Transition

Im interested to know how you teachers here 'feel' the transition

For me I try and straighten my left leg whilst keeping my shoulders back and retaining the wrist angle. From there i try and do nothing. Literally. Just let the hands and arms drop down into the back of the ball

Is this a good move? Is this something one would teach?

Tiger Woods used to straighten his left leg to firm up is left side during impact, but it not something anyone should try in my opinion.

If you take the club back on the correct plane your hands should be higher than your through swing,ok.

Once you achive a higher hands position then gravity as you say should put you on perfect plane in the transition.

I find the best way to practice the transition is to take the club to the top and stop, turn your hips about 4 inches and watch you hands drop into the slot for impact.

Hope this helps.

Ian.

There are a number of methods we use to teach students how to change direction in the golf swing. Your method is one of them ... provided the firm left leg doesn't hinder the hip turn or lift the swing significantly, there is nothing wrong with it.

What you've done is identified a swing trigger or swing thought and if it works - why change it or question it? "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!"

If it doesn't work, then I can suggest some other transition drills.

Id still be interested to hear those drills?

I Think my 'move' is an evolution of the step drill where I feel myself step onto my left foot whilst reatining the wrist angle and shoulder turn. This then straightens my left leg. Keeping my hands soft the weight of the clubhead then pulls my arms and body through impact. Im not sure this is right tho but it seems to work. The quicker I transfer the weight the harder I hit the ball, but if the move is too fast I lose control quickly

Does this sound a good platform?

There isn't anything wrong as far as I can see with your transition thought. All the elements seem to be there and if it works, don't tinker with it.

If it doesn't work there are a few drills you can use to get the feeling of what 'transition' is about:
1. You can swing to the top, then push your club towards the target and at the same time start your lower half unwinding back to the left. This exaggerates the transition of your club and lower body moving in opposite directions for a fraction of a second at the top of the backswing.
2. You can swing to the top and keep your shoulders facing the target while you 'drop' the hands and arms as you start the downward move. Try to get your arms to pull your shoulders round as your hips turn.
3. You can stand with a very open stance with your left foot WAY back. Swing to the top and as you start to downward move take the step with your left foot back to where it should be which will help you to get the feeling of moving your weight accross and getting your body to turn around impact.
4. You can take a hoolahoop and grip it on the inside with cupped wrists. Now swing around and back, you will get the feeling of your wrists staying cupped for a long while before impact and you will get the feeling also of your right side 'dropping' into impact and the left side turning away. This drill is quite advanced but works very well if executed properly. The key to the correct feeling is to keep the hoolahoop at the same angle (swing plane). Your right pocket should drop into impact as your left hip lifts and your left leg straightens to absorb the energy through impact.

Hope these help if your have a problem feeling what the transition should be like. As I said, if your current transition results in a good strike - don't mess with it.

__________________
Golf is easy ... once you know how.
Graham Arnott, teaching professional
Kelrosa Golf Studios
www.kelrosagolf.com
Class 'A' PGA Member
Full Member: World Golf Teachers Federation (GB&I)

The only drill I use to talk about transition is the Walking Drill. It is so simple. You wouldn't teach someone to transition their weight to learn how to walk, it's just something that comes natural...this is just a trick to use something that already comes natural and apply it to the swing.

I am not a teaching pro, but to start my transition I pull the club down with my left arm as hard as I can, once my club is about waist high I then push the club through the impact zone using everything I have from my right side. I have a good shift of weight and hit my irons reasonbly well.

I'm certainly no teaching pro either but I also tend to pull my left arm down and through but not as hard as i can, maybe 3/4 power.
On my medium irons I keep about 60% weight on my left foot and slightly more for shorter irons then just hit through a firm left leg and hip (no straighting of left leg occurs).
The only time I notice my right side doing anything is when i'm hitting a draw/hook or low punch. Don't know if this helps but irons are the strongest part of my game.