Picture of Downswing

http://img148.imageshack.us/my.php?image=swingiv9.jpg (if picture doesn't come up)

Someone took a random picture of me swinging at Bethpage and wanted to know what is wrong with my swing at this point. Are my hips not open enough at this point in the swing? I believe this shot was pushed to the right. Not a lot but enough to be in the rough.

The biggest thing that stands out to me is your back foot. You're pivoting too early.

I'd have to agree - you're "shooting" your hips too early, which will result in a push since your arms/club are stuck. This is my #1 error.

Not really understanding what I should be doing. What do you mean by "shooting"? Sorry I am fairly new to the game.

It looks like your hips either 1) slide or 2) open too early in your down swing. Though I can't see your hips, your right side has already started to move towards the target (thus heel coming off the ground). When this happens too early, your arms get stuck behind and you aren't able to swing the club back inwards after contact - which causes the in to out swing path and the open face.

Do you normally hit it straight or with a draw (right to left ball path)?

holy crap thats exactly what i do?!? i could never figure out why i hit to the left all the time!?! i "shoot" my hips really early. so im curious also how to fix this.

I have an out to in swing path but working on getting a in to out swing. Maybe the exaggerated motion is making me do that. So my hips are turned too much at this point and sliding as well. Will keep this in mind! Thanks~

At this point in your swing, your hips are too open, while your shoulders are too closed. Do you push off in the downswing with your right toes?

I'd try this if you're still out to in with your swing path. When you get to the top, subtlety bump your hips (3-4 inches max.) towards 1:00 o'clock (with 12:00 o'clock the direction of the target line.) Don't rotate them during this initial bump, as they'll rotate out of the way later from your subsequent shoulder pivot and right leg push.

To do this hip bump correctly, push off with the instep and ball of your right foot, not toes. Try to keep your right foot flat (at least on the inside edge) until just before impact. It's o.k. if your heel lifts up an inch, or a little less. The flatter right foot will promote better upper body rotation/pivot.

Your shoulders should catch up to your hips by impact. Maybe around 45° open.

You also aren't holding your lag as well as you could. It looks like a mini-cast.

wrx_junkie,

I'd like to supply you additional information on fixing one of the faults of which I see you're guilty.

It talks about moving your right knee towards the target and keeping the right foot's instep down for increasing leverage in the down swing.



LINK TO ARTICLE

Can someone explain why they think the hips are too early? I just can't see that. I am not saying this because I know better but the hips don't seem to be that open compared to where he is on the downswing. Maybe his arms are not keeping up and it looks like the hips are early but his hips sure seem to still have a long way to go with impact a fraction of a second away. He hasn't even turned his right foot which I would expect would be happening by now. Maybe he is sliding foward while keeping his hands back. I don't know really but I just don't see the hips too open here.

Disclaimer: This advice may be hazardous to your golf swing. It comes from an 18 handicapper who assumes no responsibility for pain and anguish caused by following his faulty instructions. Proceed with caution.

When you swing, you hips are supposed to follow your club. In this picture, your club is still pretty far behind you but yet your hips are already starting to open. This causes you to come around on the ball and you might even end up hitting behind it.

In my eyes, i think the sequencing of the hips and shoulders is off, and you are throwing the clubhead at the ball too early.

I'm struggling to figure out how to help your turn. I can't really see how you got to where you are. I agree with the post below that your right knee should be moving more toward the target at this point, and that your weight on that leg should be more on the instep than it appears to be. I think if you fix that your turn will be pretty darn solid.

The wrists though are the more obvious issue to me. See how you've effectively lost all wrist cock at this point in the swing? Try practicing a proper or more delayed release by swinging a driver and really try to make the loudest "woosh" noise just after the point where you would hit the ball.

If you take your set up and then just stand up with the club gripped in front of you, then just life the clubhead up and down vertically in front of you you will be experiencing the same wrist motion as should be occurring during your swing.

It looks to me like you are casting the club from the top without transferring any weight forward in the downswing. The right heel is off the ground but all your weight still looks centered. If you were driving forward your right knee would be closer to your left.

I would try the hip bump to start the downswing like someone else already suggested. That would take care of holding your lag also.

Ok, I'll take a crack at this. Your hips are outracing the rest of your body and the result is that you have to compensate by holding the shoulders back and steering the club with your hands. It's like you're trying to mimic Tiger's downswing squat, but not in sequence with the rest of your body.

The right foot is a key indicator. I suggest practicing hitting with your downswing trigger being a push off the right instep. The right foot rolls in, not out, on the downswing. At contact, the foot is barely lifting off the ground. This should help keep your hips square a little longer, and promote a good total body movement. Nicklaus termed this "playing from the insides of your feet". Start with an 8 iron and hit 80% shots where you feel that push off the right instep. Remember to still transfer your weight to the front foot and finish the swing.

You will love how solid it makes you feel in terms of your balance and body motion. Some feet-together swings would probably also help your overall form.

If you really want to ingrain this feel, you can look up Shawn Clement on youtube. He has a wacky drill where he puts an iceskate on the back foot just for this reason - to teach leverage, proper hip motion, and balance.

I started initiating my downswing with the hips so in return my hips end up this way. Not sure if I fully understand the hip bump but I will definitely work on holding the lag a little longer without catching it fat.

Yes,yes,yes!!!!

The correct hip initiation is a subtle, lateral hip bump towards 1:00 o'clock, with 12:00 o'clock being the target line. You should not start the down swing by rotating the hips, but allow the right foot's instep push the hips forward and then around. Allow the upper body and synced hands to pivot down and around to the front after the initial hip bump. During the first half of the down swing, keep the head anchored back.

Speaking of Shawn Clement, here's a great video that shows how and why to keep the right foot down.