Timing weight transfer

[keiko]

One of the keys to hitting it farther(and straighter) is to load the weight onto the right side then unload it at the correct time to the left. This sounds easy but those struggling with getting the distance they want, are actually ignoring how to do this correctly.
Staying on balance while moving your weight to the right side is critical, we see those struggling, sway, not transfer at all, slide, and otherwise not use their bodies effeciently.
I can tell you that if you do the feet together drill until you can do it with driver and stay balanced, you have begun to "feel" what it is like to smash it while staying on balance.
I would like to try to answer questions in this thread rather than guess what folks think they are doing wrong.
Fire away.

[kennyc]

Re: Timing weight transfer

Keiko,
Should the weight transfer be more of a shift of the lower body (like swinging a pendulum) or should it be a shift of both upper and lower body? Most pros seem to keep their heads reasonably still - I believe Nicklaus' coach , Jack Grout, used to actually hold onto his hair to stop his head moving. Yet I have seen instruction that says head movement is OK on the backswing although the head seems to return to its setup position on the forward swing.

You say to swing with your feet together to get the correct feel, yet surely this would preclude any sideways head movement at all or loss of balance would ensue?

Whenever I have tried to move on to my front foot (just before I start down) I usually end up blocking/slicing it out to the right. I know that the weight move is necessary to get better ball contact with the irons and, yes, I do get better contact but the right-hand rough always beckons. I guess I must be swinging incorrectly but I can't figure it out.

When I swing without any deliberate weight transfer I hit much straighter but I get a lot of clunkers.

Is there a cure?

[Ringer]

Re: Timing weight transfer

One of the keys to hitting it farther(and straighter) is to load the weight onto the right side then unload it at the correct time to the left. This sounds easy but those struggling with getting the distance they want, are actually ignoring how to do this correctly.
Staying on balance while moving your weight to the right side is critical, we see those struggling, sway, not transfer at all, slide, and otherwise not use their bodies effeciently.
I can tell you that if you do the feet together drill until you can do it with driver and stay balanced, you have begun to "feel" what it is like to smash it while staying on balance.
I would like to try to answer questions in this thread rather than guess what folks think they are doing wrong.
Fire away.

Good stuff keiko.

[keiko]

Re: Timing weight transfer

Thanks for your post. It is important to feel the torque between upper and lower body which necessitates keeping the lower body relatively quiet. Seems like a conundrum doesn't it, actually no.
An old stat claimed the upper should turn 90 degrees while the lower only 45 degrees thus providing the necessary torque I speak of.
The head can move a little sideways but not up or down.
Jack and many good pro's allowed the head to move a little but their strength came and now comes from keeping the lower body quiet while moving the left knee inwards. This left knee move shifts the weight without having to shift the lower body very much.
The feet together drill is just to establish the feel for balance, the head can move a little, the whole drill is aimed at swinging relaxed without maximum effort.
If you are shifting your weight and hitting blocks and slices, you may be overdoing the weight shift or need to strengthen your grip or need to be hitting more from the inside. Lots of issues here but those are a few.
Hope I answered some of your questions.

Keiko,
Should the weight transfer be more of a shift of the lower body (like swinging a pendulum) or should it be a shift of both upper and lower body? Most pros seem to keep their heads reasonably still - I believe Nicklaus' coach , Jack Grout, used to actually hold onto his hair to stop his head moving. Yet I have seen instruction that says head movement is OK on the backswing although the head seems to return to its setup position on the forward swing.

You say to swing with your feet together to get the correct feel, yet surely this would preclude any sideways head movement at all or loss of balance would ensue?

Whenever I have tried to move on to my front foot (just before I start down) I usually end up blocking/slicing it out to the right. I know that the weight move is necessary to get better ball contact with the irons and, yes, I do get better contact but the right-hand rough always beckons. I guess I must be swinging incorrectly but I can't figure it out.

When I swing without any deliberate weight transfer I hit much straighter but I get a lot of clunkers.

Is there a cure?

[KrudlerAce]

Spot On

Great advice Keiko,

Yes I see a lot of high handicappers doing this incorrectly every weekend. They transfer their weight to the right side and then they keep it there for the remainder of the golf swing.

I don't think it's a particular difficult thing to fix but strangely enough I lot of golfers still struggle with it.

Cheers.

