Weight Transfer question....

[Airlie_Andy]

Ok brief but pointless bit of history first. Started playing properly ie joined a club and started taking lessons a year ago. My swing has come a long way since then BUT I still struggle with weight transfer and in particular getting into a good impact position which is causing me to be a bit Flicky at impact. I also sometimes still come over the top so that combined with a closed club face (due to flicking) is causing a pull that turns into a huge hook.

Now onto my question. I've been struggling with the transition and getting my weight onto my left side before impact. It gets there eventually with a full follow through etc and I know exactly what I should be doing its getting my body and in particular my hips to do as they are told. Anyway I was at the range last night getting annoyed at my lack of ability to get this right as usual and decided to try something a bit different. I set up as normal and then turned my hips slightly to the right to get the feeling I was already getting coiled. I then swung as normal from that position and it instantly felt more stable and i was striking the ball so much better. However, my question is am I storing up trouble for later by making this move? I don't to work on this for the next few weeks and then go to my next lesson to be told I've now created a new problem? It's not a large hip turn but it's enough to get the feeling that I'm already starting to coil which I think is creating an extra split second for my hip turn to not be playing catch up with my arms?

Any Thoughts?

 

[Whereditgo]

I struggle with weight transfer, only with the driver though which causes me to slice occasionally. My pro has encouraged me to (only at the range) set up in the normal address position then move the hips slightly to the left (right handed golfer) which load the weight more onto the front leg. I've been working on this for a couple of weeks and the improvements are really beginning to show.

You using One Stop Golf? If so book a lesson with Rich, I can't recommend him highly enough! :thup:

 

[Airlie_Andy]

I struggle with weight transfer, only with the driver though which causes me to slice occasionally. My pro has encouraged me to (only at the range) set up in the normal address position then move the hips slightly to the left (right handed golfer) which load the weight more onto the front leg. I've been working on this for a couple of weeks and the improvements are really beginning to show.

You using One Stop Golf? If so book a lesson with Rich, I can't recommend him highly enough! :thup:

It's Rich that I'm having lessons with.

 

[Wolfman]

Weight shift can mess with your head and in my opinion when you try to make it happen it will be wrong

With a good setup the shift will happen naturally, much like you throwing a stone, you dont think weight shift you just make the movement.

More importantly is having your head behind the ball at impact and when you try to "move" the weight shift the result is a move to far towards the target causing a horrible shot

The feet together drill is a good way of forgetting weight shift

 

[JustOne]

I've been struggling with the transition and getting my weight onto my left side before impact. It gets there eventually with a full follow through etc and I know exactly what I should be doing its getting my body and in particular my hips to do as they are told. Anyway I was at the range last night getting annoyed at my lack of ability to get this right as usual and decided to try something a bit different. I set up as normal and then turned my hips slightly to the right to get the feeling I was already getting coiled. I then swung as normal from that position and it instantly felt more stable and i was striking the ball so much better. However, my question is am I storing up trouble for later by making this move? I don't to work on this for the next few weeks and then go to my next lesson to be told I've now created a new problem? It's not a large hip turn but it's enough to get the feeling that I'm already starting to coil which I think is creating an extra split second for my hip turn to not be playing catch up with my arms?

Any Thoughts?

I would take a wild guess that your posture is too upright, this tends to lend itself to a sensation of needing to rotate the hips open around behind you. If you have a good posture then the feeling is actually more of wanting to lift your right hip UP. Have you got a vid of your swing at all?

 

[Airlie_Andy]

[video]http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7Upe9LOidxg[/video]

Went to the range this afternoon and filmed this. Apologies it's a little dark.

 

[JustOne]

Hi Andy,

Is that you in the other swings that are in your Youtube account? eg: after 2 lessons, after 3 lessons.

 

[Airlie_Andy]

Hi Andy,

Is that you in the other swings that are in your Youtube account? eg: after 2 lessons, after 3 lessons.

Yes that's me. Started my lessons last November and I've had 8 I think it is now.

 

[JustOne]

Ok.... take a look at these 3 pics.... see how you've steepened your club on the way down so much in your current down swing that it appears between your two arms instead of being closer to your right arm..... [click the picture to enlarge]



Picture 1 is just a tad high of the right forearm, picture 2 is a hair low to my liking,..... picture 3 is off the scale!! It's very, very steep and will cause you to stand up during your downswing thereby losing your spineangle somewhat...

here's a pic [below] at impact... your body is trying to 'lift up' to compensate for the steep downswing... and whilst it's trying to 'lift up' it can't get your hips rotated hardly at all (it's hard to rotate your hips whilst also trying to stand up straight)



hope that helps.

 

[Airlie_Andy]

So if I can flatten my downswing slightly ill give myself more chance of being able to rotate my hips more?

Thanks for the help by the way.

 

[Deadlydan]

I would take a wild guess that your posture is too upright, this tends to lend itself to a sensation of needing to rotate the hips open around behind you. If you have a good posture then the feeling is actually more of wanting to lift your right hip UP. Have you got a vid of your swing at all?

Hi, could you expand on that last bit? Is the sensation you mention while you are turning on the backswing? I wasn't turning my hips enough, and then I started locking it in which my pro told me is worse...I'm a bit confused as to how it goes

 

[bobmac]

Hi, could you expand on that last bit? Is the sensation you mention while you are turning on the backswing? I wasn't turning my hips enough, and then I started locking it in which my pro told me is worse...I'm a bit confused as to how it goes

Try this.....
Stand up straight and swing a club round your body as if you're trying to hit a ball at shoulder height. If you keep your head still, you should feel your body turning naturally. Then, keep swinging and gradually, bend from the hips until the club starts brushing the ground. That should help you feel the natural body turn.
I think you are over-thinking the turn.

 

[Deadlydan]

Wow, that's really good...so simple, but I can feel it! Thanks Bob

 

[JustOne]

So if I can flatten my downswing slightly ill give myself more chance of being able to rotate my hips more?

It will give you the feeling of the clubhead being more behind you and having to rotate your hips to bring the shaft down to the ball. At the moment you are 'cheating' by bringing the club down steep and not even needing to rotate your hips. Maintaining a bent over position in the golf swing and allowing the shoulders and hips to rotate is essential, the moment you start standing up tall on the downswing/impact area - you're screwed.

Don't let 'flattening your downswing' get confused with a decent takeaway...you don't want to start taking the club back miles (and flat) behind you, it's about controlling the plane of the club on the way down, just above the plane of the right forearm is ideal.

Regarding your weight transfer.....we can deal with that later at the moment (because you're standing up) your weight transfer is probably VERTICAL! and I expect you don't get nearly as much weight transferring through the ball and onto your left foot as you need.