Starting the down swing, which leg do you "drive" off of?

[PixlPutterman]

When I start my downswing, do I drive off of my rear leg, pushing my rear hip through the swing or do I drive off the front leg, clearing the front hip out of the way?

 

Or both?

[copperjeff]

I don't drive off of either leg to start the downswing.

 

Often times (as is my case) driving with either leg to START the downswing leads to the lower body getting to far ahead.

[MonteScheinblum]

Neither.

 

You’re going to early extend doing that.

 

You’re supposed to push down to start the downswing and your body will react by pushing off near impact.

 

 

[Santiago Golf]

Neither.

 

You’re going to early extend doing that.

 

You’re supposed to push down to start the downswing and your body will react by pushing off near impact.

 

You beat me too it

[spacecraft]

Neither.

 

You’re going to early extend doing that.

 

You’re supposed to push down to start the downswing and your body will react by pushing off near impact.

push down what the grip?

[ezpz]

Neither.

 

You’re going to early extend doing that.

 

You’re supposed to push down to start the downswing and your body will react by pushing off near impact.

push down what the grip?

 

Move pressure into the ground.

[BrianMcG]

Neither.

 

You’re going to early extend doing that.

 

You’re supposed to push down to start the downswing and your body will react by pushing off near impact.

push down what the grip?

 

Squat.

[jamie]

Neither.

 

You’re going to early extend doing that.

 

You’re supposed to push down to start the downswing and your body will react by pushing off near impact.

I agree but I think "pushing down" could be misinterpreted as "pushing off."

[Lincoln_Arcadia]

When I start my downswing, do I drive off of my rear leg, pushing my rear hip through the swing or do I drive off the front leg, clearing the front hip out of the way?

 

Or both?

 

I don’t normally think about it, possibly the rear foot pressure is higher at the top Then it transfers over by the time I’m at impact-ish?

[Golfbeat]

Neither.

 

You’re going to early extend doing that.

 

You’re supposed to push down to start the downswing and your body will react by pushing off near impact.

I agree but I think "pushing down" could be misinterpreted as "pushing off."

 

That's a good point. Could you perhaps say: push down and go up in the back swing, free fall into a squat and push down again to go up into impact?

[cardoustie]

I like to move my right knee to the left, good trigger .. for me anyways ... ymmv

[glk]

I think you can feel the linear move ( drift, surf, etc) as a push from the trail or a fall onto the lead. Certainly not a drive. Or a fire.

I like the downhill thought.

 

Believe the vertical force applied to the lead foot during this time is ballparked, at least, as 150%+ of weight. Like a jog step. Sets the stage for the “ jump” done so well by Thomas and bubba. Single lead leg swings, flamingo, are great for this. As are step drills that help with getting that pressure shifted too.

 

To me the trail foot pushes away like a hockey skater while the lead does the oppsite. Generates the torque to rotate the hips .

 

I like this view of how the feet work to produce rotation. Walk backwards with the trail foot in backswing and forward in downswing. Then reversed with the lead foot.

https://www.andrewricegolf.com/andrew-rice-golf/

 

More info here. https://www.swingcatalyst.com/learning-center/articles/ground-reaction-force

 

Easy Peasy. Do that, chew gum, in a second or so.

[PixlPutterman]

I am having a problem or I'm not feeling much from the belt down causing my hips to clear last instead of first. I did see a drill where you try and rotate your front knee towards the target line and I was doing that in practice swings in the backyard and it felt really good so I think I'm going to try that instead of worrying about how to push off

[MonteScheinblum]

Post a swing, there is a missing detail or two.

[bunta]

Neither.

 

You’re going to early extend doing that.

 

You’re supposed to push down to start the downswing and your body will react by pushing off near impact.

 

Can you define "push down" ?

 

i have an idea what you mean, just making sure im right. Im hoping for a detailed explanation of what to do..

[oikos1]

Neither.

 

You’re going to early extend doing that.

 

You’re supposed to push down to start the downswing and your body will react by pushing off near impact.

I agree but I think "pushing down" could be misinterpreted as "pushing off."

 

That's a good point. Could you perhaps say: push down and go up in the back swing, free fall into a squat and push down again to go up into impact?

 

No, no, and just no. Stop messing it up. Monte was very clear.

[OTT]

Post a swing, there is a missing detail or two.

 

I'd listen to Monte as well...

Post a swing..

There's no point looking for movements in certain areas if the ones before it are wrong.

 

You talk about the hips clearing. They'll do that naturally of everything before it is good. Same as your knee drill.

 

If you clear the hips to start the swing and you have a cast or are OTT and haven't any shallowing in the club your just going to make things worse..

 

If your trying to get power from the ground do as Monte says. Otherwise you will early extend, trust me I was an expert at that..

