Dropping Hands to Initiate Downswing

[WUTiger]

I'll put it two ways to you.

This explains a remark my pro made to me during my last lesson in August. I asked him if I should be thinking of a single-plane or a double-plane swing. He told me "let's not go there yet" on the double-plane. He said I was making decent progress as is.

[threejack]

bump. i want to bring this topic back if you don't mind. all pros i watch drop their hands...

[iacas]

Originally Posted by threejack

bump. i want to bring this topic back if you don't mind. all pros i watch drop their hands...

Some do. Not all.

If you define "drop" the way I do, that is. Everyone's hands go down, but they should ideally also be moving outward as well. The "drop" move a lot of people think exists does not - a straight "drop" with no movement (forward and) outward.

[bunkerputt]

Originally Posted by iacas

Some do. Not all.

If you define "drop" the way I do, that is. Everyone's hands go down, but they should ideally also be moving outward as well. The "drop" move a lot of people think exists does not - a straight "drop" with no movement (forward and) outward.

One thing I'm curious about...  Does drop indicate a change of orientation to the body?  It seems like if your shoulders are turning on the proper plane, moving the lower body and torso makes the hands "drop" in space, but not in relation to the shoulders, or more specifically the upper swing center.  So when you reference the hand motion from the environment, they "drop", but when you reference it to the shoulders, they are motionless in the early downswing.  Is this right?  If so, I could see how it would create confusion because, depending on how you reference the motion, both are right.

[zipazoid]

The downswing begins from the ground up, not the top down. First move, if you lift your heel on the backswing, is re-plant it (ala Nicklaus). If you don't it's a push-off from right foot. Knees & hips follow. This will 'make' the hands drop as your pro is suggesting. But I think it's very dangerous to try to make it the first move down - you won't synch up with the lower body.

The lower body starts the downswing, not the hands.

Just listen to Haney -

[vikramraju]

Stu, been having the same problem forever. And I found a graph that helps me visualize it a little bit better and realize how to get the club "in the slot" like you say. Sadly, I still get lazy and come over the top. Anyway, maybe you could do better with it.

If I remember correctly, Jim Furyk and Rickie F seem to have a pretty exaggerated version of this transition because the take the club up very high and really have to drop their hands down to get back on plane.

[iacas]

Originally Posted by vikramraju

If I remember correctly, Jim Furyk and Rickie F seem to have a pretty exaggerated version of this transition because the take the club up very high and really have to drop their hands down to get back on plane.

See, that's a definition of "dropping the hands" that I haven't heard before.

You will see a big loop with his clubhead, but that's more a matter of wrist conditions and elbow location.

[threejack]

I believe that my driver backswing is too steep and I do not let my hands get deep around my body enough causing me to follow the same path on the down swing. how should the hands and arms be on my backswing with the driver, also how far from the ball should I be and how bent at the hips? I've gotta be doing something wrong.

[tristanhilton85]

Originally Posted by zipazoid

Just listen to Haney -

I think that would be a bad idea...

[zipazoid]

Originally Posted by tristanhilton85

I think that would be a bad idea...

Okay Tiger.

[bunkerputt]

I wish I could trade the OP here.  I'm trying to stop "dropping" the arms below the plane and finding it incredibly difficult to ingrain the "hold on to it" feeling.  For the last 5 years, I've either taken it back too low and flat with a drop, resulting in big hooks, or above the plane with a drop resulting in mostly straight shots with an occasional quacker thrown in.  I wish my normal swing produced a fade.  I've been a hooker/drawer since I first started.  Mike is having me work on keeping the arms connected on the backswing and downswing, taking the hands in "deeper".  For the first couple hundred balls or so, pretty much everything was left and lefter with a lot of flip.  I just can't, being a fairly big guy, get my body turning through fast enough to keep the club from flipping out and hitting it high and left.  I suspect that I still have some drop now, so I've been committing to keeping the left arm glued to the chest at the start of the downswing until I can't fight it anymore.  Then I just let it go and try to adjust the face open or closed at setup to figure out what a square release is with that kind of motion.  I was close to throwing in the towel on it and moving back to the "two-plane" motion that I'm used to, but I just decided to ride it out for a while.  I figure if I can just focus on the arm connection to the torso and make face-angle adjustments I'll eventually figure out how to get some lag and tempo back with the arms glued (Charlie Hoffman) instead of swinging free (Fred Couples).

