Weight transfer.

[cbe_golfer]

I would like to know what this group thinks about weight transfer. I have read a few swing gurus advise that weight should shift from 80% backfoot at full backswing to about 10% backfoot at the bottom of the swing. While I understand that it is difficult to actually measure, I find that I actually hit it a lot better with a lot of my bodyweight on my backfoot throughout the swing and a strong straightening of my backfoot through impact. What do you all think?

[Norm66]

I've forced myself to transfer weight and bring my hips all the way around by concentrating on being able to tap my right toe on the ground after my finish. Otherwise I was staying too much on my right side and making all kinds of goofy shots.

[cbe_golfer]

I do finish on my right toe/thumb but still am pretty light on my left side. Like I said, i cant quantify it.

[powerhitter]

The general standard is (for righties, left foot - right foot)
40 - 60 at address
20 - 80 backswing
80 - 20 follow through

Personally I change this slightly
40 - 60 at address
10 - 90 backswing
90 (sometimes 100) - 10 follow through

the main thing is that you are trying to shit as much weight through the ball as possible. And remember the weight is supposed to be on the inside of your foot

[JeffG]

The general standard is (for righties, left foot - right foot)

Ohhh typos can be so funny sometimes....

[flatom]

cbe:
I suggest staying centered with a slight spine tilt and making a good shoulder turn and let the swing take care of weight transfer. If you get caught up in imagining where your weight is at any point during your swing, game over.
The swing is too dynamic to be worrying about what % of weight is where at a certain point in time.
I could write a book about the swing so I do not intend to encompass all there is in a post, my advice is don't listen to people who advise you as to % right foot, left foot, address, mid swing, impact, through swing, etc. That would be just too silly to imagine.

[lamebums]

I am about 50-50 at address, turn to 20-80 in the backswing, and go to about 70-30 on my follow through. I usually don't turn far enough to get my right foot into the air. I've tried and tried making a full hip turn, but it only leads to sprayed shots.

[iacas]

With the stack and tilt swing gaining popularity, I think a lot of people are realizing a weight shift isn't necessary, where by that I mean it's not something you should think about.

I don't think about weight shift anymore. When I did, I overshifted. Focus on getting a proper turn "behind" the ball (with your shoulders) and keeping your head in roughly the same spot, and the weight shift will naturally happen.

Again, thinking about a weight shift commonly leads to overdoing the weight shift and ultimately poor contact. I can hit the ball 90% as far with my feet together (i.e. no weight shift at all) as I can with my feet apart.

[Mhinderaker]

With the stack and tilt swing gaining popularity, I think a lot of people are realizing a weight shift isn't necessary, where by that I mean it's not something you should think about.

I would definitely agree with that, I think you hit the nail right on the head.

When I think about making a weight-shift I tend to get caught up on my back foot and hit a lot of fat and 80% distance shots. If I stop thinking about it and just hit the damn ball all of a sudden my 5-Iron is flying 200 yards and I'm threatening 79.

[fanofsaosin]

don't know if this will help you out with weight shift, but when i was playing college golf and ran into trouble weight shifting. My coach told me to think about the amount of pressure applied to the feet on the backswing and downswing. This also helped me with a little sway i had. If you take your address position and have a slight move to the right and turn you will notice there isn't that much pressure being applied by the right foot to the ground. Now take your address position again and concentrate on taking your right hip and turning it behind you, you should notice a difference on the amount of pressure to your right foot to the ground. Now you just simply have to reverse the process and apply pressure to the left foot by turning. Like on the backswing if you bump your hips to much there will be none or lil pressure on that left foot to the ground. Its hard to get use to but once you get it down you will notice you have gained some swing speed.

[Chilidipper]

I agree completely.

I start my hands downward and hips follow .01 second afterwards and the rest just works out. No percentages here!

[iacas]

I agree completely.

I hope not. By just about every account, the hips (or knees) start the downswing, not the upper body. Heck, many believe the downswing starts with the lower body before the upper body has finished its backswing.

[cbe_golfer]

I hope not. By just about every account, the hips (or knees) start the downswing, not the upper body. Heck, many believe the downswing starts with the lower body before the upper body has finished its backswing.

iacas, thanks for that. I was also of the opinion that it is lower body, left hip, shoulder, arms and finally hands.

[Guest]

Just getting back into the game, but I always started the downswing with the lower body. For me, planting the left heel kick starts the motion.

[Chilidipper]

I hope not. By just about every account, the hips (or knees) start the downswing, not the upper body. Heck, many believe the downswing starts with the lower body before the upper body has finished its backswing.

Actually the hands start to drop just a hair before anything starts. No muscles just letting gravity take it.

It's almost together. I take lessons from a scratch PGA professional who takes lessons directly from Hank Haney. No offense but I am sticking with that. OBTW Tom my instructor has been with Hank for years now. I believe going on dang near 20 years. Not saying you are wrong or right, but you understand I trust a PGA professional that I have been with for years over anyone else.

[iacas]

Actually the hands start to drop just a hair before anything starts. No muscles just letting gravity take it.

Putting "actually" in front of a sentence, contrary to popular belief, does not make it true. I continue to contend that you're wrong.

It's almost together. I take lessons from a scratch PGA professional who takes lessons directly from Hank Haney. No offense but I am sticking with that. OBTW Tom my instructor has been with Hank for years now. I believe going on dang near 20 years.

That's funny, since Tiger starts the downswing with his knees, too. Look at the slow-mo video from Nike from a few months back.

It may be important for you to FEEL as though that's the first move of your downswing, but again, I don't believe it's _actually_ the first move.

[CusePhil]

Check this out. Both Tiger and Adam Scott seem to unwind their hips slightly before they even reach the top of their swings.

[RoyalBull]

I used to have a handicap with an exponent. Once I forgot weight-shift and focused on maintaining spine angle, everything changed for me.

Be warned, though...weight shift begins at address. Only in the bunker and chips should your weight begin left...and stay there. Otherwise, get centered over the ball, and weight shift, if any, takes care of itself.

However, if you don't finish with weight on the front foot, that is a symptom of a bad follow-through, not necessarily a swing-weight fault. Correct the follow-through and the weight takes care of itself. But if you correct the weight, you'll end up complicating your bad swing.

BTW, the second thing that got me out of the 90's and into the 80's in one season, was keeping my front foot NAILED to the ground.

Tim