start of the downswing- PLEASE HELP!

Hey Donkba,

My opinion is that just before you've reached a correctly torqued position at the top of the back swing, you should initiate the downswing with a slight hip bump towards the front of your left foot while keeping your head stationary (behind the ball by about two to four inches). Don't start the downswing by lunging your hands, arms, or left shoulder down in attempt to hit the ball! The last thing you'll want to do is hit early. By that, I mean, you'll want your wrists to release much later into the swing. If you start the downswing with an arm and/or hand movement, your release will start too soon, and you won't be able to stop it due to the 'conservation of angular momentum.' Because of this flaw, you won't contact the ball squarely, nor will you hit it with your hands ahead.

Now if you move down correctly, your right elbow will lower into your right hip. You'll want to turn and accelerate your upper torso, shoulders, and arms together and connected so that they'll catch up to, and then eventually pass your hips, ending up in a finished turned position facing well beyond the target. By the way, when your arms and club shaft have reached the point where they're horizontal to the ground and parallel with the target line, pointing away from the target, you've reached the beginning of hitting and release zone. Here, you'll want to power your forearms forward to 1:00 o'clock and down though the ball (12:00 o'clock is the target), all while maintaining loose wrists, but a tight left handed grip. Don't manipulate the club in any way, but allow it to freely release through the ball by itself. The club head should square up automatically and swing inside to square to inside.

I'll try to answer your post point for point;

The club swings full length on the plane and every component of your swing must be adjusted to comply with that factor. What ever end of the club is closes to the ground points at the target line except when the club is parallel to the ground it is also parallel to the target line. With this said we take the club back on plane while the components of your swing are being programed for an on-plane swing. If you take the club back outside you are programing your swing components for an outside-in swing unless you compensate somewhere for an on-plane downswing. Our goal should be a pure, uncompensated swing.

If you start the downswing by pulling with your left arm than you are swinging with your arms, it's that simple. The first move should be a lateral bump with your hips towards the target. This tilts your spine, shifts your weight to your target side and drops your right shoulder on plane (period of shoulder acceleration). This shoulder motion is short but it starts you inert left arm in motion. Your right arm then begins to straighten moving your hands away from your right shoulder (period of hand acceleration) while you have the option of clearing your left hip. Your left wrist then uncocks as the clubhead starts to over-take your hands (period of clubhead acceleration). All of this started with a hip movement towards the target. Hips moved your right shoulder which in turn moved your left arm.

The right elbow and forearm are very important to the swing. Your right shoulder starts the club down on plane. The right elbow unfolds while the right forearm traces the target line keeping the club on plane through the release and impact. Most amateurs bring the right forearm into impact too flat pointing outside of the target line. You want that right forearm tracing the target line as the elbow unfolds. Look at down-the-line pictures of the pros at impact and you'll see the right forearm and shaft in-line. So not only is the shaft tracing the target line so is your right forearm.

Thats a good thought to have and to work on while you practice. For me, i used to work on bumping to my left hip (no swaying) and keeping my back turned away from the ball as long as possible in my downswing. At least until my hands where hip-high in the downswing. Its a single move, but i had to practice them both seperatley and in time it blended into one action.