How to restrict over active hip during downswing?

Hi everyone,

I've this problem of an over active hip movement during my downswing. Most of the time my downswing is initiated by my body (body and hips will turn to the left first then followed by my hand). This has led to alot of haywire shots.

My coach have highlighted this problem of mine to me before and had advised me to start my downswing by letting my hands drop first.

There was some progress while I was taking my lessons from him but since my lessons have ended, this old habit has started to crept back in (especially when I try to 'bomb' a particular shot).

Any advise to help me eradicate this old problem of mine?

Thank you in advance and wishing everyone a Happy CNY!

Cheers!

Ashen wrote:

Hi everyone,

I've this problem of an over active hip movement during my downswing. Most of the time my downswing is initiated by my body (body and hips will turn to the left first then followed by my hand). This has led to alot of haywire shots.

My coach have highlighted this problem of mine to me before and had advised me to start my downswing by letting my hands drop first.

There was some progress while I was taking my lessons from him but since my lessons have ended, this old habit has started to crept back in (especially when I try to 'bomb' a particular shot).

Any advise to help me eradicate this old problem of mine?

Thank you in advance and wishing everyone a Happy CNY!

Cheers!

I have same prob. Any 1 can help?

Lock your left knee, and nail your left heel down to the ground. When you don't move your left lower body, your left hip will stay.

7iron wrote:

Lock your left knee, and nail your left heel down to the ground. When you don't move your left lower body, your left hip will stay.

Thx u!! Will prac tomolo morn @Nsrcc

Hi, I find this flamingo drill quite useful
https://youtu.be/wPVjcc0ksaw

Try this, i find this quite logical.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2FnfZlRwak

anyway my instructor made me place my feet together and perform my swings.....my hip became quieter as a result....

Ashen wrote:

Hi everyone,

I've this problem of an over active hip movement during my downswing. Most of the time my downswing is initiated by my body (body and hips will turn to the left first then followed by my hand). This has led to alot of haywire shots.

My coach have highlighted this problem of mine to me before and had advised me to start my downswing by letting my hands drop first.

There was some progress while I was taking my lessons from him but since my lessons have ended, this old habit has started to crept back in (especially when I try to 'bomb' a particular shot).

Any advise to help me eradicate this old problem of mine?

Thank you in advance and wishing everyone a Happy CNY!

Cheers!

Hi everyone, thank you for your response and advise. Will definitely try them out! Wish everyone a prosperous and happy cny! Huat ah!

Ashen wrote:

Hi everyone,

I've this problem of an over active hip movement during my downswing. Most of the time my downswing is initiated by my body (body and hips will turn to the left first then followed by my hand). This has led to alot of haywire shots.

My coach have highlighted this problem of mine to me before and had advised me to start my downswing by letting my hands drop first.

There was some progress while I was taking my lessons from him but since my lessons have ended, this old habit has started to crept back in (especially when I try to 'bomb' a particular shot).

Any advise to help me eradicate this old problem of mine?

Thank you in advance and wishing everyone a Happy CNY!

Cheers!

Did your coach give you any advice or drill to deal with this? If you are going to pay money to get a coach, it would be prudent to make full use of him/her and get them to deal with things like this ... they have seen your swing develop and seen it up close in person ... most of us have not

Hi derek, thank you for your advise. My lessons with him have ended and when I was having lessons with him he just told me to focus on dropping my hands first for my down swing. One of the drills he had me practice was to try and pull the club down from the peak of my backswing.

Just thought of soliciting more advise from fellow GRians to see if my situation can be improved. Thanks!

Rotate instead of swaying.

Concentrate on left arm seperation from the right shoulder to start the downswing.. i.e. your left arm should drop down while brushing across your chest

The lower body initiates the transition, and having your arms start the downswing is just a "feel"

Wow, thats a new school of thought for me that the lower body initiates the downswing. Goes to show how greenhorn I am

Thank you for all seniors for your advise, will definitely take note of these next time I practice.

Cheers!

I have that same problem too, my right hip turn before my shoulders do. My coach says should let the shoulders rotate then the hips will follow. Still trying to catch tat...golf so not easy...

It's difficult that's why it's so interesting. Let's have fun in learning golf together

Yeah, that's the challenge I guess....good luck in mastering your perfect swing!!! And hopefully I can better mine soon

Ashen wrote:

Wow, thats a new school of thought for me that the lower body initiates the downswing. Goes to show how greenhorn I am

Thank you for all seniors for your advise, will definitely take note of these next time I practice.

Cheers!

Here's a classic talking about what starts the downswing.

I also got this problem .. my swing thought is to keep my right knee still when I turn .. the feeling is to keep my weight on my right inner foot during the upswing ... if I am successful in doing so it seems the rest of the swing will go in order automatically ... if I failed something bad usually happens .. still trying that .. hope it helps..

