Sometimes it simply takes a little more time and possibly a little different information to find the key that ignites your golf swing. I'm really pleased that you have found your key to better golf and I wish you the best of luck with your practice and performance. Thanks for your feedback, it's much appreciated.
during 2011 i was hitting 100-150 balls a day at the range working on downswing transition, i have pages upon pages of information from a couple of the local pga coaches and was about to give this game up as i was working really had but my ball striking was getting worse and worse which was never a problem in the past, i even started shanking the ball which i have not done in many years but when i came upon your video a light bulb switched on inside my head. Just came back from the range CURED
Excellent video and VERY helpful. I am always aware of the fact that I need to point the butt end of the club towards the ball on the downswing, somedays it's effortless with pure shots and other days I just can't feel it at all. I think on the days I can't feel it I'm getting to right side dominant. What are your thoughts? Thanks so much!
This video has completely changed my golf game for the better. I now have more confidence, enjoying my golf and shaving stokes of my score card. Thank you
First of all thank you for your videos and your time, they have helped me greatly! My question is this, on the down swing do you pull with your left and let the right hand ride along while retaining wrist angle until impact? I tried it that way and I feel the club release with no effort through impact and because of the grip with left my left forearm rotates the club effortlessly through! Just wandering if that's right? I guess I'm looking for a feel that I can focus on with every club!
I'm a big believer in amateur golfers developing their swing around control of the golf club rather than body motion.
Most golf instruction published in the magazines is written from the point of view of tour professionals which is not relevant for golfers who have little time to develop their skills on a golf range or the golf course.
Developing golf club control at home following my suggestions can make a big difference to your game and will eliminate confusion.
I have played golf in a similar manner and have done quite well/My only problems were bunching distances 6-4 iron accept when it was t'd up.So many people are putting emphasis on hip turn going back and then a lateral shift and turn again.I know for a fact I can get more distance the more I use my hips and everything falls right on plane from the inside.I just don't have the practice time I use to and would rather use your method.This is all getting confusing hips or your way?
If the drill helps you to develop a better golf game then sharing it with you makes it really worthwhile. Thanks for taking the time to share your comments, I really appreciate the feedback.
You're right, there is a lot of discussion about the hips and lower body. If you learn to control the direction of your hands and golf club in the downswing you don't have to be as good at using your lower body. I'm glad it works for you.
wow, this is such an awesome visualization trick! ive tried many, many things to help my downswing but have had little success.... practicing this at my house, i can already 'feel' the difference on my downswing. this tip also seems to help me a lot on not thinking about hitting the golf ball. cant wait to try this out at the range!!
Everybody who's confused by lower body...try this method and look at your ball flight. If it looks nice...you shouldn't care about all the crap you've read or heard about hips. To me, that stuff confuses me. This is easier for my mind to comprehend so it makes hitting the ball easier. Now golf is fun again. I hit it nice, now. some bad shots but not as bad as before and my ball flight looks amazing. So, look at your ball flight. Let that tell you what you need to practice.
Thanks Harry I really appreciate your comments and I'm pleased that it has helped you to improve your game by gaining extra yards and also drawing your shots. Good luck and thanks for taking again for taking the time to comment.
This is one of the best videos that i have seen on golf release and particularly downswing. Very very good. thanks for the person who posted it. It changed my golf game totally. i gained yards and i also started drawing the ball.
You swing the golf club nicely and by the looks of it you hit it very solidly. To hit the draw shot you need to set up to the ball and swing back with the feeling of keeping your left hip higher than your right hip as you make your backswing.
On the downswing keep the high left hip high until after the ball has been struck. This will seem like a strange thing to do but it works. This is the feeling the pro's work on to hit draw shots so give it a go and see if it works for you.
Hi there I taped my swing while working on this and a friend said that I wasn't using my hips properly he said my feet were to static, can you have a look and see if I am doing it right your way or am I picking it up wrong? I am only thinking about the line like you said. I sent you a video response, thanks for your excellent post but everyone says start the downswing with your hips and I can't seem to get that this tips works for me but am afraid of practicing the wrong thing.
