lateral hip movement in the downswing

Hi everyone, long time reader, first time blogger!!

I'm a 26 handicapper and shoot any score from 89 - 109 depending on how many times I end up in the sand (don't ask, will post a new thread another time)!

I recently purchased the 4MM and it has helped my game especially the MM about the early wrist break to get my swing on plane. My big problem has always been the start of the downswing and what that feels like. I eagerly tried the lateral hip movement to the left but this made my swing worse, not better.

Does anyone have any tips on how to improve my downswing. Is my first swing thought 'hip to the left'??

Thanks

A move of the hips toward the target during the downswing is desirable but, in my opinion, it can't be achieved by trying to move your hips.

To take a Hoganism, turning your left hip back around towards your rear at the same time as beginning to shift weight to the left is the combination of feelings that leads to your hips naturally moving left a small amount. Just moving ones hips left from the top can lead to actually moving ones head and shoulders across too and hence you'd be getting infront of the ball. Cue weak slices, flipping your hands at the ball and shanks.

Try to think of it as the beginning of the turn/unwinding, rather than a slide left.

Then you'll be in danger of looking like my avatar at impact. Coooool!

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These two links are about the best I’ve seen in a long time in showing and explaining a good transition and hip "bump".

http://www.aroundhawaii.com/lifestyle...ransition.html

http://www.aroundhawaii.com/lifestyle...on-part-2.html

There are several excellent related articles by the same author at

http://www.a...tml

The 4MM method does require you to start the downswing by pushing the hips forward while holding the shoulders, head and arms back at the transition. The theory is that if the hips are thrust forward they will have to rotate as they cannot do otherwise.

I prefer a single (on plane) swing where you keep more stacked throughout and do not need to push the lower body forward during the downswing. You only need the weight to move slightly onto the lead leg by moving the lead knee over your lead foot, this does have the effect of the upper body moving slightly forward and down at transition but only by a small amount. The power is then turned on as the torso and shoulders rotate and unwind around a steady spine angle. The hips will naturally turn through in support without any conscious effort

A two plane swing does require the club to be dropped down onto a lower plane in the downswing and to achieve this the lower body must push forward and rotate while the trail shoulder works down and under.

To get back to the original question: I like to use the 4MM early wrist break in conjunction with a more stacked rotary swing, this uses less moving parts and makes off plane type errors less likely as there is little to go wrong.

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Best Regards
Brian

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Funny o'l game!

EVERY great player that has ever played the game has had a lateral shift of the hips toward the target. EVERY.

Thoroughly agee. Didn't say they didn't. Just at the right time, and as a result of other things.

I like that, Brian.

Ozzy,

My way of curing the lateral move was to STOP at the top of my backswing, then a natural transition down. It tended to make my hips rotate rather than move forward. Good luck.

thanks everyone, will try some suggestions above at the range on the weekend!

I wasn't trying to imply you didn't say that. It was more about making that statement known as golfers tend to get caught up in the hip slide vs hip turn thing too much.

What do u mean by a natural transition down?????

hi
the main thing in any hip lateral movement is that the hips move towards the target and you have no hip slid on the backswing.
the use of the right knee in keeping the right leg flexed to stop any backward slid is very important if you try to have and hip slid in the downswing.
if you let your hips slid back even a little on the backswing it tends to make you swing out to in on the downswing.
the last thing you want is a out to in swing and the whole point of having any hips slid is to keep the club face looking down the target line longer so you MUST control and backward slid with your right knee.
cheers
Bill

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