DOWNSWING PRACTICE

DOWNSWING PRACTICE

Drills to Help Golfers Start the Downswing with Their Lower Body

Starting the downswing with the lower body is crucial for achieving a powerful and efficient golf swing. The following drills focus on promoting proper sequencing, weight transfer, and lower body engagement during the downswing.

1. The Step Drill

The Step Drill is designed to help golfers initiate their downswing with their lower body by emphasizing weight transfer and hip rotation.

1. Setup: Begin in your normal address position.

2. Execution: As you start your backswing, take a small step back with your lead foot while keeping your upper body still. This movement should feel like you’re loading into your trail leg.
3. Downswing Initiation: From this position, step forward with your lead foot back into the original stance as you begin your downswing. Focus on pushing off the trail leg and rotating the hips toward the target.
4. Focus Points: Ensure that your upper body remains quiet during this drill; all movement should come from the lower body. This helps reinforce the idea of starting the downswing from the ground up.

2. The Hip Bump Drill

This drill emphasizes hip movement and helps golfers understand how to initiate their downswing properly.

1. Setup: Address the ball as usual.

2. Execution: Before starting your swing, practice bumping your hips laterally towards the target without moving your upper body. This lateral movement should occur just before you begin your downswing.
3. Downswing Initiation: After practicing this hip bump, incorporate it into a full swing. Focus on feeling that initial bump as you start down, which will help engage your lower body first.
4. Focus Points: Concentrate on keeping your upper body stable while allowing only your hips to move laterally. This reinforces proper sequencing in the swing.

3. The Feet Together Drill

This drill encourages balance and forces golfers to rely more on their lower body.

1. Setup: Stand with your feet together in a normal address position.

2. Execution: Take a slow backswing while maintaining balance on both feet. As you transition into the downswing, focus on initiating movement from your hips and legs rather than using your arms.
3. Downswing Initiation: Allow your hips to rotate toward the target while keeping your feet together until after impact.
4. Focus Points: This drill helps develop stability and ensures that golfers are using their lower bodies effectively without relying too much on arm movement.

4. The Medicine Ball Toss

Using a medicine ball can enhance explosive power and reinforce lower body engagement.

Setup: Stand with feet shoulder-width apart holding a medicine ball at chest level.

1. Execution: Rotate away from an imaginary target [or actual target if available] as if making a backswing, then explosively rotate through while tossing the ball against a wall or to a partner.
2. Downswing Initiation: Focus on initiating this motion from your legs and hips rather than just swinging with your arms.
3. Focus Points: Emphasize generating power from the ground up, ensuring that you feel tension in your legs as you rotate through.

5. The Alignment Stick Drill

This drill uses alignment sticks or clubs to promote proper hip rotation during the downswing.

1. Setup: Place an alignment stick or club diagonally across your hips so that one end points toward where you want to hit [the target line].

2. Execution: Practice taking swings while focusing on rotating around this stick or club without letting it move out of place.
3. Downswing Initiation: As you start down, ensure that you’re leading with your hips rather than allowing them to lag behind.
4. Focus Points: This visual cue helps reinforce proper hip action and ensures that golfers are aware of their lower body’s role in initiating the downswing.

—Copyright by Glen Bowen