The down swing

[Taggart5646]

Hello,

I seem to have always struggled with the final part of the swing once I have struck the ball. I tend to find that I have issues pushing the club through the ball and end up collapsing my wrists resulting in a high ball flight.

I was was just wondering if anyone has had this issue or knows of any good drills I can practice at home and the range

thank you in advance for any replies

mick

 

[Doh]

Welcome to the forum

Pushing the club through the ball is not a good thought IMHO you should be thinking about leading the grip end through with your hands and maintaining some lag.

 

[G1BB0]

I have the same issue which my Pro sussed out yesterday. He has me concentrating on the grip rather than the clubhead and maintaining lag at impact instead of flipping at it. I am just hitting 30 -50yd 7 irons concentrating on hitting straight and keeping the handle moving through the ball.

120 balls at the range today and feels a lot more natural already although I have another 10 tokens to get through before next lesson so 600 balls minimum

 

[JustOne]

2 things....

1) If you were swinging a broomhandle in the garden would you have an issue 'thru the impact zone'?
Try making practice swings with the club turned over..... so you are swinging the grip at the ball rather than the clubhead.

2) Ensure you swing thru to a nice balanced finish position... (that tends not to happen if your throw your hands/clubhead at the ball).

 

[Foxholer]

Putting a 6" Ruler into your glove or strapping it to your forearm overlapping the back of your hand MIGHT help get you out of the flipping habit. Careful though, and start slowly, as it can cause damage as well. I know someone who snapped his watch strap doing this drill.

JO's upside-down club swing is good if you make sure you hear the 'whoosh'.

 

[the_coach]

Hello,

I seem to have always struggled with the final part of the swing once I have struck the ball. I tend to find that I have issues pushing the club through the ball and end up collapsing my wrists resulting in a high ball flight.

I was was just wondering if anyone has had this issue or knows of any good drills I can practice at home and the range

thank you in advance for any replies

mick

Assuming that in your backswing when you get to the position when your left arm is parallel to the ground (straight left arm is also parallel too and pretty much in line with your toe line) your left arm and your club shaft make an "L" shape. The hands/wrists are set, the arm and shaft are at an angle of around 90 degrees. Then you just complete your shoulder turn to a nice three quarter position at the top.
From here just pay attention to the butt end of the grip from this top of the back swing position. (If your grips got a little hole in the butt end stick a long tee in there just the tip of it)
Imagine from your target through the ball and straight on far back is a straight line. We're doing this all just as a drill, no ball hitting and slowly to control it all to start with.
Now as you gently & slowly start the move down with your lower body first and that pulls your right shoulder downwards not out when you get back to the "L" position (as above) 90 degree angle intact, keep tee (if there's one there) or butt end of the club looking at that imaginary ball target line keep gently pulling the grip end down feeling you keep the club-head still 'up' in the air, keep going like this and you'll notice the butt end/tee will be starting to point to the ball, when you get to what's called the delivery position, your hands in front of your right thigh your club parallel to ball/target line and parallel to your toe line the butt end points out parallel towards your target, your weight will be on your left foot, left hipclearing left.

As long as your weight is left and your hips clear left and you continue your swing (from the hands being opposite your right thigh) gravity will pull the club-head down through impact, but your hands will lead with a forward leaning shaft, there will still be an angle retained in your right wrist through impact and as long as you now continue to swing through (not hit at the ball) and continue to turn your upper body through impact your head remains to the right of the ball as you swing past your center with a feeling that after impact you mirror that "L" position again on the way to a balanced finish, you won't flip or collapse your hands/wrists before impact.

Drill:- Tee stuck in butt end of grip of an 8 Iron (easier to control), with a ball on a small tee (only just off ground so you can't see any of the 'stalk' of the tee because you should swing down and onto the back of the ball through impact and not swing up through impact, trust the loft of the club and swing down!)

Now with just a 60% speed swing overall take the club back into that "L" position (tee looking at ball/target line) from here feel weight on left foot then swing down and through impact being conscious of that butt end leading towards target line and then towards the back of the ball with a feeling that you 'leave' the club-head behind and still up in the air. With your head still (not stuck down) and behind ball swing past your center through impact and finish mirroring the "L" position you had in the backswing.
So it's just that small swing back left arm parallel to ground club forming "L" shape, hands leading (conscious of the butt end of grip leading) swing down and through impact until your right arm is parallel to ground in the through swing.
This is with a good rhythm at 60%, we're not worried about distance here, we're just feeling at impact the weight on left foot the grip end leading the downswing club-head lags behind, your head still as we swing down and through impact to the "L" shape on the other side of impact.