bMovement from top of backswing to contact of ball

[leehutchinson]

I have recently been having a bit of trouble with this part of my swing. Am I right in saying that from the top of the backswing, the first move should be of the hips to slide/point up to the left and then to rotate the hips around before swinging. Has anyone got any help please.

Thanks

Lee.

[leehutchinson]

Re: bMovement from top of backswing to contact of ball

im sorry can you make it more simpler, i do appear to have a more upright swing but not sure what you mean by fingers and hands??

[BrianW]

Re: bMovement from top of backswing to contact of ball

What starts the downswing?

Step In Drill

The start of the downswing is identical to that of walking, try not to analyse this part of your golfswing too much.

Try this drill to find the answer:

Setup with a narrow stance and place the ball about an inch ahead of your left foot (Righties). Make a smooth backswing and just as you are about to start the downswing allow your left foot to step to the left side of the ball. In reality your left leg should start to move just before you reach the top of your backswing.

As your weight naturally settles on your left side fire your body through the ball to your finish position.

Repeat this drill a number of times and try to pick up the wave like motion that will start to come after a few shots.

[Timothy Slaught]

Re: bMovement from top of backswing to contact of ball

Lee:

If you are hitting shots inconsistently, you may want to think about starting the arms down as you bump that left hip. It's a little tricky but you start down (not out) with the arms while bumping the left hip to get the weight transfering but you keep your shoulders from turning towards the target line (back facing target). This allows you to attack the ball from the inside but still allows your arms to be in front of your chest during the strike. The way you describe the sequence, you may be getting stuck with the arms which leads to flipping with the hands to square the clubface. This flipping (swatting) is hard to time.

Let your ball flight be your guide. Practice timing the arm swing with the lower body action but you are on your way to sound golf by initiating the downswing with the lower body as you describe.

[edshaw]

Re: bMovement from top of backswing to contact of ball

Yes, you are exactly right. In the classic
swing, the downswing is initiated by the
returning of the hips to square, where they
remain through impact, and then follow
through without restriction.
Note the tendency of the hands to
start to the outside as soon as the
hips begin their return. Don't allow
that to happen.

[snake]

Re: bMovement from top of backswing to contact of ball

EdShaw you mention "return the hips to square where they remain until impact" (or something like that)
Now I am very confused.
I am trying to keep the flex in my right knee during the backswing which restricts the turning of the hips when I take the club back.
When I start my downswing I was told to rotate the hips towards the target and at strike I my hips should have cleared left at impact.
Is this contradicting your "hips to sqaure at impact" thought ?

[edshaw]

Re: bMovement from top of backswing to contact of ball

It happens quickly, but, yes, the hips
have cleared at impact.
If you are committed to instruction
that restricts the hip turn then you
ought to go with that instructor's
teachings. But, I don't understand
the idea behind it. My school of
thought does not understand the
flex of the right knee as working
to restrict hip turn. It does understand
the right knee flex as part of
anchoring the right lower body.

[BrianW]

Re: bMovement from top of backswing to contact of ball

I think too much emphasis can be placed on hip turn and slide in the golf swing, leading to reverse pivoting.

It is more important in the downswing to think of the left leg anchoring and allowing the body to rotate around it, the same as the backswing.

[edshaw]

Re: bMovement from top of backswing to contact of ball

I agree with you on that, Brian.
The point of focus changes, but
the result and the intent of the
result remains the same. For years,
I went under the false thought that
the hips should slide towards the
target. I am sure I'm not the only
golfer so hexed by 1950's teaching.
----------------
But, let's understand, the hands are
not completely at the mercy of the
first mid to lower body move down
unless the golfer either lets them be
or is short on understanding of the
path down.

[snake]

Re: bMovement from top of backswing to contact of ball

Hi,
Anchoring the left leg and letting the body turn around it on the downswing sounds good but can you clarify ?
My left leg tends to bow and slide forward but I see "classic" swings where the left leg is straight with minimal forward movement.
Should I try to straighten the left leg or can a bow forward also be okay ?

[BrianW]

Re: bMovement from top of backswing to contact of ball

Hi,
Anchoring the left leg and letting the body turn around it on the downswing sounds good but can you clarify ?
My left leg tends to bow and slide forward but I see "classic" swings where the left leg is straight with minimal forward movement.
Should I try to straighten the left leg or can a bow forward also be okay ?

At address allow your feet to point out at around 30 deg from square.

When the mid-section of the body begins to rotate in the back swing and downswing it creates a ripple effect that transfers through the lower body. The knees will instinctively follow suit and and partially rotate, if the feet are square there is nowhere for them to go. The end result is that the knees are forced to detour and bust out of their natural boundaries of the stance.

[edshaw]

Re: bMovement from top of backswing to contact of ball

It is axiomatic in classic instruction to
hit against a firm left side. However,
that advice can be taken too far, at
which point the stiffness of the left
side restricts the free flow of the swing.
Ben Hogan speaks to that point many
times and specifically on page 107 of
Five Lessons.

[snake]

Re: bMovement from top of backswing to contact of ball

Hi, What is "five lessons" ?

[edshaw]

Re: bMovement from top of backswing to contact of ball

Ben Hogan was a great PGA tour player,
a dedicated practicer, and, one of the
most accomplished students of the full
golf swing. He compiled what he knew
into a master work, "Five Lessons
The Modern Fundamentals of Golf,"
published as a series of articles
by Sports Illustrated in 1953 and
later in book form by Simon and
Schuster.
I wouldn't say the book is a substitute
for lessons from a PGA pro, but it
sure adds a lot of knowledge for
anyone interested in how the swing
works. Perhaps the best testimony
for the book is that now, fifty years
later, people still read it and very
few pros openly dispute Ben's ideas,
though constructive debate over several
of the points does take place, and
people still read it. Jimmy Ballard has
a very good book, too.

[acq111]

Re: bMovement from top of backswing to contact of ball

What I do to trigger my downswing is just kick my left knee out a little while rolling onto the outside of my left foot (for a righty). This starts the weight transfer and everything else just kinda seems to take care of itself. As long as you don't have an extremely early release (casting) A good weight transfer and making sure you maintain the spine angle in the downswing should produce decent shots.

Nick