Tip 6. Transition

The Transition
By Tim Odegard

Now that you have gotten to the position at the top you need to know how to start the forward or downswing. This is also called the TRANSITION, the changing of direction. It is difficult to translate into words how the swing is supposed to happen or even feel but we will give you a few points to consider.

1) What actually happens based on the study of motion in the golf swing
2) Depending on your current swing plane, what YOU might want to sense
3) Exercises to sense YOUR first move down and forward

WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENS

At the top of the backswing the weight is into the right hip and has gone from the middle of both feet at address into the heel of the right foot. From the top of the swing the weight moves from the right heel into the middle of both feet part way down. At the same time, the club and arms drop to where the shaft falls toward the swing plane and under the right shoulder (Photo #1). By the time impact with the ball occurs the weight has moved to the left heel (Photo #2). The tendency with higher handicap players is that the weight moves more toward the toes on the way down instead of staying between the heels and balls of the feet.

DEPENDING ON YOUR SWING PATH …

If you sense you have a downswing plane that is steep, outside or across the ball you need to sense specific movements vs. someone that comes more from the inside. Here are a few ways you can tell which issue you may have. If you tend to start the ball left of your target and your divots look as though they are traveling left of the target you have an outside-in steep swing. This would constitute about 90% of golfers. The ball generally will curve to the right to some degree. The other 10% of you would start the ball to the right of the target and push and hook a lot of shots.

Those of you who feel you are a steep and outside-in swinger, need to sense a couple of things. First, a lateral hip movement toward the target without turning and secondly, the arms and club have a sense of falling behind you to start the downswing. Ideally, the lateral motion is what will drop the arms and club. Some need to sense the lateral lower body motion, which will drop the club properly and others will need to feel the upper body move as though you would be throwing the club or a ball toward the right of your target from a golf posture just as if you were performing an underhand throwing motion. It may feel like the club and arms fall straight down first then move to the inside of the ball. (Photo #3).

The other 10% will sense a more rotary motion where the hips and chest rotate toward the target earlier in the downswing. The more you rotate, the less hook or push right you will see with the ball flight (Photo #4). Unfortunately, these moves may seem to be the opposite of your instinct and that shows how proper concepts will far outweigh what may seem to be correct.

EXERCISES FOR BOTH SWINGS

For those of you that are in the 90%, steep, outside swing group here are a few hints on how to work on it. Put a ball on a tee with a 7 iron and go to the top of your swing and stop. Start your downswing by letting the club drop and the lower body moves just a touch toward the target without turning your hips. Stop about halfway down. Then go ahead and swing to the finish and let the ball get in the way. You should do this at a slow pace first to develop a sense of the new movement. This will ensure that the transition is better.

Now for the 10%, inside-out, push/hook swing group. Take your backswing stopping at the top. Stop about halfway down but with the hips rotating open as the club swings down in front of your body. Then go ahead and swing through to your finish letting the ball get in the way.

As the top teachers in the state and contributing writers, Tim Odegard, Dana Smith, Tom Talbott, and Trent Wearner from the Meridian Golf Learning Center would like you to call with any questions you may have regarding this article or anything about your golf game. They offer golf schools, private lessons, after work clinics, the most successful junior golf programs, as well as custom club fitting.

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