What Starts the Downswing?

[1664louis]

Hi Guys been reading a few books on the golf swing while working away but im confused as they do contradict each other with the start of the downswing. Some same a drop in the arms letting them fall in front of the body. while others are saying to start with the left knee, hip, etc creating a coil like motion from the ground up.

Just wanted to grab anyones thoughts out there.

 

[DaveM]

Assuming it is a normal swing!(I'm going to use front and back foot etc. As I am a lefty make it easier to write with no mix up).
On the back swing you will have coiled your body and transfered your weight, on to the back foot (coiled not swayed). So on the down swing your first move is to start to uncoil your hips. Transferring your weight onto the front foot. This will also have the effect of pulling your arms down, naturally with out any movement from them. You then carry on turning and swinging the club, down and though the impact area to a full finish. Hand release will/should happen naturally from the momentum of the swing. Oh and keep everything smooth. no hitting at the ball. As they say the ball just gets in the way of the swing.

Think thats about it. Or at least what I try to do.

 

[1664louis]

Thanks Dave, thats the kind of image i have and always used, a kind of skimming a stone motion as they say.

 

[One Planer]

I don't think one "single" thing starts the downswing.

I like to think of things moving together rather than focus on an individual part.

 

[Jensen]

Similar to above, I start my downswing with a weight shift forward. So as I've coiled up my left hip, as I'm right handed, shifts to the left towards the target and this naturally pulls my arms down.

 

[SocketRocket]

This is the way I feel my downswing starting. I turn my hips back to the position they were at address without making any attempt to move the arms or shoulders.

 

[sawtooth]

I would say that the arms need to reverse direction first or at least at the same time as any hip movement.

 

[JustOne]

I feel like my downswing begins before I've finished the backswing. I feel my weight go slightly into my left side (from the hip) and then it's about getting the left knee (which is now flexed) out of the way and the left hip moving back.

 

[jdchelsea]

Lower body initiated by the left foot for me (I'm right handed). The initiation in my foot is hard to describe but I suppose a downward pressure that is slightly towards the target in the ball of my foot.

 

[timchump]

to practice starting the downswing i find it good to pre-set the position in the top, then to me it feels natural to start with the lower half of the body, moving the hips forward then rotating.

This helps with my bad habit of starting the downswing snatching with the hands.

 

[1664louis]

Thanks everyone to your replies, just been moving house so not had a chance to try the ideas out but looking forward to giving it a go. My backswing is pretty much set on plane, its now just sequencing the downswing into the back of the ball at the correct time!

 

[1664louis]

Down at the range today, trying to resist the temptation to hit from the top. I know in my head the sequence of movements from the ground up, just like skimming a stone but still that slight slice keeps creeping in proving ive come over the top!

Anyone else suffered or suffering from this problem?

 

[JustOne]

Down at the range today, trying to resist the temptation to hit from the top. I know in my head the sequence of movements from the ground up, just like skimming a stone but still that slight slice keeps creeping in proving ive come over the top!

Anyone else suffered or suffering from this problem?

Is your slice starting to the left or the right?

 

[1664louis]

Both push and pull slices but i think that is mainly because im trying different things at the mo.

 

[G1BB0]

was working on this today. My pro had me coiling onto my right side with a good hip turn then dropping the arms as the 1st movement to avoid me firing my hips too early. Basically setup in your backswing and just pump your arms down until the club head is 3/4 down towards the ground then on the 3rd swing through full. do this drill twice then setup to the ball and go for it with minimum time inbetween the 2 practice swings and the real deal (if you delay the brain kicks in and too many thoughts) apparently it should be felt not thought!

Will let you know if it works but intial responses are very positive

apologies to the experts if this is incorrect as I always thought it was the hips 1st aswell but maybe it is specific to someone like myself who struggles with firing the hips too early.

 

[Wolfman]

I tried the "pump" drill to start the downswing and it didnt work as i forgot about the hips !

Recently found a good video on You Tube and it explained about thinking about your belt buckle and making the lower body turn before the arms and shoulders

The image of turning belt buckle before anything else really helped me and in doing this it actually results in a very slight move towards the target ( hip bump )

This works well

 

[JustOne]

Both push and pull slices but i think that is mainly because im trying different things at the mo.

If it starts right and curves more right the face is too open.

If it starts left then curves right the path is swinging too far left.

It's harder to change the path of someones swing where as the face can be adjusted with just the grip. I'd suggest you try and close the face a little and then swing as normal as you can, it should reduce the slice. If you want to fix the slice properly you need to reduce the amount that you 'cut' across the ball... harder to fix this.

 

[SocketRocket]

This picture showing Adam Scott and Tiger in the halfway down delivery position shows the perfect position to get into in the downswing. Hips have turned back near the setup position and the clubshaft is laying at the same angle as the right forearm. Not much can go wrong from here.

View attachment 2145

 

[sev112]

At top of backswing you have a bent left knee and a pretty straight right knee

You just reverse this and away you go


This very simple action moves your hips from approx 45 degrees closed to 45 degrees right. Try it and see - you dont need a club.
(Stand nuetral, and draw the back of your right leg back and the front of your left knee forward. Then do the opposite, it takes you back through neutral set up position through to completion. That is the range of movement of the hips in a full swing. Very quiet very simple)


You also get the benefit of a very simple mechanism, that's quite restricted in its range of movement, and therefore less susceptible to teh range of movements with turning of the torso (which a lot of people mistake for "turning their hips"). Also teh added benefit of being very closely associated with feet/balance/support/ground resistance, which a lot of teachers say is key to a good stable swing.