correct transistion/weight transfer for irons

[hacker23]

Hey all, let me know if this is the correct way at approaching weight shifting with irons:

On the top of my backswing there's a slight pause, from there my first move is a lateral shift towards the target (shifting weight from right to left leg) , then hips turn/clear and everything else follows.

My biggest concern is the lateral shift, this causes my head to get in front of the ball. I've read or heard somewhere that the head should stay behind the ball until contact.

[hacker23]

did a little search and found a great thread on this same topic:
http://thesandtrap.com/forum/threads...our-Hips/page1

seems like im on the right path, i just need to focus on sliding the hips without sliding my head. something to look forward working on at the range.

[tshapiro]

Strangely enough, I find the key to good hip movement is traced to the back swing. First off, you must complete the back swing. I think Ben Hogan and Ernie Els both describe it best when they say "The back swing is complete when the left shoulder touches your chin". Without this complete coil, the muscles that attach your left hip (across the front of your body) to your right shoulder are not pulled tight enough. Also, if you let your right side raise up, or raise the club with your right hand, then your left side compresses and, again, the left-hip-to-right-shoulder muscles are allowed to get too slack.

So, assuming you've completed your coil and you're wound tight... Use the left hip to pull those muscles that stretch to your right shoulder FORWARD TOWARD 1 O'CLOCK, THEN BACK AND AROUND THE PIVOT CREATED BY YOUR LEFT LEG.

Most people I observe who fail to use their hips properly are in no position to do so when they are are the top... the muscles necessary are slack and that's not going to work. When those muscles are pulled tight, the use of the left hip to pull the the pelvis and club become a lot more obvious.

Also, the hip motion is mostly rotational, if you are using short irons and are bent over too much, than it's very hard to initiate the proper hip action as I have described above.

And last, this move as I have described it is very important because it's this move that forces the club head to drop behind your right side and approach the ball from the inside.

[senorchipotle]

personally, i find that another way of thinking about the hip movement which i've discovered recently through the inspiration of a pretty darn good golf guru, it is thus: i don't really concentrate on how far i'm pushing my hips forward, cause if you just focus on that, your body will still be in the way and you're going to get stuck with the club behind you and resort to flipping and hooking pushing shots out right. what i like to feel is that my left hip goes back and left and my right hip goes forward in a straight line parallel to my target line, so that i strike the ball with my right hip almost in line with the golf ball, keeping my head behind the ball and steady. this way my body is out of the way and my arms and club have unimpeded access to the target.

[hacker23]

"hip slide" practice at the range today is working wonderfully! I'm now taking/making divots w/ my irons and FINALLY "compressing" the ball. wow, what a difference in ball flight and distance!

I guess everyone is different b/c when i practice this, i don't necessarily "think" of anything, it's more of feel & timing to me.