Downswing Trigger

What is your downswing trigger.... I am looking for one. My arms are too active in the downswing and when I try and initiate the downswing with my lower body it seems too unnatural and disconnected. If there is a simple technique that someone has, I am eager to try it!

Thanks,

James

There is no "trigger"...the swing should be 1 fluid motion that is as natural as walking. When you walk is there a moment you have to tell your back foot to swing forward?

James - I believe swinging a golf club is best done if you are on autopilot. Once you do something numerous times your adaptive unconscious mind learns it. I think this is also true with the golf swing where the golfer can reproduce it with extreme accuracy as long as he doesn't interfere with it consciously.

That said, I do believe most experienced golfers should have one key thought for their swing. (I think having more than one key thought for the golf swing is one too many.) A key can pertain to any part of the swing from address to follow through. A key can be a focus (i.e. smooth off the ball in the backswing, or don't fold right elbow more than 90 degrees at the top of backswing) or it can be a trigger movement, which almost always is a trigger movement for the downswing. Of course a downswing trigger is what you asked about... A downswing trigger movement could be to turn the shoulders a little more before starting down, a move of the arms further behind you before the arms drop downward into the slot (for an upright swing), a move of the lower forearms back away from the target, or any number of other triggers.

Personally I think a downswing trigger movement should be in the "area" of the body where there will be the "most body action or movement early in the downswing". Thus, I think a downswing trigger movement should come from the right side - namely the right shoulder or right forearm. With the exception of a "natural" weight transfer moving toward the left side it is the right shoulder and right arm that makes the first move in the downswing, so why not key on this area to make sure it starts correctly? (This viewpoint may oppose traditional teaching methods, which I will explain.)

Traditional teaching methods suggest a downswing trigger should start somewhere in the lower body to start the golf swing from the bottom-up, but I disagree. Since the weight transfer is an "unconscious" movement predicated on the golfer's intention to swing the arms this lower body movement is going to happen naturally anyway to support and brace the left side for the fast moving arm swing. Therefore using a lower body trigger (i.e. knee kick) to start the transfer of weight (which does indeed precede the downward movement of the arms) is not needed nor in my opinion should be wanted. Again, a dynamic weight transfer is going to happen naturally anyway, therefore forcing the weight transfer with a conscious effort (or even a gentle knee kick) could easily upset the body's natural balance and natural dynamic movement. I also think that making a trigger movement so far away (foot, knee, leg, hips) from the body's most active body movement (the arms) is not helpful in starting the all-important arm swing, and can be very detrimental if it spoils or disturbs the body's natural weight transfer.

As I have said, I think the downswing trigger movement should be in the area where there will be the most body action or movement early in the downswing - the right shoulder/right arm. This does not include the hands/wrists! Since the hands and wrists (both of them) should basically remain out of the picture in the golf swing any intended, conscious, or forceful use of the hands/wrists early in the downswing will destroy the golf swing. The hands and wrists should be thought of as only delivering the power to the golf club, not producing it.

The basis for me to suggest that you trigger (I like to think of it more as a focus) the downswing on the right shoulder/right arm is because unless the golfer starts the golf club down correctly then the swing is lost - never to be recovered regardless of how much the golfer tries to manipulate it. So why not focus the trigger on the most critical part of the swing?

I suggest that you consider keying your downswing trigger on the right shoulder tip. The right shoulder tip should move downward toward your belly button or feet, not out and around. Also, you will notice that as the right shoulder tip rocks down (not out) the entire right side arm structure (right shoulder, folded right arm, club) moves with the shoulder tip as a structured unit. You will also notice that the distance between the right shoulder tip and the hands (formed by the 90 degree angle of the right elbow) remains the same distance apart for the first few inches of the downswing, then the right arm straightens like a piston rod, releasing the angle and allows the lever to produce club head speed. Since the very early part of the arm swing and club is the most critical, why not focus and key the downswing trigger on making sure it is done correctly?

