Pete Cowen's Pressure down and Bringing shaft Straight down = Pull down the rope Concept

[herbert7890]

Hi all,

 

Long time member here but haven't posted in many years.  Came back to golf earlier this year and the other day i saw a post where people were struggling to understand Pete Cowen's Transition concept (and i don't blame them, he is really hard to understand after all).

 

A big part of Pete Cowen's swing philosophy is the transition and start of downswing, where he states to "pressure down"  by bringing the shaft straight down with the arms/hands (bonus, this is what his split hand drill is trying to ingrain,  Rory's favorite swing drill).   So i was thinking and analyzing that when a "lightbulb moment" occurred to me and that was, in essence what he is trying to explain, many others have already done and explained in the past, just differently.

 

A few Example of the same concept of pulling the hands DOWN hard (focus on the down, as it would be totally different if the pull if forward or towards the ball, that would be a drag and completely diff);
 

1. Pulling down the Rope (a classic swing thought used by many teachers and players etc.)

2. Pulling down the chain (used by Sergio Garcia as his downswing trigger thought),  does the exact same feeling as Pete Cowen

3. Bringing Hands down as fast as possible in downswing -  Also used by many,  and also provides the same exact concept of pulling down hard

 

I understand many teachers nowadays are against the "pull"  but im almost positive the kind of pull they are referring is the Pull FORWARD move (DRAGGING the CLUB),  which again is totally independent from the Pull down move that pete Cowen and these players are trying to explain.  You can try it yourself, try pulling down hard and see your hand position 1-2 feet after the ball, you will see your hands have fully released (cause u aren't holding any angles when pulling straight down).  Then try again, but this time pull the handle forward (drag) and see your hand position 1-2 feet after the ball,  you will note your hands didnt have any chance to release and are still forward.  So I think its extremely important for golfers to understand the huge difference between the direction you pull.

 

There are several instructors that advocate the pull of the hands/arms down as an essential  downswing concept and that includes: Athletic Motion Golf, Pete Cowen, Giles Gill Golf (he even points to this specific thought as the reason he was able to turn pro),  Porzak Golf, Chris Ryan, among others).  Same in the players space.  Anyone who's doing the split hand drill or pump drill, they are inherently practicing and ingraining this pull down move, including Rory, Bryson, Justin Rose, Sergio Garcia and many others.

 

I hope this small comparison to other swing thoughts help others understand what Pete Cowen is trying to explain with his Down Pressure Move from the top.   It has helped me significantly to get back in my golf shape back, extremely quick and hope it help others as well.

[skraly]

I don't understand this concept all.  The hands first move in the downswing is actually away from the target, not down.  Seems to me this pulling down could lead to a very narrow entry into the hitting area requiring a lot of timing and use of the hands to square the club face.  Now, I fully acknowledge that Pete Cowan is considered one of if not the best golf instructor in the world.  So I think it's likely that his use of phrase is just not understandable to me.

[Hawkeye77]

I disagree that those numbered examples are the "exact same" as what Pete Cowen teaches, nor everything else in the kitchen sink you are throwing at whatever the point is.

[Divot License]

Cowen does talk about the hands moving down BUT it's not a case of dragging the handle but getting the arms back in front of the body on the way down.

[Nard_S]

I like Cowen's ideas on the role of shoulders and how to engage the legs.  Working with both right now. Getting the arms down is not the biggest of issue for me. Width & depth of arms, while riding a stronger platform is.

[sundaypins]

38 minutes ago, Divot License said:

Cowen does talk about the hands moving down BUT it's not a case of dragging the handle but getting the arms back in front of the body on the way down.

 

One of the better videos available on the net and a must understand in my opinion.    Fantastic how he introduces using the club's energy; moving momentum; and moving loft of club with nary a mention of wrists.  

[virtuoso]

8 minutes ago, sundaypins said:

 

One of the better videos available on the net and a must understand in my opinion.    Fantastic how he introduces using the club's energy; moving momentum; and moving loft of club with nary a mention of wrists.  

Wait, he says the avg amateur gets the face closed in transition?

[Nard_S]

36 minutes ago, virtuoso said:

Wait, he says the avg amateur gets the face closed in transition?

What's freely available from him seems more about the engagement of big muscle behavior. Only thing he says about hands is they should engage club in a countering, "wring a towel method". He even advocates fading & drawing the ball based on how shoulders are engaged which is rather unique idea to me, but it actually works. He believes that manipulation is a common denominator in all swings and the elite just employ it at a higher level. So my guess, if there is a reason why hands are not a high priority of teaching, that would be it.

[argoodman]

I’ve spent time digging into various YouTube videos that I believe attempt to unpack what Cowen refers to as his “pressure down” concept. I’ve also found his explanations to be somewhat broad and nebulous—open to interpretation and not always easy to apply directly. That said, I’ve tried to distill some of the key ideas from the videos and adapt them to my own understanding and swing.

