The Biggest Secret? Slide Your Hips

[Crazycanuck44]

Practiced 4 hrs on this last night it's getting there ..lol (not slide putting)

[GaryH]

Would this drill utilising an aiming stick promote the same movements as iacas' tripod drill in the opening post?

My upper body tends to lift up as i reach the top of my backswing and my right heel comes off the ground right at the start of my downswing!  Farcical scenes.

[porc]

Mark Crossfield also promotes a lateral weight shift (hip slide) followed by a hip rotation:

Butch Harmon also talks of a lateral weight shift (bump) first followed by a hip rotation:

"As your first move down from the top, get your weight moving to your front foot. This little forward bump will drop your hands and arms to the inside, setting up a powerful move through the ball. You can rotate your body through as hard as you want; just make sure you get your weight going toward the target before you start. "

" Don't just turn from the top. Many golfers have had it drilled into their brains that they need to turn more, so they whip their hips around to start the downswing. This is a killer , because when the left side spins open, the arms and club are thrown away from the body. That pretty much guarantees an out-to-in swing path—and a big pull or pull-slice."

(emphasis mine)

http://www.golfdigest.com/golf-instruction/2013-06/butch-harmon-start-downswing

[iacas]

Thank you for adding to the discussion.

My only comment is that I tend not to like the word "bump" (Harmon, Hogan) as many golfers interpret that to be a smaller motion than we can actually measure or observe.

[mvmac]

My only comment is that I tend not to like the word "bump" (Harmon, Hogan) as many golfers interpret that to be a smaller motion than we can actually measure or observe.

Yes it's usually described as a "slight" bump.

[Jameson]

After a few days trying to engage this feeling, I think that is a rellay good felling. Only a pair of points:

1. When I concentrate in sliding the left hip and keep my right soulder quiet to prevent coming over the top, I hit horrible shots. Don´t know exactly why. When I only focus on the hip slide, I feel the club to be far away from me, but the stroke is really, really good. Fantastic in many cases. My goal is to get this feeling in 'automatic mode'... :)

2. When I slide my hip, AND try to keep my right elbow close to my body,the stroke, is generally bad. Don´t know why. What feeling should I have on my right elbow? and on my left elbow?

Thanks in advance

[colin007]

After a few days trying to engage this feeling, I think that is a rellay good felling. Only a pair of points: 1. When I concentrate in sliding the left hip and keep my right soulder quiet to prevent coming over the top, I hit horrible shots. Don´t know exactly why. When I only focus on the hip slide, I feel the club to be far away from me, but the stroke is really, really good. Fantastic in many cases. My goal is to get this feeling in 'automatic mode'... :) 2. When I slide my hip, AND try to keep my right elbow close to my body,the stroke, is generally bad. Don´t know why. What feeling should I have on my right elbow? and on my left elbow? Thanks in advance

@Jameson Point 1-why are you trying to keep the right shoulder "quiet"? The right shoulder traces a path that goes behind and up on the backdating, and on the downswing the right shoulder should come back on the same path in reverse, pretty aggressively in fact. Point 2-how are you trying to keep the right elbow close to the body? The elbow itself didn't need to be close, but it's helpful to feel the upper bicep maintain contact with the torso. Mainly, you don't want the right elbow getting too far behind you.

[Jameson]

Thanks for your comments!

@Jameson

Point 1-why are you trying to keep the right shoulder "quiet"? The right shoulder traces a path that goes behind and up on the backdating, and on the downswing the right shoulder should come back on the same path in reverse, pretty aggressively in fact.

Point 2-how are you trying to keep the right elbow close to the body? The elbow itself didn't need to be close, but it's helpful to feel the upper bicep maintain contact with the torso. Mainly, you don't want the right elbow getting too far behind you.

To the first point: I feel that I should keep my shoulder quite, because I think that is a fix to coming over the top. But it´s wrong. Understood.

Second point: I think that in the downswing I have to keep my elbow close to my body, maybe is more what you said, keep my bicep touching my torso. I´ll give it a try.

