Throwing Your Weight Around
By Dr. T. J. Tomasi, Keiser University College of Golf Senior Faculty and Director of Research
An important role of the backswing is to create coil, and part of doing that is establishing the trail hip as the center of this coil during the backswing – then you switch hips by transferring your weight to your front hip.
In the first photo below, the player is very near the top of his swing, with his weight primarily in his right (trail) hip socket. The first move that starts the downswing is a transfer of this weight from the right to the left hip socket, a move that’s captured in the second photo. What this does is establish the left (lead) side as the rotational center of the downswing.
In addition to this transfer of weight, the lead arm drops as it moves down across the chest. This keeps the club on the swing arc and ensures that assuming the clubface is in the correct position, a powerful strike will occur.
Once done correctly, this transfer of weight automatically drops the club into the slot, so you don’t have to think about making two moves to start the downswing. Unfortunately, most golfers focus on the arm movement, so they don’t transfer their weight properly. The sequence should be shift-drop, not drop-shift. When you start the downswing incorrectly, the chances of making a proper impact are minimal.
Notice in the second photo another important move that accompanies the transfer of weight, i.e., the increase in the flex of the lead knee. Biomechanically, the human knee works over the toe, a move that stacks the knee, hip, and ankle joints, producing a wall that will not collapse. Notice how athletic and springy our model looks as he readies himself to deliver the club to the ball.
Near the top of the swing, the player’s weight is mostly in his trail hip, which helps establish his right side as the center of his coil.
Shifting his weight to his forward hip begins the downswing and establishes his front side as the downswing’s rotational center. The arms follow and drop into the slot.
If you’d like to study with Dr. Tomasi and other PGA Master Professionals, contact The College of Golf today.