 

The first time I began to grasp the idea came from a video posted by one of Cowen’s students or followers. It discussed the importance of maintaining pressure and force throughout the swing—not in a tension-filled or rigid way, but as a controlled push of energy down into the ground. This idea resonated with me, especially because it seemed to have the side effect of syncing my arms, body, and rotation more effectively. I noticed I was minimizing unnecessary lateral motion and beginning to tap into vertical forces which made my swing feel more compact and efficient.

 

Another video, featured a conversation between Cowen and Hideki, helped crystallize things further. In it, Cowen emphasizes how the lowering of the arms essentially governs the rest of the swing. For someone like me who struggles with sequencing, this was an eye-opener. I’ve never been able to keep my back to the target or to distinguish clearly between pressure and weight transfer. But what did click was the feeling that my body shouldn’t begin to open up until my arms have really dropped down. It’s the gradual increase of pressure into the ground with he arms lowering that causes the body to open. Now, I focus on driving my weight down into the ground through my feet, using that sensation to stay grounded and maintain a better sequence.

 

Overall, I believe my ball striking has improved. On days when everything aligns, I play at a scratch golf. Other days, I feel more like a 10-handicap golfer still searching for consistency. This interpretation of Cowen’s philosophy might not align perfectly with what he intended, but it’s what’s worked for me. More importantly, it’s helped me reinterpret and better understand the advice I’ve received from other instructors over the years.

[me05501]

Cowen is obviously a great teacher but he's not a great communicator IMO.

 

Seems like whenever people ask him to clarify what he means he just repeats the exact same words but louder.

 

Makes me wonder if he wants people to understand him or just wants them to pay him. 

[NosajNeelik]

13 hours ago, skraly said:

I don't understand this concept all.  The hands first move in the downswing is actually away from the target, not down.  Seems to me this pulling down could lead to a very narrow entry into the hitting area requiring a lot of timing and use of the hands to square the club face.  Now, I fully acknowledge that Pete Cowan is considered one of if not the best golf instructor in the world.  So I think it's likely that his use of phrase is just not understandable to me.

It’s a feel. Pulling down is actually away because of the way the body is inclined 

[argoodman]

11 minutes ago, me05501 said:

Cowen is obviously a great teacher but he's not a great communicator IMO.

 

Seems like whenever people ask him to clarify what he means he just repeats the exact same words but louder.

 

Makes me wonder if he wants people to understand him or just wants them to pay him. 

I don’t think Cowen is here for the freeloaders and that’s fine by me. He’s clearly in the business of making money through golf, not giving away insights for weekend warriors trying to tweak their swings for fun. His focus is on professional golfers  working at the game with the same intensity and dedication as any high-performance athlete. He’s not trying to build a large following of hobbyists; he’s teaching those whose livelihood depends on mastering their craft. And honestly, I respect that. He has his lane, and he stays in it without apology.

 

What I appreciate most is Cowen’s no-nonsense, cantankerous demeanor. He seems like the kind of coach who eventually stops trying to explain something and just physically puts you in the right position—or creates the exact sensation you need to feel to understand it. There’s a take-it-or-leave-it edge to him that I actually find refreshing. He’s not going to sugarcoat anything or pander to fragile egos. That approach might not work for everyone, but I think it’s part of what makes him effective. He’s not losing sleep over it.

[iacas]

2 hours ago, virtuoso said:

Wait, he says the avg amateur gets the face closed in transition?

 

I made it just over 4:00 into that one before I had to bail. I didn't even make it to the part you're talking about.

[me05501]

Just now, argoodman said:

I don’t think Cowen is here for the freeloaders and that’s fine by me. He’s clearly in the business of making money through golf, not giving away insights for weekend warriors trying to tweak their swings for fun. His focus is on professional golfers  working at the game with the same intensity and dedication as any high-performance athlete. He’s not trying to build a large following of hobbyists; he’s teaching those whose livelihood depends on mastering their craft. And honestly, I respect that. He has his lane, and he stays in it without apology.

 

What I appreciate most is Cowen’s no-nonsense, cantankerous demeanor. He seems like the kind of coach who eventually stops trying to explain something and just physically puts you in the right position—or creates the exact sensation you need to feel to understand it. There’s a take-it-or-leave-it edge to him that I actually find refreshing. He’s not going to sugarcoat anything or pander to fragile egos. That approach might not work for everyone, but I think it’s part of what makes him effective. He’s not losing sleep over it.

 

Agree 100%. It's great to have different flavors to choose from. 

[golferdude54]

14 minutes ago, me05501 said:

Cowen is obviously a great teacher but he's not a great communicator IMO.

 

Seems like whenever people ask him to clarify what he means he just repeats the exact same words but louder.

 

Makes me wonder if he wants people to understand him or just wants them to pay him. 

