Weight transfer in downswing - rotate hips only or slide and rotate?

[tpcollins]

It finally dawned on me that hitting fat shots on regular occasions is actually the center of my swing being behind the ball is due to a lack of proper weight transfer in the downswing - I think. So if I'm able to make a good weight transfer on my downswing, I may be able to reduce this problem.

So I did a quick search and the first link teaches to slide the hips to be no further than the outside edge of the left foot AND to rotate the left hip kinda all in one motion. From the advice of a previous post and knowing now that all the internet info and what is taught by golf instructors is probably wrong -  what is THEE proper way to get the weight from the right side at the top of the backswing to the left side by impact?  Thanks.

[colin007]

http://thesandtrap.com/t/29616/the-biggest-secret-slide-your-hips Start reading...

[iacas]

Originally Posted by colin007

http://thesandtrap.com/t/29616/the-biggest-secret-slide-your-hips

Start reading...

Pretty sure that's the thread to which he was referring, and I'm not sure why he started a new thread on the topic. I'm tempted to just merge these into that thread.

You can't just spin your hips and transfer any weight.

[tpcollins]

Thanks for the pics - the photo of Nick Faldo actually confirms what I saw recently.  If you move the yellow line in the rh picture over to the outside of his left foot, his left hip would bump the yellow line - I think I'll work on that "slide a little, rotate a lot" method. Thanks for the help.

[iacas]

Originally Posted by tpcollins

Thanks for the pics - the photo of Nick Faldo actually confirms what I saw recently.  If you move the yellow line in the rh picture over to the outside of his left foot, his left hip would bump the yellow line - I think I'll work on that "slide a little, rotate a lot" method. Thanks for the help.

Virtually everyone rotates plenty. Most people need to slide more.

[Ernest Jones]

Try all slide with NO rotation, I'll bet you end up rotating anyway and you'll be a lot closer to where you need to be.

[cipher]

Originally Posted by Ernest Jones

Try all slide with NO rotation, I'll bet you end up rotating anyway and you'll be a lot closer to where you need to be.

It is funny because I have too much slide and not enough hip rotation and am working on the opposite.  Or at least that is what I am told.  We need a stupid monkey in the "Insert Smiley" function.  But I would say if you are going to do what EJ is suggesting here just do an abbreviated follow though to get the feel for it.

[RadarNinja]

The slide gets the weight to the front while simultaneously creating additional upper axis tilt allowing for a shallower AoA and positive path, just like the other thread topic w/ Leitz.

[cipher]

The slide gets the weight to the front while simultaneously creating additional upper axis tilt allowing for a shallower AoA and positive path, just like the other thread topic w/ Leitz.

You are pretty sure the OP gets this and it will help him?

[tpcollins]

Originally Posted by cipher

You are pretty sure the OP gets this and it will help him?

I kinda get it - not sure what AoA really means ( angle of approach or attack  maybe ) but I can comprehend the other words around it. Close enough - I'll work on it some more.

[Phil McGleno]

Insist on instructors not talking above your level of understanding, dont feel shame in not knowing something, and ask a lot of questions. AoA is angle of attack yes. Or approach. Same thing basically.[quote name="tpcollins" url="/t/68392/weight-transfer-in-downswing-rotate-hips-only-or-slide-and-rotate#post_867361"]I kinda get it. [/quote]

[cipher]

Insist on instructors not talking above your level of understanding, dont feel shame in not knowing something, and ask a lot of questions. AoA is angle of attack yes. Or approach. Same thing basically.

Well said. I think I made my point.

[RadarNinja]

sorry, I forget not everyone understands the acronyms...but yes, angle of attack. When your hips initiate the downswing with a slight lateral 'slide' or 'bump' it helps create upper body tilt away from the target. Often when golfers simply rotate the hips, the shoulders go with them and pull the club path across the body ( or in Trackman/Flightscope terms negative). When you swing from the inside the attack angle usually gets shallower making it easier to launch the ball higher and much easier to create a flight that's not slicing.