The majority of modern golf instruction instructs that the lower body should pivot, rotate, drive, slide etc in order to initiate the downswing phase of the golf swing. You can also start the downswing motion by moving your hands downwards on the correct path to start the forward swing sequence including lower body motion. Go to my blog at golf confidence . org /categories/old books about golf, download and read 'The Golf Swing' by Ernest Jones, a famous book that will help you to understand.
Thanks for the answer, but I'm still confused. You said "by focusing your attention on moving your hands on the correct path, the lower body responds (shifts) more effectively". 99% of all downswing techniques emphasize that the downswing is a "ground up" process which starts with the legs driving towards the target, and ends with the arms whipping through impact. You seem to be going against this philosophy by saying that the arms start first. Can you, once again, clarify?
Thanks for your excellent question. You heard right, golfers who want to improve their downswing can do so more easily by not shifting their attention to their lower body. I have found that by focusing your attention on moving your hands on the correct path that the lower body responds (shifts) more effectively. When you think about it, your hands are in direct contact with the club-not the lower body, who's function primarily is to keep your body stable and balanced. Thanks for your comments.
I think I understand you when you say 'trace the line on the downswing'. It sounds like it is quite workable. However, where I'm confused is when you say don't think about your lower body driving towards the target on the downswing. IE, you seem to say 'focus on your tracing the line, but ignore your lower body shifting toward the target to initiate the downswing'. Can you clarify this? Thanks.
It sounds like you're growing taller and your golf clubs are on the short side now. Short golf clubs with a flat lie angle will definitely affect the way you play.
You should take them to an experienced golf club fitting professional in your home town or near by and have them assessed and adjusted professionally.
You will be a lot more confident with your golf clubs adjusted correctly which will have a big impact on your golf scores.
Good luck with your golf and thanks for your comments.
Thanks for the great video! I'm a high school golfer hoping to make it to a d1 school! Lately, my games been off. I usually shoot low 80s, but my last couple of matches have been mid 90s! I feel like it's my golf clubs because they are an inch below my hip. Should that effect my swing? If so, how can I fix my train of thought? Ready to try this drill tomorrow, thank you!
That's a really good question. Ideally you would completely straighten the trailing right forearm well beyond impact with the golf ball. As to whether you would forefully extend it, it would depend on the type of stroke you wished to use. For many punch strokes it can be helpful to forcefully straighten the trailing arm.
For full swings the trailing arm can straighten automatically as the result of the bodies pivot.
Thanks for your comments and I wish you the best of luck with your golf.
thanks....I have been watching quite a number youtube videos on downswing and so far yours is the main swing thought I will keep. I tried it and it worked well. This also allows you to maintain your lag and avoid casting. Well explained. One question: do you fully extend (forcefully, too?) the trailing elbow on impact?
Thanks so much for your comment. Yes you're right the laser on the end of a cut down club is hany for indoors. If you use a green laser it's even better because you can use it outside. The idea been around for a while but its very handy if you're looking for more precision in your traininig. Thanks again and good luck.
great video - to make it better buy a cheap laser pen and tape it to your club handle pointing down then you can see the but end of the club is on plane- use it with a cut down club to practice in your house if youcant get to the range-this is my invention for the dragons den so no stealing i t!!!!!!!!!!
I suppose it could be said that I have a bias, but this instruction is better than anything, I have seen on you tube or DVD's. Not only is the instruction simple and easy to understand, not always so easy to do !! but the clarity of the picture and the way you deliver the information is simply outstanding.
you are to be congratulated.
Now my nights will keep getting later learning and re learning.
If you haven't done so yet, have a look at my video's 'weight shift secrets of pga money leaders' which will help you tame you block/hook. Also have a look at 'the perfect draw drill' which will work with the weight shift lesson. A great prop for golfers who block-hook is to hit shots on the range with a golf shaft stuck in the ground extended straight up from the outside of your target foot against your body. When you swing through don't push against the shaft. Thanks for your question.
Great video, but I'm doing the oposite, i'm coming too far from the insde out and hitting blocks and even shanks. At times I get lucky and hit it dead on but even then it is blocked or even hooked really bad, please help. Thanks
I really appreciate your comments and I'm very happy that this video helped you to increase your confidence and improve your ball striking. I hope you continue to stay confident and that your ball striking gets even better.
I took this to the range today and it's helped me no end. A few warm up swings with the feelings detailed in this drill and my confidence and ball striking increased. My main problem is hooking the ball left but the follow through thought of following the line seemed to work. do
Great thoughts can lead to great actions and that is a great thought. You're right, compressing the ball fully and creating divots after the ball leads to solid ball striking. Better ball striking can definitely lead to lower scores and more fun on the golf course. Thanks for your comments.
Great golf instruction. This is what club golfers & weekend golfers do not know. My thought has been put the butt end of the club onto my forward thigh.. retaining the angle as much as possibe. Guess what?? This smooths out your swing and you accelerate through the shot. You'll immediately understand that you throw away the angle if you jump aftr the ball.
I now compress the ball w/ a forward divot. This is the wholly grail to solid ball then turf contact. Thanks for the instruction.
That's a really good image to visualize. Theoretically a golf club that swings on-plane should produce golf shots with very little curvature. To create a consistent draw really the easiest way is to alter the geometry of your set-up to a draw set-up by keeping the clubface square to the target line and setting your shoulders-hips and stance line slightly to the right to produce a swing that imparts more draw spin on your golf shots. This is the preferred method of many of the best tour golfers.
For me this was a great swing key. It is much simpler than the "bump" approach and it works with my stack and tilt set up. However, it seems to be a bit harder to draw the ball when I follow this. Should I visualize a yellow line that starts a bit inside and goes at a slight angle to the right to produce a draw?
The key to starting the downswing successfully is to make sure that your hands from the top of the swing do not move towards the ball but instead move downwards away from the ball. This is best achieved by 'dropping' your hands from the top towards your right thigh (right hand golfer) before you rotate your hips and shoulders to the finish. Dropping the hands delays the strike and leads to straighter, and stronger golf shots. Remember "drop from the top" when you start down. Hope it helps.
I had a question for you. I am trying to improve my swing. I currently have an over the top swing where i am coming from the outside in. My ball path is usually a slice from left to right. What should my initial downswing move be? I've heard everything starts from the ground up.I am giving up alot of distance in my swing. This video is very informative where it explains the butt of club points at ball line. Any additional tips would be great. Thank you!
Sometimes it simply takes a little more time and possibly a little different information to find the key that ignites your golf swing. I'm really pleased that you have found your key to better golf and I wish you the best of luck with your practice and performance. Thanks for your feedback, it's much appreciated.
golfconfidencepro 5 days ago
during 2011 i was hitting 100-150 balls a day at the range working on downswing transition, i have pages upon pages of information from a couple of the local pga coaches and was about to give this game up as i was working really had but my ball striking was getting worse and worse which was never a problem in the past, i even started shanking the ball which i have not done in many years but when i came upon your video a light bulb switched on inside my head. Just came back from the range CURED
xway 5 days ago
Yes you're right, if your shoulders release (right side) too early you will find it difficult to feel the club drop into the downswing slot.
You will find that stalling your shoulders so the golf club can drop into a lower swing plane will help.
One useful way to do this is to pause at the top of your backswing to allow your lower body time to release a fraction ahead of your shoulders.
I'm sure that this will help you.
Good luck with it and thanks so much for your kind words.
golfconfidencepro 2 months ago
Excellent video and VERY helpful. I am always aware of the fact that I need to point the butt end of the club towards the ball on the downswing, somedays it's effortless with pure shots and other days I just can't feel it at all. I think on the days I can't feel it I'm getting to right side dominant. What are your thoughts? Thanks so much!
mrcali68 2 months ago
Thanks for taking the time to write a comment. I appreciate the feedback and I wish you the very best with your ongoing golf development.
golfconfidencepro 2 months ago
This video has completely changed my golf game for the better. I now have more confidence, enjoying my golf and shaving stokes of my score card. Thank you
Jamesveltmeyer 2 months ago
Please help cure my hook watch?v=BdfAq0vTILk
cockywatchman1976 2 months ago
Personally I feel the club being pulled with my left with almost no pressure applied to the grip from my right hand.
