hitting against a solid left side

I tend to slide my hips forward in the downswing instead of hitting against a solid left side. can you explain a little more about the solid left side? should my weight stay on the inside of my left foot? Should I have my front leg rigid so It will stop me from swaying to far or should the front leg be like a noodle

It's a common problem the term "solid left side". It causes serious problems sometimes for people who don't understand what the legs and hips are supposed to do during the down swing.

In simple terms:

On your downswing, your hips need to slide a little forwrads (just 2 inches or so)to start moving the centre of gravity towards the target and "pulling" action of the downswing. It also creates a general "forward movement" of the swing arc, hence the impact position is a little ahead of the ball and you hit down on the ball. Okay so far?

So if you drew 2 circles: the backswing and then the downswing, the downswing will be forwards towards the target of here the backswing was. Okay?

Now, your left hip should move forward in the transition (see above) and then go left. Its the mirror image of what your right hip did on the backswing. In the backswing, you brace your right hip, thigh and knee ... right? (if not, you should!). Your left leg needs to do something very similar but the hip rotates in the same why as your right rotated on the backswing.

Okay so far?

Now ... at impact or just after, as your right leg passes impact position, your left leg has to 'give' to an extent to enable you to turn to the finish. The turn to the finish is nothing more than a natural rotational force. Some people buckle their left knee a bit, others don't - it's upto muscle toning, balance, blah... blah ... blah ... it's not that important to the golf swing - as long as you rotate naturally with the momentum and keep your balance.

Okay? Got it?

Now - here's an excercise for you to help you develop a feeling of the motion. It is a drill I developed years ago, when I first started teaching:
1> Get 2 clubs and a friend to do this with you.
2> Stand opposite each other, face on
3> You take the grip end of each club and your friend takes the head end of the club in his hands
4> Now adapt your standing position as if you were going to address a golf ball. So slight knee flex, slight forward lean of the torso ...
5> Right, now you pull one end and your friend pulls the other club and you allow the momentum to follow in a "see-saw" motion. Like 2 pepole doing a 60's R&R dance.
6> As you get the go of that, as you pull back, pull back with the hip a well, rotating behind you slightly. Almost like a snow skiing motion ...
If you do it correctly, that closely mimicks the hip motion during the swing.

Okay?
Any more problems, let us know.

__________________
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)

out of these drills which do you think would work best?
Baseball drill where you swing back and bring feet together, then step forward to start transition
feet together drill, but wouldnt this quiet hip movement
swing on left foot drill, wouldnt this also quiet hip movement
hit with a shaft sticking out of the ground next to lead foot
out of those which would work best and why?

None of them, actually ... those drills are for solving other swing problems, not to teach a firm left side.

any drills that you recommend that I can do while hitting golf balls? and is it safe to say I sway because I dont hit against a solid left side? i dont sway on the backswing but it is more of a lunge on the downswing.

TeachingPro, I am still waiting for drills I can use while hitting balls that help to produce a solid left side. i do appreciate you taking the time for a lengthy response and it gives a good idea of how the hips move but I personally like drills I can use to hit balls.

I used to have problems with lateral slide. What i used to do to fix this was to stick my umbrella or shaft in the ground and plant my left or leading foot against it. If you lateral slide your hip will hit the umbrella instead of turning. Make sure you are still hitting down on the ball and not spinning off the back foot to avoid the umbrella or you will end up with bigger problems than the one you have now.

Sorry for the late reply - I've been out of town coaching a tour player at a tournament.

All you have to do is turn your left toes in somewhat. This will restrict the mobility of your left leg. As you get the feeling, slowly return your left toes to your "normal" position.

It's something you can do mid-round to. If the wheels fall off, just hit a few shots with your left toes turned in and that'll stop your left side from collapsing, sliding, etc.

Nice and simple.

I wonder if this is true. Beginners who start learning by themselves have a problem with too much lateral movements (swaying etc), while those who start off with a coach will have the opposite problem - keeping too still

Well done!

Yep, we like to teach absolute beginners with an open stance for the backswing to over-do the hip turn. A closed stance for the downswing to stop the sliding tendancy and the tendancy to over-rotate the hips on the downswing which drags the club from outside-inside.