[porc]

More mainstream coaches (Me and My Golf) talking about lateral hip movement in the downswing to avoid an over the top movement. In this case they are analysing Peter Finches (youtube coach) swing:

Peter Finch practicing the movement:

[Moleman]

Been reading this thread off and on for a good while now.... When I manage to sync my hip slide properly I hit great solid shots, that elusive feeling of effortless power! :) However when I struggle with the timing and coordination of the slide then anything can happen. I've read through the thread to try to get a good swing thought to make this easier but haven't found anything yet that works for me. Stumbled unto somthing today however which seems to work for me and just wanted some feedback. I setup normally, maybe ball very slightly forward of center, even with short irons. My only swing thought is then to swing in a way that gets my hands forward of the ball at impact, when I do this in front of a mirror I can see on the downswing that the only way this is possible is if the hips slide forward enough to deliver my hands into this position. When I swing without this thought my swing is much more centered and contact not as solid. TLDR: swing thought of 'hands forward at Impact' makes my hips slide forward in order to deliver hands.. Thoughts?

[iacas]

Thoughts?

If the feel works for you to change the picture and produce a positive change in the golf swing, nobody can rightfully tell you it's wrong.

[CROUSE99]

@Jameson

Point 1-why are you trying to keep the right shoulder "quiet"? The right shoulder traces a path that goes behind and up on the backdating, and on the downswing the right shoulder should come back on the same path in reverse, pretty aggressively in fact.

Point 2-how are you trying to keep the right elbow close to the body? The elbow itself didn't need to be close, but it's helpful to feel the upper bicep maintain contact with the torso. Mainly, you don't want the right elbow getting too far behind you.

The difficulty for me is moving my hips laterally without my entire body moving laterally.  In other words, moving my head in front of the ball.  For some of us, it is not a natural move at all.  Perhaps by saying he wants to keep the right shoulder quiet, he is saying how do you move the hips without laterally without also moving the shoulders laterally?

[mvmac]

The difficulty for me is moving my hips laterally without my entire body moving laterally.  In other words, moving my head in front of the ball.

Drill to help and give you the feels/mental images you need.

[Jameson]

I have a question related with this movement. I was doing it some days ago, but someone told me that the movement is not exactly slide, but a hip rotation. Maybe I was doing too much sliding movement? However, I remember some of the most greatest iron shots I´ve ever strike with this though in my mind (the slide, or the big slide). Maybe I should go back to the slide movement in order to engage it in my swing. I shoud improve my irons play...

[iacas]

I have a question related with this movement. I was doing it some days ago, but someone told me that the movement is not exactly slide, but a hip rotation. Maybe I was doing too much sliding movement? However, I remember some of the most greatest iron shots I´ve ever strike with this though in my mind (the slide, or the big slide). Maybe I should go back to the slide movement in order to engage it in my swing. I shoud improve my irons play...

It's both. It's a slide combined with rotation. "Forward along an arc."

[maddog0512]

The slide and rotation both happen almost simultaneously.  The hips bump forward a few inches and the hips start to rotate open.  This helps get your weight forward and start the proper sequencing in the downswing to provide that "effortless power" we all want.

[rkim291968]

This is my next to do list for swing improvement.   This will help my hand ahead of the clubhead at impact.   But how does one practice this for 4 hours straight without ending up in a hospital?   Mentally,  I can't even sit through a 2+ hour movie without my mind wondering off somewhere.

Practiced 4 hrs on this last night it's getting there ..lol (not slide putting)

[Jameson]

After reading all of the post's, I thought I would share with you what seems to work for me with regard to "hip slide". I'm not very smart so I have to keep things simple...

As I address the ball with the driver..I PRE-SET my hips forward and keep them stationary during the take away and downswing. That one simple move of laterally "placing " my left hip over my left foot has helped swing/confidence tremendously.

Give it a try...

I couldn´t agrre more with this sensation on the swing. Is with this thought in my mind when I ´ve made the bests strikes ever.