Some golfers might feel it the opposite way but I like the left hand to lead and the right hand to trail.
As you mentioned, it promotes an effortless release of the clubhead and I would encourage you to continue with this feeling.
Thanks for your comments and I wish you the best of luck with your golf.
golfconfidencepro 2 months ago
First of all thank you for your videos and your time, they have helped me greatly! My question is this, on the down swing do you pull with your left and let the right hand ride along while retaining wrist angle until impact? I tried it that way and I feel the club release with no effort through impact and because of the grip with left my left forearm rotates the club effortlessly through! Just wandering if that's right? I guess I'm looking for a feel that I can focus on with every club!
GWatson2464 2 months ago
Thanks for taking the time to comment. I always appreciate the feedback.
golfconfidencepro 4 months ago
well explained, good video.
zaphod2 4 months ago
I'm a big believer in amateur golfers developing their swing around control of the golf club rather than body motion.
Most golf instruction published in the magazines is written from the point of view of tour professionals which is not relevant for golfers who have little time to develop their skills on a golf range or the golf course.
Developing golf club control at home following my suggestions can make a big difference to your game and will eliminate confusion.
Thanks for your comments.
golfconfidencepro 4 months ago
I have played golf in a similar manner and have done quite well/My only problems were bunching distances 6-4 iron accept when it was t'd up.So many people are putting emphasis on hip turn going back and then a lateral shift and turn again.I know for a fact I can get more distance the more I use my hips and everything falls right on plane from the inside.I just don't have the practice time I use to and would rather use your method.This is all getting confusing hips or your way?
secretogolf 4 months ago
If the drill helps you to develop a better golf game then sharing it with you makes it really worthwhile. Thanks for taking the time to share your comments, I really appreciate the feedback.
golfconfidencepro 4 months ago
The drill at 5 minutes with the corner of the floor and the wall is a really good idea. And I mean really clever thank you so much.
TheJimmyNewc 4 months ago
You're right, there is a lot of discussion about the hips and lower body. If you learn to control the direction of your hands and golf club in the downswing you don't have to be as good at using your lower body. I'm glad it works for you.
golfconfidencepro 5 months ago
I'm really pleased that this lesson is helping you to improve your downswing.
By practicing it daily you'll discover that your downswing will become more on plane leading to longer and straighter golf shots.
Thanks for taking the time to comment.
golfconfidencepro 5 months ago
wow, this is such an awesome visualization trick! ive tried many, many things to help my downswing but have had little success.... practicing this at my house, i can already 'feel' the difference on my downswing. this tip also seems to help me a lot on not thinking about hitting the golf ball. cant wait to try this out at the range!!
aznlyfe123 5 months ago
Everybody who's confused by lower body...try this method and look at your ball flight. If it looks nice...you shouldn't care about all the crap you've read or heard about hips. To me, that stuff confuses me. This is easier for my mind to comprehend so it makes hitting the ball easier. Now golf is fun again. I hit it nice, now. some bad shots but not as bad as before and my ball flight looks amazing. So, look at your ball flight. Let that tell you what you need to practice.
mrmooch10 5 months ago
Thanks Harry I really appreciate your comments and I'm pleased that it has helped you to improve your game by gaining extra yards and also drawing your shots. Good luck and thanks for taking again for taking the time to comment.
golfconfidencepro 5 months ago
This is one of the best videos that i have seen on golf release and particularly downswing. Very very good. thanks for the person who posted it. It changed my golf game totally. i gained yards and i also started drawing the ball.
Harry1garu 5 months ago
You swing the golf club nicely and by the looks of it you hit it very solidly. To hit the draw shot you need to set up to the ball and swing back with the feeling of keeping your left hip higher than your right hip as you make your backswing.