[Iwanttobreak100]

I just stumbled upon this thread so I'm a little late. My golf pro basically told me to do the same thing, he said my takeaway is perfect, but at the top he wants me to drop my arms and at the same time do my hip bump/move it to the left (I'm a righty) and then swing through. I'm kind of like the original poster where I can do this perfectly in my basement or when I am doing a half swing on the range, but once I do a full swing I can't do it. I feel the same way, like it's a mental block. From what you said below, this makes sense to, do you have any videos or any kind of graphics showing this. I kind of get what you are saying, but can't grasp it visually. Thanks in advance!

Quote:

Originally Posted by iacas

None

Never in towards your body, no.

If it's a righty in a down-the-line view, "in" is to the left. "Depth." From that view, the hands should always be moving up, towards the camera, and LEFT on the backswing. You get a loop if you do too much of the "up" and/or not enough of the "left" and then try to correct it on the downswing. Lots of people do it. I just said I don't advise it... I don't see the tradeoff as being a valid one for 99% of golfers.

[BuckeyeNut]

If I thought about technical things while initiating my downswing like dropping my hands, I'd probably miss the ball entirely.....LOL

For me, it's all about feel.......I don't think about much while on the tee. (just 1 or at most 2 feel/position things).... but my downswing is most definitely initiated with the lower body.(not the hands)

[HowardPaul]

You would need to keep practicing what you are taught here on the driving range until you can take it from slow motion to a full swing.

[vdhamilton]

Your left hip should start the downswing whilst your hands and the club are still going back.

[dak4n6]

I wouldn't focus on purposfully dropping the hands. For me they drop into the slot naturally when the hips and knees fire.

[zipazoid]

I was taught the downswing begins from the ground up. First move is shifting the weight from back to front foot, then hips turn, then the hands drop, and they drop as a result of the other two things happening first. In other words, it's not a conscious thing.

I had a severe slump a few years back where my swing was a mess & I was able to finally pinpoint the issue - I was starting the downswing from the top down instead of the bottom up - my first move had become a violent move with my arms/shoulders which would get the club outside the plane (over the top, basically), and my body could not catch up. I either hit a big slice if the club didn't square, or a pull-hook if it did.

By re-focusing on setting the club at the top for a nanosecond (I picture Kenny Perry in my mind - that little pause he has), and initiating the downswing with my lower body and not thinking about where my hands were , I got my swing back. The hands would naturally drop with wrists cocked, and in the slot.

Thus, I think any kind of thought about hands is a recipe for disaster. Start the downswing with the lower body, turn the core. forget about hands.

[dak4n6]

Originally Posted by zipazoid

I was taught the downswing begins from the ground up. First move is shifting the weight from back to front foot, then hips turn, then the hands drop, and they drop as a result of the other two things happening first. In other words, it's not a conscious thing.

I had a severe slump a few years back where my swing was a mess & I was able to finally pinpoint the issue - I was starting the downswing from the top down instead of the bottom up - my first move had become a violent move with my arms/shoulders which would get the club outside the plane (over the top, basically), and my body could not catch up. I either hit a big slice if the club didn't square, or a pull-hook if it did.

By re-focusing on setting the club at the top for a nanosecond (I picture Kenny Perry in my mind - that little pause he has), and initiating the downswing with my lower body and not thinking about where my hands were, I got my swing back. The hands would naturally drop with wrists cocked, and in the slot.

Thus, I think any kind of thought about hands is a recipe for disaster. Start the downswing with the lower body, turn the core. forget about hands.

Yes and more yes. Well said sir.