The Downswing Thread: From the Transition to Impact

[westcyderydin]

My main point of interest here is getting the hands and arms to work together with the lower body.

You hear a lot about the grip, the takeaway, the backswing, and then a lot about impact.  I am interested here in what might be the most important thing, which is the ability to deliver the club to the ball in an effective manner.

What are some things that you can do to sync up the downswing?  What are some things that cause golfers to get thrown out of whack in the downswing?

Videos, personal experience, any source of wisdom you have, lets hear it!

Also chime in with any thoughts or questions that might come to mind.

[trickyputt]

I would like to expand on your use of the word "effective", and though many might focus on distance, I would mainly be curious about accuracy related issues.

[westcyderydin]

In my mind there are a few different things that go into making a good downswing:

- The speed and timing of the hands, arms, shoulders, hips, etc.

- The position of those parts of the body at the top (which is caused by everything else the body has done before the point...setup, backswing)

- Creating room for the hands and arms to get to the ball from the top.

- The path of the club in the downswing and into impact...where you start getting into ball contact, AoA, and path angles.

And there is obviously a way that these things would look like on camera, but then also a bunch of individual feels that go into making these movements...

[iacas]

In my mind there are a few different things that go into making a good downswing:

This is part of the problem with a thread like this.

There are too many generalities and too many non-specific pieces to discuss. The arms come down at different rates for all types of players.

Compare the "synchronization" between these two players, for example:

Depending on the strength and speed of different players and the different body zones or muscle groups within each player, the desired shot shape and height, their equipment, the turf, the wind, and so many other things, the sequencing and "synchronization" can change.

It's a vague, ambiguous topic. Even if you try to limit it to "getting the arms down at the proper rate," who is to say what the proper rate is?

P.S. Gainey not really achieving Key #3.