6 Downswing Tips to Solid Contact
Think of your downswing as rope uncoiling with tension, which reflects the opposite of your backswing. The tension has built up and is ready to explode, so you must learn to deliver it properly to the back of the ball.
Here are 6 key points to practice doing just that and to develop the confidence in performing good ball striking.
In the backswing tips article, we talked about parts of that portion of the swing like, rotation, coiling, flexing, tension, and now will add releasing. These movements under a controlled thought process will create swing memory and the result of that adds tremendous power to your golf shots, when understood and applied correctly at the appropriate moment in the downswing.
As you know, there are two parts to every swing — up then down. Paying close attention to your set-up or address position to the ball, pays big dividends which is priority one in the fundamentals of a repeatable backswing, or commonly called the take away.
Every downswing has an equal and opposite reaction to your backswing movement. So start thinking of them as best of friends, because both are exactly half of your best swing.
Downswing Tip No. 1
Tilting — While the backswing tips are still fresh in your mind, we need you to picture in your mind the coiled position at the top of your swing. From there I'll take you back down to the ball piece-by-piece. To get back to the ball you must first allow the hands and coiled shoulders to tilt over onto your left side and foot, like reaching farther for the target while at the top. You'll actually feel the upper body's torso weight, shift onto the left foot. Imagine taking the club to the top and with a friend behind you, pushing your right shoulder a little more towards the target. It's the same feeling as if you picked up the left heel on your backswing and slammed it back down before attempting the downswing. Now you're in balance to sweep down and through the golf shot.
Downswing Tip No. 2
Rotation — To begin the downswing from there is to allow the right knee to flex slightly more as you squat downward, while allowing the arms to drop on their own as you begin your hip rotation to the left. Remember all the muscle tension, coiling and flexing is now reversing naturally and you need to allow it to drive the downswing.
Downswing Tip No.3
Flexing — As your hips continue to lead the downswing left and around your left rear pocket, your right kneecap should be flexing and pointing at the ball. Your right shoulder should follow tilting towards the ground and eventually point where the ball was lying before impact. This is called down and through.Downswing Tip No. 4
Releasing — This is where you're about to deliver all that power you built up from coiling and the club head speed you generated from it. Your right hand wrist should still be in an “L” shaped or cocked backwards and not release through the ball till your right elbow slides past your belt buckle or very near it. An athletic position but a must effort for maximum results.
Downswing Tip No. 5
Coiling — Immediately after unhinging your right hand at the back of the ball, both your arms should be swinging out in front of your body a little towards the right of your target. The wrists of both hands will now roll over after impact. The centrifugal force will take over and bring you to the top of your follow through with little effort on your part. A good finish to a proper downswing will show your belly button, chest and eyes pointing at the target. Your club is resting against your shoulder blades with your hands above your left shoulder.Downswing Tip No. 6
Tension — There are two types of tension in your golf swing, nervous and muscular. Nervous should be obvious to you as being your enemy. Nervous forces you to tighten up, like gripping the club shaft to tight. Bad. Then there is muscular tension which we want to feel after a relaxed take away to the top and when there, you recognize a coiled tension in the lower back, thigh and calve of the right side. This is good. This is the only acceptable tension allowed in the swing = coiled muscle. Conquer the right kind of tension; add it as part of your pre determined mind set and you'll see longer straighter golf shots.This completes 6 Downswing Tips to Solid Contact … look for our next article soon!
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