On the downswing keep the high left hip high until after the ball has been struck. This will seem like a strange thing to do but it works. This is the feeling the pro's work on to hit draw shots so give it a go and see if it works for you.
golfconfidencepro 5 months ago
Hi there I taped my swing while working on this and a friend said that I wasn't using my hips properly he said my feet were to static, can you have a look and see if I am doing it right your way or am I picking it up wrong? I am only thinking about the line like you said. I sent you a video response, thanks for your excellent post but everyone says start the downswing with your hips and I can't seem to get that this tips works for me but am afraid of practicing the wrong thing.
eddiebutt1 5 months ago
The arms start first and the lower body follows...They are all correct by my preference is your first option. Thanks for your interest.
golfconfidencepro 7 months ago
So, which one of these is it. It can only be one:
1) the arms start first, and the lower body follows
2) the lower body starts first, followed by the arms
3) the arms and the lower body start at the same time
aspiceno 7 months ago
The majority of modern golf instruction instructs that the lower body should pivot, rotate, drive, slide etc in order to initiate the downswing phase of the golf swing. You can also start the downswing motion by moving your hands downwards on the correct path to start the forward swing sequence including lower body motion. Go to my blog at golf confidence . org /categories/old books about golf, download and read 'The Golf Swing' by Ernest Jones, a famous book that will help you to understand.
golfconfidencepro 7 months ago
Thanks for the answer, but I'm still confused. You said "by focusing your attention on moving your hands on the correct path, the lower body responds (shifts) more effectively". 99% of all downswing techniques emphasize that the downswing is a "ground up" process which starts with the legs driving towards the target, and ends with the arms whipping through impact. You seem to be going against this philosophy by saying that the arms start first. Can you, once again, clarify?
aspiceno 7 months ago
Thanks for your excellent question. You heard right, golfers who want to improve their downswing can do so more easily by not shifting their attention to their lower body. I have found that by focusing your attention on moving your hands on the correct path that the lower body responds (shifts) more effectively. When you think about it, your hands are in direct contact with the club-not the lower body, who's function primarily is to keep your body stable and balanced. Thanks for your comments.
golfconfidencepro 7 months ago
Hello Lawrie,
I think I understand you when you say 'trace the line on the downswing'. It sounds like it is quite workable. However, where I'm confused is when you say don't think about your lower body driving towards the target on the downswing. IE, you seem to say 'focus on your tracing the line, but ignore your lower body shifting toward the target to initiate the downswing'. Can you clarify this? Thanks.
aspiceno 7 months ago
It sounds like you're growing taller and your golf clubs are on the short side now. Short golf clubs with a flat lie angle will definitely affect the way you play.
You should take them to an experienced golf club fitting professional in your home town or near by and have them assessed and adjusted professionally.
You will be a lot more confident with your golf clubs adjusted correctly which will have a big impact on your golf scores.
Good luck with your golf and thanks for your comments.
golfconfidencepro 7 months ago
Thanks for the great video! I'm a high school golfer hoping to make it to a d1 school! Lately, my games been off. I usually shoot low 80s, but my last couple of matches have been mid 90s! I feel like it's my golf clubs because they are an inch below my hip. Should that effect my swing? If so, how can I fix my train of thought? Ready to try this drill tomorrow, thank you!
AllAboutSingingGood 7 months ago
That's a really good question. Ideally you would completely straighten the trailing right forearm well beyond impact with the golf ball. As to whether you would forefully extend it, it would depend on the type of stroke you wished to use. For many punch strokes it can be helpful to forcefully straighten the trailing arm.
For full swings the trailing arm can straighten automatically as the result of the bodies pivot.
Thanks for your comments and I wish you the best of luck with your golf.
golfconfidencepro 7 months ago
thanks....I have been watching quite a number youtube videos on downswing and so far yours is the main swing thought I will keep. I tried it and it worked well. This also allows you to maintain your lag and avoid casting. Well explained. One question: do you fully extend (forcefully, too?) the trailing elbow on impact?
poliveros55 7 months ago
Thanks so much for your comment. Yes you're right the laser on the end of a cut down club is hany for indoors. If you use a green laser it's even better because you can use it outside. The idea been around for a while but its very handy if you're looking for more precision in your traininig. Thanks again and good luck.
golfconfidencepro 9 months ago
great video - to make it better buy a cheap laser pen and tape it to your club handle pointing down then you can see the but end of the club is on plane- use it with a cut down club to practice in your house if youcant get to the range-this is my invention for the dragons den so no stealing i t!!!!!!!!!!
mrbritvic 9 months ago
Hi Coach,
lawrie,
I suppose it could be said that I have a bias, but this instruction is better than anything, I have seen on you tube or DVD's. Not only is the instruction simple and easy to understand, not always so easy to do !! but the clarity of the picture and the way you deliver the information is simply outstanding.
you are to be congratulated.
