Chris you were sent down from heaven my friend! 2 years I've struggled with this tried a million lessons hundreds of videos from all the top pros and way too much practicing and have never been able to figure out why I was so steep in the downswing, thank you!!!!
me too I always thought I needed to pull the hands in, but even though you do it's not as far in as I was attempting, I'm looking fwd to pusing them out now
This guy is spot on! I've tried everything to fix my slice and this has cured it. We think that the obvious way to achieve an in to out club path is by keeping the hands close to the body, especially tucking the right arm in close; in fact the opposite works by throwing the hands away and trying to hit the golf ball with your left hand. Many thanks Chris - you are by far the best golf tutor on the internet.
Very helpful. To correct my "over the top" downswing I was pulling my hands and arms down, only to be surprised that my club head still went inside-out. Moving my hands out as you suggested corrected this. My swing feels (and looks) normal. Thanks !
Chris, Your clear and concise detailing have helped me immensely. Thank You. Nearly all the faults that you describe, are faults that I either do or have done in the past. You have an understanding of the swing that is sorely needed. That is why I became a subscriber. Wish I had seen your videos earlier.
OMG this along with the speedboat drill has just gained me 5+ consistent mph with my 8 iron in under an hour of trying these moves. I have been pulling down from the top forever and then out to the right with a flip release that I had know clue how to fix. Thanks so much for this, you rock, I love your videos!
Their is a recent Golf Channel video featuring David Duval, former number one in the world, demonstrating how he hits driver. He shows his down swing path being over(above) the back swing path as you do. This works for me if I focus on keeping elbows close together with left wrist flat or slightly bowed. Duval led the driving statistics for about three years. Great lesson, thanks.
For me it's more of a feeling that I'm pulling and turning (hips and shoulders) at the same time. The pulling is more out towards 2nd base though not downwards.
Should your hands be at the same low level on both driver n irons ? You’re one of the very best instructors I have found. Once pandemic is over n Yanks are welcome again, can’t wait to buy you a few pints at The Belfry !
It’s funny because Golf Magazine has a article in the performance section this month describing how you should pull down with your hands and put some effort into it I took this to the range and nothing but bad things happened This video makes more sense especially the part with the hands going up and in as you approach impact
I'd say the hands will go down regardless. What improved my swing in this area is not rotating my shoulders in the initial start of the downswing. Otherwise, I'd come over the top. My impression of Chris' vid is to drop the arms down in plane while bumping the hips toward the target as the initial move.
Great explanation. My feeling which works fantastic for me is once I initiate my downswing from the top my feeling is the left hand/butt of the club is going to strike the ball first. It looks nothing like it on film but it's just my feeling from the top. Works great! Again it's just a feeling.
I used to have a lateral sway forward. Pulling down solved the problem. The difference is that I focus on having the butt of the club point at the ball. I also focus on clearing the left hip when I get to impact.
Chris, I just got back from the golf course and used this tip and the increase of distance for me was incredible, as well as hitting the ball straighter with less of a fade I only had two miss-hits but mostly because it felt so awkward. I also watched another video where you said to keep your left eye over the ball to help me stay behind the ball and be able to hit up on it and that also was very helpful too, I have had a hard time not hitting down on the ball with my driver and that really helped me out also. Thank you so much for your solid teaching, your the best!!! Shot an 88 today on a course where I usually shoot in the high 90's to 103! Way to go!
What about pulling the shaft down the target line? I've never heard "pull the club down" before, but I'd interpret it as a way to get people to stop casting. If we're swinging from hip-high with a full wrist-cock, that seems like a reasonable tip. Even beyond hip-high, I could see the feeling being the same. Yours is my favorite golf channel, btw. Keep up the good work.
I agree with this video. I think about turning my wrist 90 degrees to start my back swing and push the grip with my lead left hand on a hogan like swing plane created by cutting a hole through a piece of plywood and placing the piece of plywood on top of my shoulder and the plywood rests on the ground parallel to the target line, but a few inches closer to my feet than the target line, so that the piece of plywood would not quite touch the ball on the ground. Then on the down swing I pull the grip of the club with my lead left hand, keeping the club head and the shaft and grip on the same plane , such that I have lag that gets converted in to shaft lean when in the impact zone and before I hit the ball. Slightly before impact my hands and grip of the golf club begin to leave my plywood swing plane and begin to swing along a curved surface that curves left of the target, such that the hands and grip travel left and up but the club head travel on the plywood plane straight down the target line. I am almost at impact and during impact my right hand releases at the same time that my right trail foot spins so that the right trail side of my turns rotates and releases energy into the ball by the right trail side delivering energy towards the target. So at impact my grip goes up and left but my club head goes slightly right or straight at the target. I also am playing rounds with my trail right heel off of the ground so that the timing of my right trail side is consistent and turns towards the target right before impact and that by keeping my right trail heel off of the ground during my entire swing that timing of my right trail side delivery energy to the ball at impact is the same each time, and that by doing this I do not have to time my right heel coming off of ground during the down swing, the heel is already up at address and stays off of the ground throughout the entire swing. I also keep the right trail foot off of the ground for short game and putts.
