Lower half leading the downswing

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By JPHB

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  • 6 Replies
  1. JPHB

    JPHB
    Brooklyn, NY

    Hey folks,

     

    Hope everyone is doing well.

    I have been working lately on getting my downswing initiated and  controlled by my lower half - legs and hips.  In a practice session today with my sandwedge I felt that I made a breakthrough.  I hit about 130 balls and they were all grouped together in a nice 20 foot circle, each strike was consistent, swing was in balance, etc.  To convey what the swing felt like - a coiling of my upper body on the backswing and then a move, a weight shift and turn with my lower body for the downswing, with a distinct feeling of leaving my arms and hands behind and just letting them react to the lower body movement.  This swing felt so good!!!!!!!

     

    My question is - have any of you experienced this (I'm sure the lower handicap players here have), and are you able to swing this way with your longer irons, fairway woods and your driver?  In my next session I'll try to work the bag with these swing keys and see how I get on.  I think if I can resist the hit impulse I should be ok.

    Thanks for any feedback, comments, etc.

     

     

    Cheers,

    Jason

     

     

  2. Hotsauce

    Hotsauce
    Georgetown MA

    Good luck with working up the bag.  I'm always so consistent SW-6 iron and both hybrids and then things start to waver on the fairways and driver.  Hope it works out for you.  I think my problem with my woods and long irons is tempo though...

    I'm also interested to see what people have to say about the lower body leading the swing.

    Good post

  3. JPHB

    JPHB
    Brooklyn, NY

    Hey Josh,

    Thanks for your thoughts!

    I practiced this morning with my 9 iron and the first half of the session the swing thought "lead downswing with lower body" worked nicely, but it started to fail me after about 40 balls - I went back to my standard swing key which basically feels like an arm swing, and I started hitting the ball really well - I know the rest of my body is working even though it just feels like an arm swing but I am able to keep my tempo and rhythm much better this way - just seems to work best for me in the long run.   

     

    Jason

     

     

  4. Hotsauce

    Hotsauce
    Georgetown MA

    I really try to focus on keeping good tempo.  Almost like a metronome-  Tick...takeaway...tock...downswing.  When I find my swing starts to leave me I just focus on the ball and swing naturally.  I start hitting it pure again in no time.

    Either way, nothing feels better than an awesome practice session...well maybe an awesome round the next day!

  5. Chris K

    Chris K
    Calgary, AB

    I find this to be an imprtant swing key for me.  Quite often I will start to pull and/or slice some shots later in a round, which I attribute to my body getting a bit tired and lazy from the walking, and my arms and hands taking over.  Focusing on getting the legs and hips moving will ususally bring things back in line.

  6. JPHB

    JPHB
    Brooklyn, NY

    Hi Chris,

    Great feedback.  It is indeed very important.  I find that when I start hitting it thin or heavy it's because my arms and hands are taking over - especially on shorter shots/swings from 75 yards in.  On these shots if I get lazy with my legs and hips in the downswing I have more of a tendency to mis-hit the shot.

    Funny though - I used to play regularly with a great player and he always used to say to me "quiet legs, quiet legs" - he hit the ball so beautifully!  Sometimes certain things work for one player but not for another.

     

    Cheers,

    Jason

     

     

     

     

  7. Chris K

    Chris K
    Calgary, AB

    True enough J, everyone has to figure out what feels good and works for them, and it's nice to hear what others have tried or waht works for them.

     

    -ck

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