[birlyshirly]

Originally Posted by cipher

It is funny because I have too much slide and not enough hip rotation and am working on the opposite.  [...]

There's been a lot written around here about why most people need more slide, and maybe feel less rotation. What are the circumstances in which more conscious rotation would be a benefit?

Obviously, sufficient lateral movement needs to be in place. I'm pretty sure I have that. I've been working on feeling a very exaggerated rotation of the hips through the transition and downswing - and been hitting it great now for a couple of weeks. Previously, I was very prone to big 2-way misses. The more dominant hip turn seems to have taken the hook out of play, and the big push slice. If I work really hard on just turning from the top, I get a pretty reliable push fade.

Intuitively, it feels like the more rotational swing has calmed my hand action and made my release more consistent. Any thoughts?

[cipher]

Originally Posted by birlyshirly

There's been a lot written around here about why most people need more slide, and maybe feel less rotation. What are the circumstances in which more conscious rotation would be a benefit?

Obviously, sufficient lateral movement needs to be in place. I'm pretty sure I have that. I've been working on feeling a very exaggerated rotation of the hips through the transition and downswing - and been hitting it great now for a couple of weeks. Previously, I was very prone to big 2-way misses. The more dominant hip turn seems to have taken the hook out of play, and the big push slice. If I work really hard on just turning from the top, I get a pretty reliable push fade.

Intuitively, it feels like the more rotational swing has calmed my hand action and made my release more consistent. Any thoughts?

Too much hip slide generally means too fast I believe.  So if the hips slide to far too fast then you are not using the ground in the manner that you should, you are creating path and face issues because the the arms are not in sync with the rest of the body.  I will let any of the instructors share more if they want on that.  I really don't know a lot more about it at the moment and I kind of treat what I am being taught as someone else's intellectual property in a way.  I also think very few golfers have this issue of sliding too much.  If I had to pick, I would choose sliding too much with not enough rotation over too much static rotation.  Know what I mean?

For me or anyone to fix too much slide,  I don't if the thought would be "more conscious rotation".  I am not sure but it seems like that could cause over rotation issues in the upper part of the body and possibly throwing the club head out.  I have a drill for what I need to do to fix it and it is working without actually thinking about rotation.

[Hacker James]

I am not sure what to call it, but (for me) hip slide is initiated at top of back swing with the feeling of bumping my hips forward and sort of falling into a slot. I feel the hip bump followed by the resultant lowering of the club, creating an angle of approach and hopefully some lag. Its not exactly a conscious movement, but more of a "key or trigger". It is definitely a lateral movement to some degree, but not a sway..

[tpcollins]

Originally Posted by Hacker James

I am not sure what to call it, but (for me) hip slide is initiated at top of back swing with the feeling of bumping my hips forward and sort of falling into a slot. I feel the hip bump followed by the resultant lowering of the club, creating an angle of approach and hopefully some lag.

That seems about what I'm trying to accomplish but I'm still trying to understand the exact sequence of events. At some point in time you have to have:

hip slide

transfer of weight

hip rotation

I'm thinking the hip slide promotes the transfer of weight which allows for an easier rotation of the hips. But don't you begin the initial hip slide with a push off from the right foot?

[Hacker James]

Originally Posted by tpcollins

That seems about what I'm trying to accomplish but I'm still trying to understand the exact sequence of events. At some point in time you have to have:

hip slide

transfer of weight

hip rotation

I'm thinking the hip slide promotes the transfer of weight which allows for an easier rotation of the hips. But don't you begin the initial hip slide with a push off from the right foot?

I really don't know. For some maybe. That may be exactly what I am doing, but it is not what I am feeling. I really do feel the hips bumping. For me, if I thought about pushing off with right foot it would result in excessive slide or out of sync rotation. I watched a video of Tom Lehman a few times, and it seems he exemplifies the bump action. He also has a little delay in shoulder turn at the top. When everything falls into place, the club seems to "drop into the slot" as I stated.