upside down but after a while you get use to it and have what they call keeping your head on a pillow into the follow thru(tilted right.) Because your right shoulder is now closer to the ball at impact, it is easier to maintain that slight bend in your right arm and the cup in your right wrist well thru impact.

Agree with "wait." Best drill for that is the 1-2-3.

1) Go to the top of your swing and pause for 3 seconds.
2) Start down with the slight hip bump and let your hands "fall" or "drop" into the slot and pause there for 3 seconds.
3) Finish the swing from there with a nice blended movement.

[swingit]

Re: Losing Posture on Downswing

I have struggled with losing my posture on the downswing for years. My problem was an early release of the club or "casting" as it is sometimes called. When the wristcock is released early in the downswing the angle straightens out too soon and the club is forced below its proper path and you must come up to bring the club up to the ball. What has helped me is to completely relax the right arm and lead the swing with the left arm and to make sure I am making a swinging motion through the ball. You do not have to worry about using the right arm and hand if you are right handed. The emphasis should be on omission. Just make sure you are making a swinging motion through the ball and it should help keep you in your posture.

[keiko]

Re: Losing Posture on Downswing

Feel as if the butt end or handle of the club is pointing at the ball on the downswing, this will keep you in the shot.
Also, do the pump drill where you take your backswing and pump your downswing by dropping your right elbow to your hip 2 times, then on the 3rd, hit the ball.
Also, try to watch the club hit the ball, a good drill for slowing down your swing which is maybe your problem, ie. right side dominant too quick on downswing.
Let me know if these tips help.
also, one more thing, if you finish your backswing it is hard to standup in the downswing assuming you allow the arms to be passive.

Well... I thought I had this fixed but it has come back. This is really driving me nuts. I am 47 yrs old and have a well above average knowledge of the golf swing. I have videoed my swing many times. I will try to post it here. Now here is the problem:

I take the club back, everything looks good getting to the top then starting down. As I near impact, I rear up violently to the point of almost standing vertically. Also, I lead the downswing by a slight bump to the left (I am right handed) and an uncoiling of my hips. But, as I near the impact the hip turn stops with the standing up action at impact. ...

The result of this is shots hit weakly to the right, a big power drain, thin shots etc. Really ugly golf shots.

If I slow my swing down to 25 or 50% power, the standing up is not as bad but still occurs. On the course, If I really try to belt one, the standing up action is so violent that I have to step backwards to keep from falling over.

I cannot stop doing this... I have no physical problems... I have had many lessons from pros and they essentially tell me to stop standing up and stay down and through it. Its not that simple. Pls someone help me!!!

[keiko]

Re: Losing Posture on Downswing

I gave your dilemma more thought and have come up with one more idea.
If you have too much knee flex at address your tendency would be to straighten up pre impact because most folks can't hold that degree of flex very long.
Check your address posture and knee flex, if it is too much, try standing at address with your knees almost straight, this should promote a squat at impact.
I personally like to stand straight at address and take very little knee flex while allowing the club to just hang down from the arms/hands, if I am hitting shots thin(or fat), I will think about squatting down into the left buttocks at impact.
Hope this helps.

Well... I thought I had this fixed but it has come back. This is really driving me nuts. I am 47 yrs old and have a well above average knowledge of the golf swing. I have videoed my swing many times. I will try to post it here. Now here is the problem:

I take the club back, everything looks good getting to the top then starting down. As I near impact, I rear up violently to the point of almost standing vertically. Also, I lead the downswing by a slight bump to the left (I am right handed) and an uncoiling of my hips. But, as I near the impact the hip turn stops with the standing up action at impact. ...

The result of this is shots hit weakly to the right, a big power drain, thin shots etc. Really ugly golf shots.

If I slow my swing down to 25 or 50% power, the standing up is not as bad but still occurs. On the course, If I really try to belt one, the standing up action is so violent that I have to step backwards to keep from falling over.

I cannot stop doing this... I have no physical problems... I have had many lessons from pros and they essentially tell me to stop standing up and stay down and through it. Its not that simple. Pls someone help me!!!

[heshy67]

Re: Losing Posture on Downswing

here this might help...from the top let your left knee circle "around" your toes and then to the target...done properly the hips will make the correct motion

try it