Over the past 15 years, it has been amazing to
see all the new theories and ideas that come out
each and every year. One year it’s one plane.
This year, it’s “stack and tilt.”
The one thing all these theories have in common
is the quest to improve impact. The majority of
students I see have no idea what a solid impact
position feels like. They rarely hit the ball solidly
and often struggle to hit it where they want.
For years, I fought a weak shot that tended to
go high and to the right. I could not draw the ball
to save my life. The more I would try to swing from
the inside and hit a draw, the more the ball would
just go high and right.
I finally determined that I was backloading my
downswing. In my attempt to draw the ball by swinging
in to out, my spine was staying back throughout
my downswing. As a result, my head would go backward
on my downswing, thus the backloading. With my head
staying back through impact, my hips and chest would
stall or slow down. This was the main reason I could
never hit the ball with any real power.
A proper downswing sequence should go in this order
— hips, chest, arms and finally the golf club.
The best players in the world sequence their downswing
in this way. In my quest to draw the ball, I was
staying back and my hips and chest could never fire
through impact.
Your lower body is a major source of stability and
power in your swing. I see far too many players
only swinging with their arms and never using their
lower body. Good ball strikers start their downswing
from the ground up, using their legs and hips to
create power.
With a solid lower body creating power and stability,
your weight can go forward (frontloading) during
your downswing. By frontloading your downswing,
you can create a solid impact position that will
help create solid club/ball contact.
A great drill to help make sure you go forward
on your downswing is to stand with your feet together
and then point the club at your target. Imagine
you are a hitter in baseball with your feet starting
at home plate. Point the club at the pitcher, and
as you start your backswing, step forward with your
front leg. Imagine you are stepping toward second
base. Try to have your front foot planted on the
ground before your arms reach the top of your backswing
and then just swing through to your finish. This
drill will help you get the feeling of frontloading
your downswing and help create a proper downswing
sequence.
Another excellent drill to help you create a solid
impact position is to hit balls off your front foot.
Take your normal setup, then pull back your right
foot (left foot if you are left-handed). Make sure
your right foot is behind your left heel. You should
feel like your stance is closed. Then, adjust your
weight so that 80 percent is on your left leg and
20 percent is on your right leg. By keeping your
weight more on your left leg, you will create a
solid impact position and begin the proper downswing
sequence.
After hitting balls from this position, gradually
bring your stance back to normal. Try this drill
and you will be amazed at how solid your shots will
become.