For a right handed. Can you explain or demonstrate the power used in the downward swing? Is the dominant left hand in control to create the power or the the right hand? Or the reverse?
Check out your own video as you pull down the club handle with both hand on a non rotating body . Now note the 45 degree angle between your hand and the club shaft. Now do the same pulling down on the club grip handle with both hands on a coiled body. Wow what a beautiful no bullshit downswing you created.
As this subject is 'all over the Internet ',Thankyou for explaining the mechanics of it! I have been advised that I should swing my arms and not attempt to power any shots. In essence my arms should take on a passive role. If this is correct,how do I achieve what you are doing? My problem,apparently is that I am too muscular. So why do the pros work out in the Gym? How should the swing 'feel', from an arms perspective? Your thoughts would be appreciated.
At the end of this video you tell us about the hands being a little further away from the body just before impact. Does this also relate when hitting irons?
such a touchy one, i attribute the biggest improvement ive made in golf has been pulling hard down.. Watch all the pros sitting around before a shot ,alot of them sit around the T box pulling there hands down and steepening the shaft and stopping at there knees. they look like there trying to pull from the top so hard they are trying to snap the shaft. Not to mention the second i started pulling the hands down, i started hitting fairways a hell of alot more, , and went from 210 carry to almost 270 . I have gotten so many great things from this channel. This is just not one that worked with me currently! . Also pulling the hands down hard instantly changed my club path from about 6 degrees out to in to a neutral to in to out path, and started hitting long knuckle balls and baby draws and fades. kinda bounce around in that small area..2 degrees on either side, but very neutral for the most part. What i think it might be for me, is that i fight such a horrible over the top for soo long, that pulling the hands down makes me not start them out at the golf ball, so it fixes a big problem for me.. As for the pros standing around doing pre shot at T box?! you tell me
Hi Chris I think your videos are great. One question - if the hands are further away from the body at impact than they were at address why aren't you hitting the ball out of the heel of the club. Is it because the left shoulder is moving up and in and hands are following?
I think you're wrong. The pulling down from the top doesnt really refer to pulling the hands down but to pull the whole arm/club unit to promote the right elbow drive and lateral side bend. Some people say that also promotes the clearing of the hips automatically. Thats how i see it and thats just my opinion.
the goal is to get the club head to travel the furthest & safest path generating more natural speed, this actually is pretty lodgical, I haven't done any physics equations on the club head path but it looks like the proper vs improper path is at least 30% longer traverse compared to a steep over the top swing.
Great video however it still leaves me with the quandary of how I initiate the transition/downswing to get the hands into that position half way down. I expect many use a different "feel" to do this, but is there one that is optimum. If I am thinking what my arms are doing at the start of the downswing I tend to come over-the-top. Is it better say to focus on the right shoulder. What feel tends to work on day doesnt seem to work the next. Your view on this would be appreciated Chris- Thanks
What works one day, might not work the next. Boy, can I testify to that!😉 My swing thoughts even stopped working from one hole to the next... What works for me now is: keeping my arms close to my chest (connected swing), initiating the downswing by moving back my left hip and trying to keep the back of the club shaft aimed at the ball for as long as possible, until the wrists HAVE to unhinge.
This is a compliment to my previous question. I've seen good players, when addressing the ball, they tend to have the ball a little bit more to the toe or even outside the face of the club. Could this be an effect of the different hands position at address and impact?
Seen many of your vids and I like them. However. Whats your take on Malaska and momentum of the club. So called hands in clubhead out. Seriously not bad vids from Mike.
Am I the only one to wonder, if we have to make adjustments in path and arm position from the top to start the downswing, that maybe "the top" needs to be re-defined?
the modern day swing is based on what Jack Nicolus did, Chris and Mike teach the same thing, what Chris is talking about is club face awarness without using that teminology because there is a big debate among golf teachers what's right and what's wrong. You've got to concider that there are different types of postures and different types of people, little idiosincricies vary from player to player, look at all the tour players and they do the exact same thing but then you've got folks like Tiger who has a bad back. but he's still doing the same things just slightly different. You've got to treat golf teachers like a buffett, take what you like and leave the rest for someone else, I only do 6 drills that chris covers becasue I don't need every drill for my swing.
They are both doing the same thing; getting the arms _back_ into hitting position. They may differ to one degree or another on how, but both are primarily returning the lead elbow to it's starting position relative to the rib cage. Whatever move is made from the top is entirely related to where the top is. Any slight variance of where the elbows are at the top, makes for a slightly different move to start the downswing. That's why there are so many different opinions on what that move consists of.
That, is the truth right there. There's no pulling from the top from my experience as well. There's a gravity/momentum that automatically starts DS from the top, which is initiated by the simultaneous weight-shift and unwinding of the lower body ALA hogan. Then centripetal force takes over, where you one can then their hands as hard as they want at the ball half-way in the DS ala hogan.