Now my nights will keep getting later learning and re learning.
Thanks mate.
John.
1johnph 9 months ago
If you haven't done so yet, have a look at my video's 'weight shift secrets of pga money leaders' which will help you tame you block/hook. Also have a look at 'the perfect draw drill' which will work with the weight shift lesson. A great prop for golfers who block-hook is to hit shots on the range with a golf shaft stuck in the ground extended straight up from the outside of your target foot against your body. When you swing through don't push against the shaft. Thanks for your question.
golfconfidencepro 9 months ago
Great video, but I'm doing the oposite, i'm coming too far from the insde out and hitting blocks and even shanks. At times I get lucky and hit it dead on but even then it is blocked or even hooked really bad, please help. Thanks
jhaley12 9 months ago
I really appreciate your comments and I'm very happy that this video helped you to increase your confidence and improve your ball striking. I hope you continue to stay confident and that your ball striking gets even better.
golfconfidencepro 10 months ago
... Thanks for this, I've a feeling this will stay in my favourites as reference for a long time :)
retrose7en 10 months ago
I took this to the range today and it's helped me no end. A few warm up swings with the feelings detailed in this drill and my confidence and ball striking increased. My main problem is hooking the ball left but the follow through thought of following the line seemed to work. do
retrose7en 10 months ago
Great thoughts can lead to great actions and that is a great thought. You're right, compressing the ball fully and creating divots after the ball leads to solid ball striking. Better ball striking can definitely lead to lower scores and more fun on the golf course. Thanks for your comments.
golfconfidencepro 11 months ago
Great golf instruction. This is what club golfers & weekend golfers do not know. My thought has been put the butt end of the club onto my forward thigh.. retaining the angle as much as possibe. Guess what?? This smooths out your swing and you accelerate through the shot. You'll immediately understand that you throw away the angle if you jump aftr the ball.
I now compress the ball w/ a forward divot. This is the wholly grail to solid ball then turf contact. Thanks for the instruction.
kennypooper 11 months ago
Thanks for your comment Dean, I really appreciate it :)
golfconfidencepro 11 months ago
top class instruction
DeanC 11 months ago
That's a really good image to visualize. Theoretically a golf club that swings on-plane should produce golf shots with very little curvature. To create a consistent draw really the easiest way is to alter the geometry of your set-up to a draw set-up by keeping the clubface square to the target line and setting your shoulders-hips and stance line slightly to the right to produce a swing that imparts more draw spin on your golf shots. This is the preferred method of many of the best tour golfers.
golfconfidencepro 11 months ago
For me this was a great swing key. It is much simpler than the "bump" approach and it works with my stack and tilt set up. However, it seems to be a bit harder to draw the ball when I follow this. Should I visualize a yellow line that starts a bit inside and goes at a slight angle to the right to produce a draw?
edbianc1 11 months ago
Glad I could help you :)
golfconfidencepro 1 year ago
thank you! yes it does
Mcj270 1 year ago
The key to starting the downswing successfully is to make sure that your hands from the top of the swing do not move towards the ball but instead move downwards away from the ball. This is best achieved by 'dropping' your hands from the top towards your right thigh (right hand golfer) before you rotate your hips and shoulders to the finish. Dropping the hands delays the strike and leads to straighter, and stronger golf shots. Remember "drop from the top" when you start down. Hope it helps.
golfconfidencepro 1 year ago
I had a question for you. I am trying to improve my swing. I currently have an over the top swing where i am coming from the outside in. My ball path is usually a slice from left to right. What should my initial downswing move be? I've heard everything starts from the ground up.I am giving up alot of distance in my swing. This video is very informative where it explains the butt of club points at ball line. Any additional tips would be great. Thank you!
Mcj270 1 year ago
Thanks for your comment, just attempting to clear up some misconceptions about starting the downswing.
golfconfidencepro 1 year ago
Great post
eddiebutt1 1 year ago