Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
Last week I discussed how having good width from the left arm, correct wrist hinge and a full shoulder turn on the backswing will put you in a well coiled and poised position to start the downswing (fig 1). This week we will focus on how to execute a powerful down-swing.
The first movement down from the top of the backswing will pave the way to success if correct. Fig 2 shows how the weight shifts from the right foot to the left as the hips begin to rotate towards the target. Most people struggle to transfer their weight from their back foot to the left leg, so the correct drill to help train this movement would be to swing slowly to the top, and then push the left heel firmly into the floor to initiate the down swing. Also on the downswing the wrist angle should be retained for as long as possible, creating what is known as 'lag' as the weight of the club head gets left behind.
Fig 3 shows the movement through and after impact. Here you should notice how much the body has turned towards the target, leading predominantly with the hips the weight has shifted fully to the left leg, this combined with a full extension of the arms towards the target will help to keep the club on line, and give you a more consistent contact with the ball.
A balanced follow through position (fig 4) is always a sign that the swing has moved in the correct order. The correct order of the downswing is what is responsible for creating an impression of a smooth and easy rhythm. Think about someone like Ernie Els who appears to be swinging the club smoothly but is actually one of the biggest hitters around - this is a result of his timing and use of his lower body and core to strike the ball.
So make sure you don't swing the club too hard with your arms, but you smoothly accelerate your body all the way through to a well balanced follow through, and you will produce more power with less effort.
