Let's talk lowering in the swing and when it happens

[getitdaily]

I'm defining lowering as the head getting lower and that lowering not just being someone bending their neck.

 

Dustin Johnson starts to lower around p2.5, is done by p4, and maintains that lowered position until p5.5ish.

 

Jon rahm lowers starting just before p3 and is mostly done at p4. He may get slightly lower as thr arms start to come down. Then he maintains that lowered position until p5.5ish.

 

Rory doesn't really lower much until very close to p4 and gets lower from p4 to p5.

 

All the above were iron swings.

 

So, why do folks choose to lower at different points in the swing? What does earlier lowering benefit? What does later lowering benefit?

[virtuoso]

No one really knows the answer to that question so please categorize all the replies that come forth as guesses.

[getitdaily]

7 minutes ago, virtuoso said:

No one really knows the answer to that question so please categorize all the replies that come forth as guesses.

So it's just "find which works for you" and run with it?

[TobesSC]

13 minutes ago, getitdaily said:

So it's just "find which works for you" and run with it?

Most likely.  I highly doubt any of the players you mentioned think about lowering at all.  It's just natural based on their other movements.  

[virtuoso]

2 hours ago, getitdaily said:

So it's just "find which works for you" and run with it?

Well, yeah...but my main point is that you won't have anyone that can rationally say: "Well, he lowers at this point, and the benefits of doing it then are so and so, but the trade off is this other thing, etc...

 

The problem is that you are isolating one specific direction in one specific dimension, and then comparing the timing of that thing and then asking for pro's and con's. Its just hard to analyze that way when the movement itself is being harmonized with a whole concert of movement.

[MonteScheinblum]

7 hours ago, getitdaily said:

I'm defining lowering as the head getting lower and that lowering not just being someone bending their neck.

 

Dustin Johnson starts to lower around p2.5, is done by p4, and maintains that lowered position until p5.5ish.

 

Jon rahm lowers starting just before p3 and is mostly done at p4. He may get slightly lower as thr arms start to come down. Then he maintains that lowered position until p5.5ish.

 

Rory doesn't really lower much until very close to p4 and gets lower from p4 to p5.

 

All the above were iron swings.

 

So, why do folks choose to lower at different points in the swing? What does earlier lowering benefit? What does later lowering benefit?

When is less important than how much.  
 

Some

 

Just enough that you can see it without it being obvious 

[MPStrat]

For me, when is hugely important. My preference for my own swing is for the head to stay pretty level until later in the backswing. You can see in some of DJ’s swings that his head actually raises a hair from his trigger move and then lowers later. What is absolutely death for me is when my head lowers too early. I have seen a couple pros lower immediately in the takeaway. However, when I do it, my head pops up early through the bottom of the swing. 

Edited January 20 by MPStrat

[getitdaily]

4 minutes ago, MPStrat said:

For me, when is hugely important. My preference for my own swing is for the head to stay pretty level until later in the backswing. You can see in some of DJ’s swings that his head actually raises a hair from his trigger move and then lowers later. What is absolutely death for me is when my head lowers too early. I have seen a couple pros lower immediately in the takeaway. However, when I do it, my head pops up early through the bottom of the swing. 

I have been trying to find the right "when". Sam burns lowers (or at least did) super early, almost like the lowering was his trigger. 

 

I have tried super early and in transition. Watching dj and rahm, I started doing some slow-mo backswings where I go to p2, stop, then lower as I complete the backswing. I like the feel.

 

Lowering in transition just makes me steeper so I'm thinking that lowering to p4 and then just staying there is the right move for me rather than lower from p4 to p5. 

 

[MPStrat]

20 minutes ago, getitdaily said:

I have been trying to find the right "when". Sam burns lowers (or at least did) super early, almost like the lowering was his trigger. 

 

I have tried super early and in transition. Watching dj and rahm, I started doing some slow-mo backswings where I go to p2, stop, then lower as I complete the backswing. I like the feel.

 

Lowering in transition just makes me steeper so I'm thinking that lowering to p4 and then just staying there is the right move for me rather than lower from p4 to p5. 

 

This makes sense. I also prefer lowering to be a backswing move. Later in the backswing being key. If it happens too late the tendency would be more steep.
 

I prefer the Lateral drift/shift onto lead side/recentering/lowering be one fluid move.

 

It’s a lot of words for basically one motion.

 

This all happens as the trunk is still winding up in the backswing. From there I can have a patient and calm change of direction and then use the downswing to extend.

 

You will have to continue to experiment with “how much” and the timing of these things to determine what works best. 

[Soloman1]

Lowering your head is not lowering. Lowering is evident from knee bend and CoG lowering. That’s just bending your head or some kind of turtle move into your shell.

[golferdude54]

There is this point of reference in swing analysis videos called the “wall” and it’s a straight up and down line in the DTL angle where the player’s head would be “resting” on. 
 

All your examples they lower in the backswing but still keep their heads on the “wall”. But in the P4 to P5 transition they all come off it.
 

Now there’s only one player I’ve seen who never did, they lowered while still keeping their head on the wall in transition and did it until P6 then they would rise, and that player was…. Ben Hogan.

[Nard_S]

It's more adding flex to body, more knee bend, torso bend, increasing angles.