 

He uses the rugged old Scottish pro stereotypical look to his advantage for more popularity in his teachings. It's like how Russian ballet instructors look but for golf.

[Rapidcat]

20 minutes ago, me05501 said:

Cowen is obviously a great teacher but he's not a great communicator IMO.

 

Seems like whenever people ask him to clarify what he means he just repeats the exact same words but louder.

 

Makes me wonder if he wants people to understand him or just wants them to pay him. 

 

Can't stand him, just plain rude in his communication IMO.

 

Like a self parody of a Yorkshireman.

[virtuoso]

1 hour ago, Nard_S said:

What's freely available from him seems more about the engagement of big muscle behavior. Only thing he says about hands is they should engage club in a countering, "wring a towel method". He even advocates fading & drawing the ball based on how shoulders are engaged which is rather unique idea to me, but it actually works. He believes that manipulation is a common denominator in all swings and the elite just employ it at a higher level. So my guess, if there is a reason why hands are not a high priority of teaching, that would be it.

OK, sure, but......he thinks that the garden variety amateur that spins his shoulders early also closes the clubface angle in transition??

[Nard_S]

2 minutes ago, virtuoso said:

OK, sure, but......he thinks that the garden variety amateur that spins his shoulders early also closes the clubface angle in transition??

He tells garden variety to move the arms down, which is nothing different from what everyone here advocates.

 

Everything I've seen seems to gravitate around big joint & muscle movement. Which i do not consider a bad thing.

[herbert7890]

1 hour ago, Rapidcat said:

 

Can't stand him, just plain rude in his communication IMO.

 

Like a self parody of a Yorkshireman.

As good of a teacher that he is, i kinda agree as well on his personality.

[herbert7890]

1 hour ago, NosajNeelik said:

It’s a feel. Pulling down is actually away because of the way the body is inclined 

Exactly this,  its impossible to actually go straight down (even if we tried our hardest).  Its a good feel to get the club on the correct plane vs "chesting it and opening the shoulders too fast"

[herbert7890]

4 hours ago, Divot License said:

Cowen does talk about the hands moving down BUT it's not a case of dragging the handle but getting the arms back in front of the body on the way down.

Yep,  thus why i wrote a section on my Opening post exactly about this, is not a drag (pulling forward)  but a pull down (not a drag).  Great video.

[iacas]

1 minute ago, herbert7890 said:

Great video.

 

[PedronNiall]

16 minutes ago, herbert7890 said:

Exactly this,  its impossible to actually go straight down (even if we tried our hardest).  Its a good feel to get the club on the correct plane vs "chesting it and opening the shoulders too fast"

 

Maybe a good feel for those having specific issues in the downswing, but that makes it a case-by-case feel, not something most golfers should be thinking about or attempting. A good grip keeps the club secure and is able to add and release pressure as needed and as seen in the measurements of better players. That pressure and hand action for most is a response to what the body and arms are already doing in a good transition and downswing. 

 

If someone has difficulty with that then maybe a feel of pulling down can help, but still better to see if there's an earlier cause for their downswing issues than jumping right to trying to force a better action. 

 

45 minutes ago, herbert7890 said:

Yep,  thus why i wrote a section on my Opening post exactly about this, is not a drag (pulling forward)  but a pull down (not a drag).  Great video.

 

Good for those it works for, but we know how little gravity comes into what the club does from transition into impact. His explanation of "when the club starts falling" or "letting it fall" isn't what happens in good swings and is in keeping with the "let the club do the work" feel that isn't real and starts some down the road of getting passive in the downswing, and we have access to video and measurement on the consequences of slow arms. Most of the good or bad in the swing is because of active movements and reaction to the feedback from them, not passive responses to gravity acting on the club in either main phase of the swing. 

 

Players need to have engaged control over the club and insight over what they're doing to initiate both takeaway and the downswing effectively, not "wait on the club" and react to it. 

[Hawkeye77]

1 hour ago, herbert7890 said:

Yep,  thus why i wrote a section on my Opening post exactly about this, is not a drag (pulling forward)  but a pull down (not a drag).  Great video.

FWIW, easy to find references to what he talks about with the right arm in particular and no, it's not a "pull down" which you equate to "pressure down" and right or wrong on that with Cowen, so pretty much the rest of your stuff is off base from the beginning.

 

I used to have Cowen's dvds - hard to follow for me but I put them away forever when I tried to watch his explanation of hitting a sand shot - he makes it so complicated and the explanation went on forever.

 

He must be a great coach and I have absolutely no basis to criticize him other than he seems to have a hard time getting the message across to others in videos or even in some lessons he's given to folks for their YouTube channels - lol, he's a little intimidating. I thought at some point he might get poor James Robinson to the point of tears, just seemed awkward, and in a different way, but no less awkward than the ones he's filmed with Leadbetter.