hitting off a firm left side

[thumper07]

i've heard this saying before but dont understand exactly what they are talking about. what is this suppose to feel like and when are you supposed to feel it?

-matt

[1dayIllBaPro]

If you see Professional golfer, for example Tiger Woods, you will see he clear his hip fast. However, at one point, his hip gonna slow down, and let the shoulder take over the job. And that's when left side get firmed.

My friend taught my how to do this when I was young. And I found out it's one of the best advice from him. He told me to turn my hip and stop at one point. I can turn my hip as fast as I can, as long as I can stop it at that point.

And what really happen is that my hip actually slow down, not stop, then let my shoulder take over.

Oh, I use my right leg to stop my hip tho.... Just try to keep my back foot on the ground and turn my hip hard. If I don't lift my foot, then my hip gonna slow down at one point, and it can't overturn.

[tm22721]

Never stop the downswing pivot once you start.

You can turn those hips as hard as you can without fear, provided you do the following at the end of the backswing.

1) have 90% of your weight on the left side and your spine tilted away from the target

2) stop your arms at the same moment as the shoulders

Watch videos of Mr. Hogan particularly his legs at the end of the backswing. His weight is all on a bent left leg ready to act as the pivot axis for the downswing. His right leg is almost straight, just acting as a brace, resisting the ground but with very little weight on it. From there he just rotates the left hip as hard as possible to get it atop the posted left leg. Provided you have observed point #2 above and keep your hands passive, your arms and shoulders will be in sync at impact.

[kc8kir]

Never stop the downswing pivot once you start.

Good advice, IF you are going to use that swing pattern (the Ben Hogan a la Slicefixer method). Gotta be careful here, because the golf swing is not a "one swing fits all" environment. Give the above advice to someone without proper coaching and the rest of the starting alignments, and you're gonna have them suffering with spinouts and all sorts of other faults (just like any technique or swing pattern, you need the whole picture, not just a part of it). There are many ways to swing a golf club, though the effectiveness of each is debatable. I think it depends on the person more than anything. I think the original post has more to do with "snapping the kinetic chain" a term gaining more and more popularity in golf instruction, and something that has been taught in other sports for years. Look up Brian Manzella on youtube for his video on "Firm Left Side - How to snap your kinetic chain". He gives a very good drill for learning how to snap the chain to generate more clubhead speed. If that fits your overall swing pattern, that is... It's unfortunate, but the golf swing isn't as simple as "just do this..." It's always "do this.. and this... and make sure then you don't do this... but keep doing that..." You get the idea.

[thumper07]

thanks guys thats good info ill post a video of my swing later and you guys can tell me if i am doing it or not. whar are common misses for not hitting from a firm left side

[1dayIllBaPro]

Agree, find the techniques that fit you. Find your own feel, own swing. You feel might be different, but the movement might be similar, etc. That's why we have driving ranges.

And I have seen this. This guy gives a lot of good advice.
Remember that by stopping the hip, it doesn't mean your hip has to be completely stopped. The hip actually slow down. But that the feel you need. In golf, what you feel might be different from what happen.

[RC]

Because this concept is a bit vague, and hard to see with the eye, I want to offer the following comments for your consideration. I'm not asking that you believe what is said below, only that you consider it and think through the ideas.

The firm left side comment is very easy to misunderstand. It is a phrase that dates back to the old reverse C high finish position, but still has importance today. What it does not mean is for the hips to stop turning. As VJ Singh has said so well... the hips keep turning. What happens is the faster arms and shoulders catch up and pass the plane of the hips as and after the weight is shifted to the left side -- but at no time should one try to stop the hip turn thinking this can "pop the whip" so to speak. Impact still happens before the right hip passes the left hip (in a power hitter's swing) so the right hip keeps turning -- it has to, because it finishes ahead of the left one in a power swing. It just slows down at the end of its role as the core power source. You want to drive the hips through the swing but stay in balance (not spinning out.) It is the full release and final balance that makes for a firm left side. To the observer, it may look like the hips stop turning, but this happens after impact and is a part of staying in balance.