[bill reed]

Re: Timing weight transfer

Hi Keiko
i find with my very open stance that i dont really take my weight back onto my right foot and its more balanced between the two feet but there is a weight change to the left foot on the downswing, what starts my weight change is my hip slid. i always have to drop my right elbow down in front of my right hip and my hip takes my elbow round on the downswing. it is a very simple way to swing and dows work very well.
i have some markers on my swing, my right knee always flexed inward and my left shoulder swings round to touch just under my chin and the third if the feel of my elbow dropping in front on my right hip.
i feel with the flexed right knee my weight transfer to the left is always the same and repeatable.
with my type of swing i have toi stop any movement of my hips backword in the backswing and the only way i can do this is to limet the amount of weight on my right side by keeping the right knee flexed.
i understand this wont work for everyone but if you do have active hips you really want to stop any back sway.
intrested in what you think of this way of swinging.
cheers
Bill

[keiko]

Re: Timing weight transfer

Also, I find I am beginning the weight shift to the front foot before I finish the backswing, there is a little squat move as I begin tranferring the weight and eventually drop the right elbow down.
I am keeping my back to the target longer; if I want to hit it further, ie. more of a power draw, I delay the upper body turn. This gets me deep into the lag position.
It sounds strenuous but it is effortless

[Ringer]

Re: Timing weight transfer

Also, I find I am beginning the weight shift to the front foot before I finish the backswing, there is a little squat move as I begin tranferring the weight and eventually drop the right elbow down.
I am keeping my back to the target longer; if I want to hit it further, ie. more of a power draw, I delay the upper body turn. This gets me deep into the lag position.
It sounds strenuous but it is effortless

Dunno about the lag but this is a good move for a lot of people. Trying to get your weight forward as soon as possible helps prevent a lot of people from getting too far back. Getting back is good, getting too far back is bad.

Pressure on the instep of the back foot is key. Once it gets on the outside of the foot you're in bad shape.

[kennyc]

Re: Timing weight transfer

Keiko,
So to hit a draw, which I have always found extremely difficult to achieve, I have to keep my back turned to the target longer than I have been doing, transfer my weight to my front foot and swing through with my arms before my shoulders have had a chance to turn? This would necessitate an increase in hand speed both down and through the ball?

Such an action should give the clubhead more time to release and result in a more inside hit, I think. Is this more or less what I should be aiming for?

Thanks for your help.

[keiko]

Re: Timing weight transfer

Ringer, Kenny et al, I am sorry if I am complicating this. Judging from your replies, I have apparently made this too complicated.
Watch a pitcher or a quarter back throw a ball, they wind up and shift their weight forward before they finish their windup.
This is just a simple move; unfortunately, tension causes us all to make this too hard to do. The squatting down move is something I teach folks to do, it is something that comes naturally because the body knows that to maintain it's center of gravity, it needs to get lower for power.
Sorry to fail in my explanation.
It's so simple that once you do it you will slap yourself for making it complicated.

[kbp]

Re: Timing weight transfer

These two articles, I think, have maybe the best description and the best illustrations of the transition move you are describing. If nothing else, folks can look at the pictures.

http://www.aroundhawaii.com/lifestyl...ransition.html

http://www.aroundhawaii.com/lifestyl...on-part-2.html

I describe it as drifting backwards toward the target while completing the backswing. Subtle. Use the momentum. Moving onto the front post. Unloading the back leg so you can compress/drop/squat and drive through. A picture’s worth a thousand words.

Also notice the nice and natural arching in Tiger’s back. Very important, IMO, and missing in many folks.

[Ringer]

Re: Timing weight transfer

Ringer, Kenny et al, I am sorry if I am complicating this. Judging from your replies, I have apparently made this too complicated.
Watch a pitcher or a quarter back throw a ball, they wind up and shift their weight forward before they finish their windup.
This is just a simple move; unfortunately, tension causes us all to make this too hard to do. The squatting down move is something I teach folks to do, it is something that comes naturally because the body knows that to maintain it's center of gravity, it needs to get lower for power.
Sorry to fail in my explanation.
It's so simple that once you do it you will slap yourself for making it complicated.

I don't think you've complicated things one bit. You did an excellent job of explaining it in simple terms.

[keiko]

Re: Timing weight transfer

When I was younger, if I wanter to hit it far, I had a backswing where the butt or handle of the club pointed at the sky at the top, from there I would just drop it down and through but I had already shifted my weight onto my front foot. Can you imagine such a thing; but I routinely hit the ball 325-350 and often on a dry day I could drive par 4's.
Now I am older(and wiser) but I have a young man's swing in an old man's body and still get a rush from looking up from my driver swing and seeing the ball disappear down the fairway 275 carry and now on a dry day, maybe 300 total a few times per round.
My secret is my balance, if I could tell younger players who want distance one thing they need to accomplish, it is to achieve balance in their swing. Unlike many teachers who tell students to just swing hard and work on accuracy later, I stress swinging within oneself, maintaining balance and eventually distance will come.
Too all those who are frustrated with lack of distance, my best advice to you is to learn to hit it flush FIRST, then distance will come.