 

[glk]

Video worth x many words.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BorJ4SKFh98/

[Atrayn]

I'll call the imagery of the "push down" the lower body lie. Most people think of it in the feet when you should think of it in terms of the hips. Monte has a video called the zipper away drill. It cures several issues but to execute it correctly, the hips that are controlling the action. The lowering "effect" is the push down. This movement as well as the left knee separating from the right lowers the entire upper body and initializes the forces into the ground. Think of it is cocking the hammer on a gun.

[MonteScheinblum]

My post will go up a bit later, but here is a feel from a great player and the first 6 words are the important part.

 

[diablocrusher]

Very often I think lots of golfers focus too much on technique/mechanics than what is really needed for the golf swing. I know you've probably read or heard this before, but try to make your movements as natural as possible. When you throw a baseball, or swing a bat, or serve a ball in tennis are you actively thinking about which body part does what.

 

Swinging a baseball bat to hit a ball off a tee for example, when you are about to start the baseball swing does mind first think, "ok lead foot steps slightly forward, then I rotate my hips, then my rear leg drives into the ground etc etc". No batter thinks like that because the movement is natural. A baseball swing hitting a ball off a tee which is roughly waist height is not much different than hitting a golf ball off a tee. The plane of the swing is just different.

 

Hammering a nail, using an axe to chop a tree, these movements naturally happen because your brain knows what the objective is. Now I understand the golf swing is not particularity a natural movement, but once you get the basic fundamentals down your brain knows what the objective is. Certainly things like hand eye coordination help with the task as well, but I feel lots of golfers try to over complicate the swing.

[johnrobison]

Swinging a baseball bat to hit a ball off a tee for example, when you are about to start the baseball swing does mind first think, "ok lead foot steps slightly forward, then I rotate my hips, then my rear leg drives into the ground etc etc". No batter thinks like that because the movement is natural. A baseball swing hitting a ball off a tee which is roughly waist height is not much different than hitting a golf ball off a tee. The plane of the swing is just different.

Perhaps a batter playing tee-ball doesn't think about it, but a batter who wants to play at a much higher level spends a lot of time learning correct sequencing and mechanics.

[TIM929]

Swinging a baseball bat to hit a ball off a tee for example, when you are about to start the baseball swing does mind first think, "ok lead foot steps slightly forward, then I rotate my hips, then my rear leg drives into the ground etc etc". No batter thinks like that because the movement is natural. A baseball swing hitting a ball off a tee which is roughly waist height is not much different than hitting a golf ball off a tee. The plane of the swing is just different.

Perhaps a batter playing tee-ball doesn't think about it, but a batter who wants to play at a much higher level spends a lot of time learning correct sequencing and mechanics.

Exactly.

[johnrobison]

I really love the feel of pushing off my trail foot. LOVE IT! Unfortunately, as Monte showed me on the pressure mat, it doesn't get me to the right place at the right time. I suppose I prefer that feel because I grew up with a pretty good throwing arm and, through baseball, ingrained those mechanics. But the pressure trace doesn't lie, and now I have to work on more of a falling feeling. The downhill thing.

[PixlPutterman]

Post a swing, there is a missing detail or two.

 

Sorry I dont have a recent side view slow mo

 

[PixlPutterman]

Post a swing, there is a missing detail or two.

 

I'd listen to Monte as well...

Post a swing..

There's no point looking for movements in certain areas if the ones before it are wrong.

 

You talk about the hips clearing. They'll do that naturally of everything before it is good. Same as your knee drill.

 

If you clear the hips to start the swing and you have a cast or are OTT and haven't any shallowing in the club your just going to make things worse..

 

If your trying to get power from the ground do as Monte says. Otherwise you will early extend, trust me I was an expert at that..

 

I may have been less clear than I needed, my hips/mid section are not leading the down swing, at impact they have barely rotated and I look stuck

[diablocrusher]

Swinging a baseball bat to hit a ball off a tee for example, when you are about to start the baseball swing does mind first think, "ok lead foot steps slightly forward, then I rotate my hips, then my rear leg drives into the ground etc etc". No batter thinks like that because the movement is natural. A baseball swing hitting a ball off a tee which is roughly waist height is not much different than hitting a golf ball off a tee. The plane of the swing is just different.

Perhaps a batter playing tee-ball doesn't think about it, but a batter who wants to play at a much higher level spends a lot of time learning correct sequencing and mechanics.

 

You're are correct, I don't disagree with that. My point was though that during practice sessions high level baseball players (college & pro) still do tee work. It's a way to work on your swing without the need for someone else throwing you batting practice.

[Atrayn]

My post will go up a bit later, but here is a feel from a great player and the first 6 words are the important part.

 

 

And call this "pulling the trigger!"

[smdykas]

Neither.

 

You’re going to early extend doing that.

 

You’re supposed to push down to start the downswing and your body will react by pushing off near impact.

 

Bump, dump and turn?

[GolfChannel]

Neither.

 

You’re going to early extend doing that.

 

You’re supposed to push down to start the downswing and your body will react by pushing off near impact.

 

Monte, where do you stand on ideal posture for the golf swing? Athletic or more Ping-man style like Genkas?