I can't be any more help than these guys above me.

To me, the trigger that it's time to start the downswing is simply that I can't swing back anymore, or I feel as though I've turned enough (if I'm hitting a half or three-quarter shot).

When you say your arms are too active, do you mean you stop turning and swat at the ball? Or that you feel as though you hit from the top?

James,

I would say shafting the weight to the left side is the most important thing to start with. Everything you do is focused around your center of gravity. In the golf swing the naval is the center of gravity. (This not to be confused with the swing circle center which is the 7th vertabre of the spine.) On the backswing the naval moves 8" to the rear keeping the head centered over the ball. At the start of the down swing the naval moves 16" to the left keeping the body in balance. If the naval stops at the top, you will hit off the right foot, almost feeling a recoil. If the naval stops at the address position or shorter you will swing over the top everytime. Kinetically, that will happen. I teach that move to my students on the first lesson. It is one of more difficult things to master and becomes an unconcious action when learned and repeated.

A golf swing is like a good waltz in 3/4 time, it is the correct tempo, it doesn't fight gravity, and the entire sequence of motion happens in the right instance. I also have them listen the The Blue Danube Waltz by Straus to help with tempo problems.

Hope this helps,

GB

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The guy in the white hat!

Thanks for all of your replies. My problem specifically, is that I start the golf swing with my upper body. Recently I have been topping the ball, and I understand that this often results from starting the swing from your upper body. The notion of a “swing trigger’ isn’t mine. I have seen it in lots of literature and most recently in Jim McLean’s 8 Step Swing.” The advice seems sound – but it is difficult for me to implement so I was looking for something a little easier to start with. Some good suggestions that I have come across – one is to start your downswing before you finish your backswing – you can’t move your arms in two directions at the same time – so your lower body will lead the downswing and you arms will follow. Another suggestion is to lift your lead heal off the ground and re-plant it to start your downswing. I think many of us already have a downswing trigger and are unaware of it. Here is something on topic from the Net


As you watch many professional golfers you’ll see many variations on the swing trigger. So what is it? The swing trigger is the movement that starts the swing. One example is Jack Nicklaus’ stationary press. He describes it like this. “By firming up my hands as the final preparatory movement, I get a strong sense of affirmation of the coming swing throughout my body. This simple little device seems to alert all my muscles to the job at hand without tensing them in any way. Thus it has become a critical part of my game, a preface to every shot I play. You should work to build a similarly strong “starter” into your game.”
Other golfers have different triggers. Gary player has that familiar kick of the right knee as does Vijay Singh to a lesser extent. Others have a subtle and sometimes not so subtle forward press where there is a sense of the body moving forward and then backward with a smooth clubhead take away into the back swing.
http://www.golf-mental-game-coach.com/swingtrigger.html

Hi James.

I'm going to suggest you look to Harvey Pennick and his "Magic Move"

If you can find either or both of his Little Green or Little Red books on golf, or just google Magic Move and his name and have a read...

Cheers
Craig

Jamesh,

The swing triggers this article refers to are ones that start the backswing, as it suggests some use a forward press of the hands, some move the trail knee in towards the lead and I have seen one where the club head is swung forward of the ball then back to the top. The reasoning is that the trigger starts off a flowing motion rather than pulling the club back from a stationary position, it also helps people who freeze over the ball, Garcia had this problem.

I think you need some advice on how to make your takeaway from the ball.

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Best Regards
Brian

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Yes! It is Slat's strides and Robin's Shirt

That would be my suggestion. Any good swing is done around the posted front leg so you have to get your weight onto the front leg to start the downswing. If you go at it with your hands and arms from the top, your weight will likely stay on the back leg or not get forward enough, so try to feel as if your weight shifts onto the front leg as the downswings first move, keep your shoulders still/facing the target and let your arms just drop

You may also want to check you dont slide too far back on the backswing and keep your weight centered because that makes it nearly impossible to get the weight back

Here is one for you: