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Even if your takeaway starts off incorrectly, there is still a chance to execute a good backswing. This is because there is time remaining to adjust your swing path or posture as the backswing rises. Furthermore, even if the backswing is off, there is still an opportunity to make a good impact. If you try to fix the problem by forcing compensatory movements, your swing is bound to get tangled.
At the same time, the movement at the beginning of the downswing is the final opportunity to maximize your impact. While it is commonly said that the shot you will hit is largely determined during the backswing, you can hit a great shot and minimize misses simply by controlling the beginning of the downswing well.
01Four things that determine the downswing
- Lower body lead and ground reaction forceAt the top, you don't start with your arms; instead, your weight shifts to your left foot, applying pressure to the sole. As your left hip opens backward, your right pelvis moves into place. While there is individual variation in whether the movement or the rotation occurs first, you can consider them to happen almost simultaneously.
- The upper body holds on for a moment.When the downswing transition begins, it feels like your chest momentarily remains facing away from the target. This separation of the upper and lower body ultimately becomes the source of speed and power.
- The club pad remains behind the hand.You don't have to consciously try to maintain the wrist angle; it forms automatically when your body leads. For those who struggle with this, the angle usually releases first at the top.
- You don't lower it with your arms; the club drops.You are not intentionally slamming down or pulling the club; instead, the club falls to the ground due to gravity through the lead of your lower body. This allows the club pad to enter the optimal path to strike the ball.
To summarize these four points in one sentence, it means leading with the lower body rather than the upper body, so that the arms and club follow.
02People who find this movement particularly helpful
There are some people whose upper bodies are so overdeveloped that they struggle with upper-to-lower body separation and tend to lunge in with their upper body from the top. The lower body lead technique I am teaching today is helpful for such individuals, as well as those who frequently make hooks or misses to the left.
03You need to relax first.
To do these four things well, your body must first be prepared. It doesn't mean you have to be strong; it is extremely important to be able to relax. As a golfer myself who used to get very nervous and tense during competitions, I know better than anyone the importance of relaxing. Let me start by sharing two simple ways to reduce tension.
The first is breathing. Inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 3 seconds, and exhale over 7 seconds. When you breathe like this when you are tense, it feels like your body relaxes, much like drinking warm tea when you are cold. The second is to tighten your entire body and then release it all at once. If you tense your entire body—from your toes to your hips and arms—and then release, you can significantly reduce tension.
04You shouldn't just hold out for 10 seconds at the top; you need to be comfortable.
When I watch the swings of average golfers, I get the feeling that more than half of them need to relax their muscles. If you ask me how much to relax, it’s difficult to convey the feeling in words, so I check it this way. If I ask them to lift their backswing and stop, many of them tremble uncontrollably. That means they are applying too much force.
The feeling of having released tension is being in a state where, once you lift your backswing, you can simply stay in that spot comfortably for 10 seconds or even a minute. If you struggle to hold the position for 5 seconds and feel like you’re getting a cramp in your side, you are already putting too much force into it. The key is not to hold the position, but to simply feel at ease. If you can maintain this tension consistently from the top of the backswing through the finish after impact, you can say that you have sufficiently released tension.
05Feeling upper and lower body separation with a long club
Let's practice starting the downswing with your lower body while relaxed. Sling a slightly longer club over your shoulder and rotate it in the direction of your address and backswing, then stop. While maintaining this angle and position where your left arm and shaft are visible in your field of vision, try moving only your pelvis. It feels similar to spinning around on a frisbee at a playground.
Actually, anyone can do this movement if they relax. You need this sensation to create the feeling that your upper body "momentarily stays in place" during the downswing, and you can perform it much more comfortably if your body is fully relaxed. If you repeat this movement about ten times and then hit the ball, you will definitely feel that it has become smoother.
06Your arms must hang like crocodiles.
There is one more reason why you need to relax your muscles to generate distance. If the club, hands, and body move as a single unit, you cannot generate power; a slight time delay or delayed motion is necessary. To achieve this, your arms must be relaxed, and your lower body must lead.
When I try to relax my arms, I picture an alligator. An alligator's forelegs are certainly strong, but if you were to lift it up, they would feel like they are dangling limply. It doesn't feel like you are gripping something or using your hands; rather, it feels like they are simply hanging from your body, following its movements. If you keep this image in mind, you can really relax your arms effectively.
07Left miss and right miss have different starting points.
The point at which upper and lower body separation begins varies from golfer to golfer. Some golfers need movement to come first, while others need rotation. If the ball is pulled to the left, it is often because the body is blocked and rotates too quickly; in this case, please prioritize movement slightly earlier. Conversely, if the ball is pushed to the right, please focus on rotation before weight transfer.
And just because you are relaxing doesn't mean you should completely let go of the distance between your hands and body. You need a slight tension created by consciously extending your arms a little. The correct standard is to pull back as much as possible while maintaining the distance between your hands and body.
08Today's homework
- Hold the top position for 30 secondsTry holding the top of your backswing for 30 seconds, followed immediately by another 30 seconds at the finish. The reason I am giving you such long durations, even if they feel tedious, is so that you can feel that this time should be a comfortable state, not a difficult struggle.
- The smoothest swing I can makeTry hitting the ball while acting out a swing as smooth as possible, as if you have always had it.
