What do You Think About During Your Downswing?

[DrMetal]

What do you think about during your downswing?  

It's such a small, finite amount of time (half a second?).  If you try to think about everything (maintaining your grip, your stance, your shift in weight, etc etc), you end up not thinking about anything! 

I've found the best results (best contact, right distance on the ball) if I concentrate on 2 things during my downswing:

1.  keeping my left arm (leading arm) relatively straight and powerful  (dragging the wet mop)

2. and keeping my eye on the ball (head down) during the downswing. 

thoughts?

[StuM]

[billchao]

During my downswing? Nothing. Once I start my transition, the swing is basically over.

[DrMetal]

23 minutes ago, billchao said:

During my downswing? Nothing. Once I start my transition, the swing is basically over.

I figured this much, but I can't help but think about something during my downswing.  For all the thought that goes into everything before (the grip, the address, the backswing), isn't it hard to just completely shut your mind off during the downswing?  

You definitely can't think about everything during the downswing, but if you had to pick 1 or 2?  eye contact with the ball? maintaining your grip?

[Vinsk]

2 hours ago, DrMetal said:

What do you think about during your downswing? 

“Why do I play this game?”

[gg194]

Try not to think about anything, the more I think the worse things seem to get.

[GolfLug]

Maintaining a visual frame of the impact area, not just the ball. It helps me from spinning out or make a poor pass through impact. IDK, to be honest but could be that I maintain a quieter structure or something. I know I play better when I do. 

[boogielicious]

Ricky Bobby is not a thinker. Ricky Bobby is a driver. 
 

I just focus on the ball. My swing thought is usually about something in transition or the backswing.

[Edsland]

I think about lunch, or anything not golf, if my minds clear of technical thoughts my swing is a lot better 

[iacas]

It’s 0.2 seconds. So nothing, really. The swing is pre-determined at that point.

[pganapathy]

Considering the amount of time involved not really much you can think about.  Just hope for a good shot I guess.  Hit it well and hit it hard is all that goes through my mind from the time I start my swing

[nevets88]

I feel like the thoughts I have before I make the swing affect the downswing somewhat. How you get the club to A3.5 namely.

[Darkfrog]

Nothing. I don't think there is enough time to have a thought during the downswing, and make a meaningful physical motion based off it.

Generally, I have a simple swing thought usually backswing or transition related, and that's it, nothing that requires too much conscious effort because for me that restricts any natural coordination/athleticism. I tend to use thoughts like "still head", "shoulder behind ball", "recenter", "palmar flexion", etc.

[mcanadiens]

I think "kill that damn, dimpled S-O-B."

Can't say it's really working well though. 

 

[WilliamB]

Club head path.

[Carl3]

I have a point a foot or two in front of the ball picked out on the target line. So on the downswing I try to focus on that point.

If I get an errant shot I can often link it to that I lost that focus. Has to do with clubface control for me. 

[ChetlovesMer]

10 hours ago, gg194 said:

Try not to think about anything, the more I think the worse things seem to get.

My high school football coach used to tell me. "Don't think. It can only hurt the team." 

[DrMetal]

3 hours ago, Carl3 said:

I have a point a foot or two in front of the ball picked out on the target line. So on the downswing I try to focus on that point.

If I get an errant shot I can often link it to that I lost that focus. Has to do with clubface control for me. 

This seems to help me the most: focusing on a point (whether it be on the ball, or a little ahead of it).  I definitely try to focus on the ball. 

It's hard for me to think of nothing during the downswing.  My brain wants to think about something, if even just one thing!  It's hard to turn your brain off, after so much thought has gone into the grip, the address, the backswing, etc.