When to shift weight forward

[DonRSD]

At the present moment, from the top of the backswing I try to get my weight forward ASAP and thus lunge at the ball with my upper body. I assume this is wrong due to my scores (been golfing about 16 months and shoot around 92-96)

 

In the last few days, I think my sequencing thoughts are wrong and thats why I wanted to make this post.

 

Is my back supposed to stay pointing at the target starting the downswing.....THEN BUMP FORWARD.....THEN WEIGHT SHIFT or just get to the front foot with the weight as soon as possible?

 

Please help!

[juststeve]

If you swing the club forward in the direction of the target, your weight will get to your front foot unless you do something to prevent it from happening. Doing something to prevent it from moving naturally includes shifting your weight deliberately.

 

Steve

[ChrisNH]

Try this... Take a club in only your throwing hand and get into golf posture. Now make a motion like you're trying to throw that club as far as you can side arm down range at your target. That's the sequence. You turn and take the club back, you then push off from your right foot, your hips start turning and you brace against your left side and push against the ground to gain power. The same motion to heave the club is the proper sequence of motion to hit the ball.

[blehnhard]

Putting on Super Flame Suit Now -

 

The changing of weight (or pressure) from rear foot will begin at different times depending upon length of windup. Weight / pressure should reach its maximum on the rear foot when the lead arm is parallel or just past parallel to ground. The movement forward (here is the blasphemy) is initiated by the upper body "falling" toward the lead foot. The lower body moves in synch with this - it feels like it all moves together and should feel like the body is moving down into the lead foot. This is how we walk. Walking is initiated by the upper body leaning forward slightly and then a leg taking a step forward to maintain balance. The back does remain "facing" the target in this initial motion.

 

The worst possible move is to "throw" the hips out from underneath the upper body in an attempt to shift weight.

 

I can only surmise that the OP's sense of "lunge" is the rear shoulder moving out early and the body opening up too soon.

 

Probably not expressed as clearly as it should be.

[DonRSD]

I am right handed...

 

Lunge meaning my front left shoulder dips downward and to the ground to start the downswing, as I am moving all of my weight forward to initiate the downswing.

Causes an over the top, yes. But it’s not my rear shoulder spinning out - it’s the excess weight going forward from 0-100 that causes the left shoulder to dip downward to the ground / target.

 

[DonRSD]

Try this... Take a club in only your throwing hand and get into golf posture. Now make a motion like you're trying to throw that club as far as you can side arm down range at your target. That's the sequence. You turn and take the club back, you then push off from your right foot, your hips start turning and you brace against your left side and push against the ground to gain power. The same motion to heave the club is the proper sequence of motion to hit the ball.

 

This makes sense.

So it’s a “bump” 1st, then the weight comes around.

 

And to clarify - a straight left knee or what....what am I posting onto?

[Tanner25]

Try this... Take a club in only your throwing hand and get into golf posture. Now make a motion like you're trying to throw that club as far as you can side arm down range at your target. That's the sequence. You turn and take the club back, you then push off from your right foot, your hips start turning and you brace against your left side and push against the ground to gain power. The same motion to heave the club is the proper sequence of motion to hit the ball.

 

Good stuff, when you say push against the ground to gain power, is it with the left or right foot or both?

[Fade]

From my personal experience, weight shift isn't a productive swing thought. As such, I would be looking for something else to focus on.

[ChipDriver]

Hope this makes sense:

 

1) wind up your torso over the top of your right leg. Back to the target.

2) shift the weight over the top of your left leg then unwind hard. On the down swing you may feel like you unwinding over a post; and all the weight is over the top of your left leg and driving your left instep or left heel down into the ground.

 

Longer version:

 

1) Wind up enough so you feel a stretch somewhere from the top of the left shoulder and it runs down to your left hip or butt cheek. It might even cause you to raise your left heel.

 

2) to start the down swing - imagine leading the downswing by having your left butt cheek/hip pull backwards as if pushing a car door closed with your butt. If you have wound yourself enough on the backswing then moving your butt cheek backwards will create an almost 1-to-1 movement on the down swing and should be easier to feel. What it is doing is getting you to engage your lower body first.

 

My guess is that you may be developing an arms/upper body driven swing. You can certainly play very very well that way. But proper sequencing is the key to effortless power. But it is not exclusive.

