Ask the Top 100: The right way to start your downswing

Dear T.J.,
Recently I have been making poor contact with not only my irons, but my driver too. I don’t feel like I am turning through the ball and releasing. I feel like I am hanging back after impact. I am also hitting a lot of fat shots.  Am I analyzing this right? If so, what can I do?
Frank, Baltimore, Md.

I know you’re not sick, Frank, but your swing is a bit under the weather so we’ll need to go to the hospital to find a solution.

Studies conducted at Centinela Hospital Medical Center in Inglewood, Calif., prove that the move that starts the downswing is a transfer of pressure into the front hip. Researchers placed electrodes on Tour players while they swung and documented that there is a hip switch from the back hip to the front hip at the beginning of the downswing, a switch which reconfigures your power centers and keeps you over the ball at impact. Here's a drill to help you with this prime-time move.

Step on It, Frank

Place a 9-iron on the ground so the face is under your front foot and the shaft is parallel with the target line. Hover the toes of your front foot above the clubhead while keeping your heel down then swing to the top. To start the downswing step on the clubface by switching pressure to your front hip just as you do when you walk. Make this your first move down. If you do it correctly then stepping on the clubface will make the shaft of the club pop up before your hands are shoulder high. Use this drill and you'll know exactly when you make the switch -- this is important because most golfers are late with the switch.

Once you’ve stepped forward, then rotate your hips and chest and hit it. Tee the ball, use a 7-iron and swing easy at first.

The key difference here is the concept: Don't think weight shift, think hip switch. It may sound like a subtle difference but your brain is much better at the concept of "walking" than it is at "shifting."

At the top of the swing I'm in my right hip but have not swayed off the ball. I'm ready to "walk to my left side." Note that the toes of my front foot hover over the face of the club laying on the ground, but my heel is anchored just as it is when I take a step.

 

Starting down I shift the pressure to my left hip and up pops the clubshaft.

Comments

[Michael Miller]

I am going to try this but I am having a terrible time making contact with my long irons and hybrids. Any help??

[Michael Miller]

I am going to try this but I am having a terrible time making contact with my long irons and hybrids. Any help??

[Mitch]

The mental image of "sweeping" the ground helps me to keep from swinging my hybrid and long irons too steep.

[Jeremy in Indiana]

This is a great tip. Another good object and perhaps safer (in my opinion) to have under your left foot while you swing to decipher when you are starting your downswing with a preferred shift of your foot weight to your left is to use a small pet toy that squeaks. Usually you can pick one up at a pet store. You can buy one that is fairly inexpensive and small. You want to make sure you buy one that is very, very sensitive and squeaks almost immediately when pressure is applied. That's because you want to know exactly when you start applying weight to your left foot. Make sure you know that you do not want to make a major "sway" of your entire body or your torso onto your left foot or left side, but merely feel the impression you are stepping on the toy now, making a smooth transfer of weight slightly and as the swing comes down into the ball and around your core to the left to finish. Your weight still should remain primarily centered, with the weight transfer occurring naturally as you come down and around to the left side. A good mental picture of how slight weight transfer can be is to think of a marble or small amount of water on a perfectly leveled see-saw. Just the slightest movement will make the marble roll to one side or the other. At a glance from a distance, the see-saw may still look very stable and level, but the marble or water knows when the see-saw level has changed. So will the squeaky toy.

Like all advice given, you have to be realistic and try it out to see if it works for you. Good luck!!

[Jeremy in Indiana]

This is a great tip. Another good object and perhaps safer (in my opinion) to have under your left foot while you swing to decipher when you are starting your downswing with a preferred shift of your foot weight to your left is to use a small pet toy that squeaks. Usually you can pick one up at a pet store. You can buy one that is fairly inexpensive and small. You want to make sure you buy one that is very, very sensitive and squeaks almost immediately when pressure is applied. That's because you want to know exactly when you start applying weight to your left foot. Make sure you know that you do not want to make a major "sway" of your entire body or your torso onto your left foot or left side, but merely feel the impression you are stepping on the toy now, making a smooth transfer of weight slightly and as the swing comes down into the ball and around your core to the left to finish. Your weight still should remain primarily centered, with the weight transfer occurring naturally as you come down and around to the left side. A good mental picture of how slight weight transfer can be is to think of a marble or small amount of water on a perfectly leveled see-saw. Just the slightest movement will make the marble roll to one side or the other. At a glance from a distance, the see-saw may still look very stable and level, but the marble or water knows when the see-saw level has changed. So will the squeaky toy.

Like all advice given, you have to be realistic and try it out to see if it works for you. Good luck!!

[Rick Barrett]

I've always been plagued by the fat shot. This tip addresses this problem by helping the golfer get off their trailing side during the down swing. I found a video tip on you tube that really speaks to this problem. Since we are in the middle of winter, I've only practiced this tip in a golf dome but my percentage of clean hits with my irons and hybrids has improved. I'm providing the url, I think this is the best tip about curing the fat shot I've ever seen.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjGs2jUHGcI&feature=related

[Bill Bondaruk]

I 'm not a big fan of the hip switch thing but the drill would make alot more sense for the one plane stack and tilters. The club would always be in the air for those swing types.

[Todd Donlick]

Bill B,
email me, I need a lesson on the stack and tilt, my old move has gone south.
TD

[Tanner Peterson]

I am hitting most of my driver shots on te toe. Fix? Also, I feel like I'm sliding in my swing back and forth. how can I make myself turn and coil to get more power instead?

[Dr Heller]

I just had a lesson and fitting and the pro told me my ball strike is on the inside of the heal. Some times I hit the ball side ways and it goes side ways. Other than moving away from the ball a little, is their anything I can do to hit it more on the center of the iron?

[Dr Heller]

I had a fitting and lesson and the pro said I'm coming inside. Other than moving away from the ball, is there anything else I can do to fix this propblem?

[PD]

The best tip i have gotten on this subject that has worked for me is placing a golf ball under the outside of my right foot,it helps my problem of getting too far laterally to the right,keeps my weight to the the inside of my right foot in the backswing and am able to push off of the inside of my right foot to a full finish. The pressing of the left foot to start the downswing i haven't gotten comfortable with. Would like to hear other comments on starting the downswing which is my usual problem...not sure yet if the pushing off of the right foot is the most correct way??