Lee36328 wrote:

Ashen wrote:

Wow, thats a new school of thought for me that the lower body initiates the downswing. Goes to show how greenhorn I am

Thank you for all seniors for your advise, will definitely take note of these next time I practice.

Cheers!

Here's a classic talking about what starts the downswing.

Bro, I think he swing was rather flat like my video Hehehehe

Slicer51 wrote:

Lee36328 wrote:

Ashen wrote:

Wow, thats a new school of thought for me that the lower body initiates the downswing. Goes to show how greenhorn I am

Thank you for all seniors for your advise, will definitely take note of these next time I practice.

Cheers!

Here's a classic talking about what starts the downswing.

Bro, I think he swing was rather flat like my video Hehehehe

In that case, I need to start calling you Pak Hogan (or Pak Ben).

Looking at his swing videos, it would appear to my uneducated eyes that Hogan uses what TGM would term the elbow basic plane. So, quite low, yes. Point to note however, in this video, in the backswing, look at his right elbow. Compare that with your right elbow. And you'll see what I mean.

Next, look at his hips at impact. Notice how dynamic his weight shift and hip turn is. In this grid sequence below, look at Hogan's right hip at address and at impact. Note how his right hip has moved almost one grid box, while his head remained on the bold center line.

So, in Hogan's case, and in context of the topic of this thread, Hogan is definitely not restricting his hips. But of course, a lot of other things go into the swing as well to make it work. And boy did it work for him.

Wow Lee! That was definitely informational, thanks for sharing!

VW hope that all goes well for you too!

Cheers

You're very welcome; it's always a pleasure to share and discuss the swing. It's a compelling puzzle that has yet to be solved definitely. Whether a beginner or world no. 1 on tour, the swing demands constant work, perennially.

Hi guys,

In regards to your issue here, the lower body in all cases of Tour Professionals is the initiation of the downswing. You will seeing through viewing much video as well as using 3D motion capture that the lower body changes direction from backswing to downswing in two moves. The hips move both laterally and rotationally. You will also see that the hips start the downswing well before the hands, arms and club have made their full backswing. Youtube some footage of Rory McIlroy and you will clearly see this.

In comment to your coach instructing you to drop the club with the arms and hands it is a feel for you to keep the club out in front but it is a very inefficient move and you will lose significant speed as a result.

Instead of slowing the hips down why don't you try and speed the upper body up? This way you can still have control as well as increase your distance.

Rory has the fastest rotatary hips on tour at over 650 degrees per second and he bombs it.... if you want to hit it further you can't slow body segments down or alter the kinematic sequence. Speed is key!

In saying this though it is easier said then done, there are many factors that may limit you from being able to do this safely, it may mean some work in the gym to get stronger and more stable with the core and lower back in order to allow for the correct upper and lower body sequence.

I would never slow one of my students down or get them to start their downswings with the hands. Its a sure fire way to lose distance and control as the hands and arms will become over active on the downswing. It is very common that those who start the downswing with the hands are slicers of the ball, hit it shorter distances and have very little to no forward shaft lean at impact.

I'd be happy to help you at NSRCC.

I need some guidances from you at our next lesson on core exercises to do with a fitness ball to build core strength.

Hi ProGavin,

Thank you for bringing up alot of relevant points. You have brought up some interesting perspective on the movement on the hips (both laterally and rotationally) during the downswing that I have not noticed before. I also agree with you that for downswing, the hips have to move first.

However, on the part on the hips starting the downswing before the arms and hands, I might need to have some clarity on this portion. I have tried to swing my arms and hands down and preventing my hips from moving first, but I found that a difficult task to achieve.

When my hands try to come down, the hips (naturally) have to move first.

Can I presume that in the normal anatomy of a human body, it is impossible (or difficult) to stop the hips from moving first without the hands going down?

So if this presumption is correct, the hips must be the first moving part, in order to create the space for the hands to 'cut across' the body, and thus clear the ball (whether our swing thought is on the hips moving first or letting our hands drop first).

I have experimented to different extremes with this dilemma of mine. For example, I have tried to initiate my downswing with a lot of initial hip movements and end up the separation of my hands and my hips are so great that my hands don't have time to catch up (perhaps this is the point that you are addressing on the upper body not moving fast enough).

However, if my swing thoughts are to pull my hands down to hit the ball (to initiate the downswing), the disparity between hands and hips are significantly lesser and I will be able to complete my swing on a strong left leg.

Hope you can understand my dilemma and perhaps you can share a bit more on how to let our upper body speed up.

Thank you for your time and valuable inputs in advance

http://www.andrewricegolf.com/tag/hip-shift/