 

Remember to have fun with golf. Lots of ugly swingers play the game very very very well. :)

 

Good luck.

[iteachgolf]

I am right handed...

 

Lunge meaning my front left shoulder dips downward and to the ground to start the downswing, as I am moving all of my weight forward to initiate the downswing.

Causes an over the top, yes. But it’s not my rear shoulder spinning out - it’s the excess weight going forward from 0-100 that causes the left shoulder to dip downward to the ground / target.

 

The left shoulder should work down and forward to start the downswing

[Miggaletoe]

I am right handed...

 

Lunge meaning my front left shoulder dips downward and to the ground to start the downswing, as I am moving all of my weight forward to initiate the downswing.

Causes an over the top, yes. But it's not my rear shoulder spinning out - it's the excess weight going forward from 0-100 that causes the left shoulder to dip downward to the ground / target.

 

The left shoulder should work down and forward to start the downswing

Do you know of any videos or articles that explain that idea? I've seen it mentioned a few times but don't see too much on it.

[iteachgolf]

I am right handed...

 

Lunge meaning my front left shoulder dips downward and to the ground to start the downswing, as I am moving all of my weight forward to initiate the downswing.

Causes an over the top, yes. But it's not my rear shoulder spinning out - it's the excess weight going forward from 0-100 that causes the left shoulder to dip downward to the ground / target.

 

The left shoulder should work down and forward to start the downswing

Do you know of any videos or articles that explain that idea? I've seen it mentioned a few times but don't see too much on it.

 

I don’t make any videos on full swing that are public. Too many people try to apply things that don’t pertain to them.

 

Not sure what needs to be explained. The lead side lowers in transition and moves forward.

[ChrisNH]

Try this... Take a club in only your throwing hand and get into golf posture. Now make a motion like you're trying to throw that club as far as you can side arm down range at your target. That's the sequence. You turn and take the club back, you then push off from your right foot, your hips start turning and you brace against your left side and push against the ground to gain power. The same motion to heave the club is the proper sequence of motion to hit the ball.

 

Good stuff, when you say push against the ground to gain power, is it with the left or right foot or both?

You've got to feel it for yourself. Don't just theorize, go do it. Take an old club, or even just a stick with some weight to it, in your throwing hand and get into golf posture, take a backswing, and try throwing it down range in a sidearm move. Keep experimenting. You'll naturally realize how you've got leverage the ground to throw the stick the farthest and the confusing mystique about generating power in the golf swing will be gone.

[nlk10010]

From my personal experience, weight shift isn't a productive swing thought. As such, I would be looking for something else to focus on.

 

I would tend to agree.

 

Discussions of the weight shift is something that is ubiquitous on the Internet; e.g. forums, YT. It's also somewhat controversial; some advocate a "bump" left to initiate it (e.g. Monte's "bump, dump and turn" which appears in many guises elsewhere), some warn against any type of shift as opposed to rotation. Other schools of thought suggest you preset your weight left and others argue for a distinct shift to the trail side and then a "springing" forward onto the lead foot. Some say it will happen naturally and others say you need to consciously initiate a weight, or pressure, change. To stop an "over-the-top" move there is the idea of keeping your back to the target as long as possible while you sit back into your left (lead) heel.

 

I would agree with some of the posters that it really depends on your particular set of physical and swing characteristics and probably is much less of a conscious action than you might think. Trying to deliberately initiate a weight shift or pressure change without a clear idea of how it fits into the rest of your swing can be disastrous. I know that doesn't help much but of course if you have an instructor that's where you get your information, if not then try various methods and see which is most comfortable for you. One thing I will say, however: LESS IS MORE. Although a weight shift may LOOK like a deliberate, purposeful and distinct movement when you see it executed by someone else, it actually (IMO) feels almost imperceptible. Moving your body around too much makes you lose the ball and you'll have all sorts of problems. That's why it's probably better to think of a gradual pressure change from one foot to the other rather than weight shift. But either way, don't exaggerate it unless you're doing slow practice movements.

[Tanner25]

Try this... Take a club in only your throwing hand and get into golf posture. Now make a motion like you're trying to throw that club as far as you can side arm down range at your target. That's the sequence. You turn and take the club back, you then push off from your right foot, your hips start turning and you brace against your left side and push against the ground to gain power. The same motion to heave the club is the proper sequence of motion to hit the ball.

