what is your trigger thought for the downswing?

[Aaron Miles]

I concentrate on my right elbow. Just before i finish my backswing, I slightly pull my right elbow down and towards my body.  I recently smacked one 191 with a 7 iron with no wind and level fairway  using this swing thought. Unfortunately it doesn't work so well with my driver...hitting anywhere between 200-260.

[Ctp722]

My thoughts are definitely to have my weight forward through the swing, a tendency I am trying to get rid of is having my weight on my back foot.

[ohiolefty]

I just think of hitting the inside of the ball. Whatever you do that gets you to the top should create most of the downswing.

[uttexas]

weight forward and extend.

weight forward--I want to feel my lower body going forward as I approach the top of the backswing

Then push everything forward and snap my left leg straight (extend) and extend the spine as much as possible.

[Late4ttime]

My downswing starts by bumping my left hip towards my target which begins the unwinding of my hips- but I'm not thinking about it.

Once I've picked out a specific target, landing area, etc..I commit to it and trust that I'll hit it there.

I read this example in a book called Zen Golf. If asked if you could hit the same target 10,000 times in row, most people would say no. Yet when was the last time you missed your mouth with a fork or spoon? No one thinks about wrist angle, arm speed, grip pressure etc. when eating- we just do it. The golf swing is no different- work on proper mechanics on the range and trust that you'll be able to repeat it on the course.

Late-

[efdeel74]

no tension..... and then feel club head PASS the ball squared

[NuckandCup]

I dont have one, my thought...not thoughtS...is completing the backswing. I think it's just a reaction after that.

Swing takes roughly 1.5 seconds, it's extremely difficult to think of more than one thing in that period of time....certainly not several swing thoughts...JMO

[Bob Grissett]

Ben Hogan started his downswing with a lateral motion of hips and left knee...in fact maybe the most lateral motion of any player ever. Sometimes players describe feels which are not actually what they do.

[Mr. Desmond]

I try not to think ...  bad things happen when I think during a golf swing.

Don't really know how to answer your question.

[todgot]

I need to make sure my hands are high enough on the back swing or they get trapped to far behind me and my sequence gets thrown off... If my hands are in the right place then it's just fire the hips and bingo... everything else falls into place.

[RayG]

JUST before I get to the top, my left knee (right handed) is starting to uncoil towards the target. Usually I have a *slight* lift of the left heel going back. The planting of that heel just before the top starts the knee motion. I don't FEEL the heel lift (see it on video), but I feel the knee thing. This seems to put more "spring" into the coil. As long as the hips follow and bring everything else along, I do pretty well.

[xilez]

"Attack the ball."

I fully coil, and then think that thought. I feel it helps me shift my weight forward, and sends my right shoulder downward helping me take a divot and usually a straighter shot.

[The Recreational Golfer]

No trigger thought any time. I just use the swing feeling I've practiced, from start to finish.

[ShouldBGolfing]

I have always have had a quick transition from my backswing to downswing. This year I am really trying to concentrate on a smoother transition as well as my temp in both my takeaway and my downswing. So for me it is just thinking about that, a smooth transition and tempo.

[DrvFrShow]

I tend to pick up my left heel on my backswing so planting that is what triggers the downswing. It gets my weight going forward and my hips follow. But we'll see what happens next year, won't we?

[damnitdave]

pressure left/upper right arm connect.... arms straight/extend and pivot

[mvmac]

interested in what everyone hear uses to trigger their downswing.

Don't whiff.

[Patch]

Although I agree that the lower body (hips) should trigger the down swing, I don't use a physical movement myself. I use the term I borrowed from "Tin Cup". When I start my back swing, I am thinking to myself "dollar",and when I start my down swing I am thinking "bills".  That term, "dollar bills", keeps my swing tempo/rhythm where I need it to be. If I have been practicing the right stuff, the physical movements will, (hopefully) fall in line with my swing tempo.

When I am playing a round of golf, physical movements are not something I tend to think about. There is just not enough time during my swing to actually think about physical positions, and/or movements. I save that type of stuff for the practice range, Before I start my swing, I might think about my take away, my general target area, and my grip to control my club face, but not much of anything else during my actual swing. Once I start my swing, it is what it's going to be for that shot.