Driving · Drill
Let Your Lower Body Start the Downswing
Part of our driving programs for slice, topped or thin. Build a program with it
Most amateurs start down with everything at once. That kills the stretch between your upper and lower body. Here's a simple home drill. Stand with your lead side next to a wall or door frame. Swing slowly to the top. Now start down by bumping your lead knee into the wall. Let your upper body wait a moment. You'll feel your hips lead and your arms follow. Do it a few times. Then make swings with a club using the same feel.
The drill
- Stand with your lead leg near a wall.
- Make a slow backswing.
- Start down by bumping your lead knee into the wall.
- Let your chest stay turned back for a beat.
- Repeat, then swing a club with that feel.
Why it works
When your lower body starts the downswing, your hips turn toward the target while your chest is still turned away. This stretches the muscles between your hips and shoulders and lets the arms and club follow in sequence. If everything starts at once, the club gets thrown from the top with an open face and an outside-in path, which produces a slice.
Common mistakes
- You push the knee at the wall with your upper body leaning along with it.Keep your chest over the ball and let only the lead knee and hips move first.
- You hold your chest back for too long and stall.Wait only a beat, then let the chest and arms turn through as the hips keep rotating.
- You rush the backswing, so the drill has no clear top position.Swing slowly to the top and pause briefly before you start down.
How you'll know it's working
- The lead knee touches the wall before your hands move noticeably.
- You feel a stretch across your trunk at the start of the downswing.
- Your ball starts straighter and curves less to the right, with more solid contact.
Make it easier or harder
Easier: Do the drill without a club and pause at the top of each rep so you can feel the knee move first.
Harder: Swing a club at half speed and then build speed while keeping the same order of lower body first, arms after.
Common questions
Why do I slice when I start my downswing with my arms?
Starting with the arms throws the club outside the correct path and leaves the face open. That combination sends the ball left to start and then curving right for a right-hander.
How do I start the downswing with my hips?
From the top, shift your lead knee and hip toward the target and start turning them open. Let your chest and arms follow a moment later.