 

Good stuff, when you say push against the ground to gain power, is it with the left or right foot or both?

You've got to feel it for yourself. Don't just theorize, go do it. Take an old club, or even just a stick with some weight to it, in your throwing hand and get into golf posture, take a backswing, and try throwing it down range in a sidearm move. Keep experimenting. You'll naturally realize how you've got leverage the ground to throw the stick the farthest and the confusing mystique about generating power in the golf swing will be gone.

 

cool and I have seen the throwing the club thread. Isn't the difference, when you throw a club you step forward - the same as throwing a football, step throw. But, in golf there's no step forward, making this a difficult sequence to accomplish?

[Quick Bucket]

But, in golf there's no step forward...

 

Maybe yes, maybe no.

 

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[wadesworld]

cool and I have seen the throwing the club thread. Isn't the difference, when you throw a club you step forward - the same as throwing a football, step throw. But, in golf there's no step forward, making this a difficult sequence to accomplish?

 

You don't need to step to throw a club. You can do so from your golf stance, without any kind of step. Know what will result? A beautiful weight shift - which you don't have to think about at all.

[golfarb1]

I am right handed...

 

Lunge meaning my front left shoulder dips downward and to the ground to start the downswing, as I am moving all of my weight forward to initiate the downswing.

Causes an over the top, yes. But it's not my rear shoulder spinning out - it's the excess weight going forward from 0-100 that causes the left shoulder to dip downward to the ground / target.

 

The left shoulder should work down and forward to start the downswing

Brian Manzella has defined the transition as the time in the swing when the upper torso(which obviously includes the left shoulder) is moving in a different direction than the lower body.The below video of Michelle Wie is a clear example of this idea.While the movement of the left shoulder may EVENTUALLY work down and forward as you suggest ,it can not be the start of transition because it is still coiling back as the lower body has started down.

 

[iteachgolf]

I am right handed...

 

Lunge meaning my front left shoulder dips downward and to the ground to start the downswing, as I am moving all of my weight forward to initiate the downswing.

Causes an over the top, yes. But it's not my rear shoulder spinning out - it's the excess weight going forward from 0-100 that causes the left shoulder to dip downward to the ground / target.

 

The left shoulder should work down and forward to start the downswing

Brian Manzella has defined the transition as the time in the swing when the upper torso(which obviously includes the left shoulder) is moving in a different direction than the lower body.The below video of Michelle Wie is a clear example of this idea.While the movement of the left shoulder may EVENTUALLY work down and forward as you suggest ,it can not be the start of transition because it is still coiling back as the lower body has started down.

 

 

You can play semantics all you want. It’s moving down in the backswing and moves more down at the start of the downswing. I didn’t say transition, I said start of he downswing. All 3D systems and the leading biomechanics experts define the downswing as when the club changes direction. So the upper and lower body have already changed directions.

[MonteScheinblum]

This guy is a decent player. Looks down and forward to me.

[TMoakley1547]

What movement of the body produces the "down"?

[MonteScheinblum]

Regaining flexion.

[Nard_S]

OP, I think it is a mistake to focus on weight shift. Pressure shift that counteracts the swing and keeps upper spine centered is a better prism to look through.You turn against the right leg, you downswing into the left. Doing both properly or just adequately is quite a lot to master. Do it right, at the end, the balance will be on left side but it was not completed in transition or even at impact. A shift of pivot and of pressures has to happen first and done predominantly in a rotational fashion.

[Millbrook]

I am right handed...

 

Lunge meaning my front left shoulder dips downward and to the ground to start the downswing, as I am moving all of my weight forward to initiate the downswing.

Causes an over the top, yes. But it's not my rear shoulder spinning out - it's the excess weight going forward from 0-100 that causes the left shoulder to dip downward to the ground / target.

 

The left shoulder should work down and forward to start the downswing

Do you know of any videos or articles that explain that idea? I've seen it mentioned a few times but don't see too much on it.

 

Try athletic motion golf, they have one. I tried to find it and post it for you but can't reach their site for some reason.

[golfarb1]

I am right handed...

 

Lunge meaning my front left shoulder dips downward and to the ground to start the downswing, as I am moving all of my weight forward to initiate the downswing.

