Description

What Is the Downswing?

The downswing begins at the top of your backswing and sets the stage for powerful, accurate ball striking. The key to a good downswing is starting it from the ground up. Begin by pushing off with your trailing foot to shift your lead leg toward the target. This initiates hip rotation, allowing your upper body to follow naturally.

Think of it like unscrewing a jar with your feet—your trailing shoulder drops back, keeping you behind the ball. As your weight shifts forward, your hands and clubhead lag slightly behind, storing energy that will release powerfully through impact.

When you reach the impact zone (about two feet from the ball), your hips clear fully, your arms extend, wrists release, and the clubhead accelerates through the ball. With irons, strike down to compress the ball against the turf. With a driver, sweep slightly upward to launch the ball high. At impact, your hands should be ahead of the ball, your eyes steady, hips turning, and clubface square. Trust your body’s natural motion and let the clubhead do the work.

Drills to Help You Start the Downswing with Your Lower Body

These drills emphasize proper sequencing, weight transfer, and lower body engagement during the downswing.

1. The Step Drill

This drill teaches you to initiate the downswing with your lower body by emphasizing weight shift and hip rotation.

• Setup: Begin in your normal address position.
• Execution: As you start your backswing, take a small step backward with your lead foot while keeping your upper body stable. This loads weight onto your trail leg.
• Downswing Initiation: Step your lead foot forward back into your original stance as you begin the downswing. Focus on pushing off your trail leg and rotating your hips toward the target.
• Focus: Keep your upper body quiet during this drill. All movement should come from your lower body, reinforcing the “ground-up” downswing start.

2. The Hip Bump Drill

This drill highlights the lateral hip movement needed to start the downswing properly.

• Setup: Address the ball normally.
• Execution: Before swinging, practice bumping your hips laterally toward the target without moving your upper body. This bump should occur just before your downswing.
• Incorporation: Add this hip bump into your full swing, feeling your hips lead the downswing.
• Focus: Keep your upper body stable while your hips move, ensuring proper sequencing.

3. The Feet Together Drill

This drill improves balance and forces reliance on lower body movement.

• Setup: Stand with your feet together in a normal address position.
• Execution: Take a slow backswing, maintaining balance on both feet. As you transition to the downswing, initiate movement from your hips and legs rather than your arms.
• Downswing Initiation: Rotate your hips toward the target while keeping your feet together until after impact.
• Focus: This develops stability and encourages effective lower body use.

4. The Medicine Ball Toss

Using a medicine ball builds explosive power and reinforces lower body engagement.

• Setup: Stand feet shoulder-width apart holding a medicine ball at chest height.
• Execution: Rotate away from an imaginary target as if starting your backswing, then explosively rotate through while tossing the ball against a wall or to a partner.
• Focus: Initiate the movement from your legs and hips, not just your arms. Feel tension build in your legs as you rotate.
• Benefit: This drill trains power generation starting from the ground up.

5. The Alignment Stick Drill

This drill uses a visual aid to promote proper hip rotation during the downswing.

• Setup: Place an alignment stick or club diagonally across your hips, with one end pointing toward the target line.
• Execution: Practice swings focusing on rotating around the stick without shifting it out of place.
• Downswing Initiation: Lead with your hips as you start down, ensuring they don’t lag behind.
• Focus: The stick provides feedback on hip action and reinforces the lower body’s role.

By incorporating these drills into your practice, you’ll develop a more powerful, efficient downswing that starts from the ground up, improving your ball striking and overall consistency.

— Copyright Glen Bowen, © 2025