TEACHING DOWNSWING
by Bill Hulbert, PGA Director of Instruction at Green River Golf Club
How do YOU teach the downswing? More specifically, what is your go to move for starting the downswing? And how do you get your students to feel it and repeat it.
There are many ways to initiate a downswing, and as with all things in instruction it helps to have a full arsenal to use since not everyone can swing the same or feel what you may be trying to communicate. Let’s look at some of the possibilities and the inherent questions that accompany them.
- Hip action. Turn the left hip? Drive the right hip? Bump the hips left? How far? Start before the backswing finishes? Start when it finishes?
- Weight shift. Shift left? Shift down? Tiger squat? Pelvic shift and thrust?
- Knees. Rotate the knees? Left knee over left foot? Move them both down and forward? Separate left from right?
- Feet. Plant left heel? Push off back foot? Roll right foot and knee? Pivot from ground up? Roll right ankle in?
- Core. Rotate core and torso? Shift and then rotate?
- Left shoulder. Turn shoulder away from chin? Start pulling with left lat?
- Arms. Arms fall as shoulders hold? Pull left arm down in front? Pull right arm down in front? Hold the hips so there is room for the arms?
How many of these have you used in your teaching? Which ones fit your swing model? What other ones do you use? A valid argument can be made for all of them, and you may see some hall of fame swings in there if you look closely. Obviously it’s about which application creates the best sequencing and impact for a particular player.
My point here is to encourage getting outside your “box” and try something else if the old standby is not working. And secondly we would love to hear from other instructors about what you are using and why. Send your thoughts to me at bhulbert@pga.com and we will publish your ideas. And as always if you have an article that you would like to see in the e-news, about instruction, send it also.