Causes an over the top, yes. But it's not my rear shoulder spinning out - it's the excess weight going forward from 0-100 that causes the left shoulder to dip downward to the ground / target.

 

The left shoulder should work down and forward to start the downswing

Brian Manzella has defined the transition as the time in the swing when the upper torso(which obviously includes the left shoulder) is moving in a different direction than the lower body.The below video of Michelle Wie is a clear example of this idea.While the movement of the left shoulder may EVENTUALLY work down and forward as you suggest ,it can not be the start of transition because it is still coiling back as the lower body has started down.

 

 

You can play semantics all you want. It's moving down in the backswing and moves more down at the start of the downswing. I didn't say transition, I said start of he downswing. All 3D systems and the leading biomechanics experts define the downswing as when the club changes direction. So the upper and lower body have already changed directions.

Iteach

Is this video a good representation of the left shoulder going down and forward?

[BB28403]

What movement of the body produces the "down"?

 

For me, left knee squat. Or if you do not squat, then at least make the left hip lower than the right.

Watch DJ, he straightens the right leg while the left is bent down. The straightening of the right leg (raising up) May dip your left shoulder down. Then unwind all that and hit the ball. Strong finish.

[TMoakley1547]

What movement of the body produces the "down"?

 

For me, left knee squat. Or if you do not squat, then at least make the left hip lower than the right.

Watch DJ, he straightens the right leg while the left is bent down. The straightening of the right leg (raising up) May dip your left shoulder down. Then unwind all that and hit the ball. Strong finish.

Ive been working on extending my spine in the back swing, but i didnt know about regaining flexion. I went to the range after Monte responded to my question with the thoughts of "extend at the top, regain flexion so left shoulder goes down and forward, and left arm off chest" for transition and downswing. Ive never had such a good session. Best ball striking of my life. Wasnt scratch golfer type of shots, but for a 100-shooter, pretty darn good. Lets see if it sticks, or if its like all other swing feels ive had. Works at first, then its gone forever.

[BB28403]

What movement of the body produces the "down"?

 

For me, left knee squat. Or if you do not squat, then at least make the left hip lower than the right.

Watch DJ, he straightens the right leg while the left is bent down. The straightening of the right leg (raising up) May dip your left shoulder down. Then unwind all that and hit the ball. Strong finish.

Ive been working on extending my spine in the back swing, but i didnt know about regaining flexion. I went to the range after Monte responded to my question with the thoughts of "extend at the top, regain flexion so left shoulder goes down and forward, and left arm off chest" for transition and downswing. Ive never had such a good session. Best ball striking of my life. Wasnt scratch golfer type of shots, but for a 100-shooter, pretty darn good. Lets see if it sticks, or if its like all other swing feels ive had. Works at first, then its gone forever.

 

That’s how we all are brother! It’s like I forget how to swing a club every week. Working on techniques to bridge that time gap and recover quicker.

 

Justin Rose is winning the latest tourney , and he forgot how to swing a 3 wood. JT hit an iron about 50 yards right near the stands. Even the best struggle .

[jekato]

What movement of the body produces the "down"?

 

Peristalsis

[TMoakley1547]

What movement of the body produces the "down"?

 

For me, left knee squat. Or if you do not squat, then at least make the left hip lower than the right.

Watch DJ, he straightens the right leg while the left is bent down. The straightening of the right leg (raising up) May dip your left shoulder down. Then unwind all that and hit the ball. Strong finish.

Ive been working on extending my spine in the back swing, but i didnt know about regaining flexion. I went to the range after Monte responded to my question with the thoughts of "extend at the top, regain flexion so left shoulder goes down and forward, and left arm off chest" for transition and downswing. Ive never had such a good session. Best ball striking of my life. Wasnt scratch golfer type of shots, but for a 100-shooter, pretty darn good. Lets see if it sticks, or if its like all other swing feels ive had. Works at first, then its gone forever.

 

Thatâs how we all are brother! Itâs like I forget how to swing a club every week. Working on techniques to bridge that time gap and recover quicker.

 

Justin Rose is winning the latest tourney , and he forgot how to swing a 3 wood. JT hit an iron about 50 yards right near the stands. Even the best struggle .

Yeah managing expectations of the quality of shots i hit and how often has been a tough part of improving my game.