This is great stuff. However, I don't think any instructor would seriously ask a client to bring the hands straight down--that would be a misinterpretation on the golfer's part. Most instructors would manipulate the club as the golfer is holding on--as my instructor did when he said pull down. I think instructors say this in order to keep clients from casting the club. Words, though, do matter as the golfer sometimes needs a verbal cue to bring to the course--I do. Physical manipulation doesn't always work for me. The difficulty for the instructor is finding a mantra/phrase/metaphor that doesn't mislead the golfer into something really destructive. I find what Mike Malaska teaches--the hands go in while the club goes out, creating a mini over-the-top move --to be obscure, really unhelpful. I have to re-frame that as simply hitting the ball inside out--hitting to right field--to make any sense of it. Mr. Ryan has it right. Thank you, sir.
Exactly my problem. Thank you Chris. What would be a good swing thought - skimming stones? Why am I able to demonstrate a better hand position in my practice swings but not when there is a ball in front of me?
Chris, good video. Thank you. I have struggled to keep my left wrist straight at the top of the backswing and found that bowing the wrist at takeaway, or at least feeling like that is what I do) also helps flatten the swing at the transition. Would you agree that is good practice or am I kidding myself?
when your hands are further away from your penis when you are coming down, it promotes a shank.when the newbies ask should u pull down from top, it means do i pull down the way i go up and not pull down vertical to the ground. when you say try getting the shaft away from your body/penis upon coming down, it also promotes a big LOOP in your swing. Loop in swing is good but looping from inside to outside means you re gonna promote slice because you ARE AWAY FROM YOUR ORIGINAL SWING path when you get the shaft to move away from your body upon coming down.
Starting down with the hand does not mean pulling down with the hands and arms so that your right arm hits your side. Pulling down with the hands is a move that is a matter of inches and not feet.
I subscribe to Malaska's web site. I cannot make sense of his full swing instruction. That's why I am here in Chris Ryan's site seeking help. Malaska's zipper away instruction I can't do and makes no sense. Supposed to counter early extension. I like Chris connected swing idea ala Jimmy Ballard. Nothing new about it but it works.
I think your static analysis with no actual forces involved is very misleading. The pulling down is a dynamic feeling to offset the momentum of the club falling back behind you. I started this feeling of pulling straight down about 6 months ago and my driver's are longer and my swing path is actually shallower and more in to out. Doubt use static situations to describe dynamic motions.
It would be helpful if you removed the body rotation in describing how the arms move in front of you and simply isolate the arms and show how they are moving then later put in the rotation to bend in the downswing motion.
I have to disagree with Chris here. I can show you videos of Tiger and Sergio both demonstrating the best thing to do is pull the arms down, keeps you from coming over the top. Has worked for me.
butette Mikes method is spot on. When I first tried it I didn't understand it now I know how to execute it and it's completely changed my swing I crush it will out thinking and with minimal effort those who are not getting results from it just haven't figured it out completely but when you do it's like a life changing event.
No likey, in the demonstration of the poor swing you never moved your shoulders at all, yet in your recommended movement you made a full turn shoulders arms hips, completely contradicting yourself Chris normally love your instructions too
Hi Colin, sorry you feel that way, but not sure I agree that I contradicted myself. The video was filmed to inform golfers that from the top the hands should not move vertically down as this move very rarely causes the club shaft to shallow, and the golfers who are generally trying to 'pull' are often desired this shallower club shaft. Moving the hands on a path slightly more outward with the correct arm rotations is the most efficient way to deliver the club.
I agree Chris its just in the video you drop the hands and arms with no shoulder rotation at all, I tend to allow the hands to drop and I get the feeling of pulling down from the left and this always get a more consistent strike. Happy new year chum
Well that was stupid. Wonder what would happen if you actually "shifted your weight and pulled the club.? Oh we won't know now will we. Others that pulled the club hard were Moe Norman and Sam Snead later in life. But they moved off their right foot also.
That may be true, but not sure how anyone will ever know what Sam Snead was doing. This video is based on research which is now available allowing us to measure what a golfer is doing, based on this research id confidently say that he was not pulling down on the handle 👍👍
It’s funny because Golf Magazine has a article in the performance section this month describing how you should pull down with your hands and put some effort into it I took this to the range and nothing but bad things happened This video makes more sense especially the part with the hands going up and in as you approach impact
I think about pulling the handle down at the ball. Usually works.
Chris you were sent down from heaven my friend! 2 years I've struggled with this tried a million lessons hundreds of videos from all the top pros and way too much practicing and have never been able to figure out why I was so steep in the downswing, thank you!!!!
me too I always thought I needed to pull the hands in, but even though you do it's not as far in as I was attempting, I'm looking fwd to pusing them out now
This guy is spot on! I've tried everything to fix my slice and this has cured it. We think that the obvious way to achieve an in to out club path is by keeping the hands close to the body, especially tucking the right arm in close; in fact the opposite works by throwing the hands away and trying to hit the golf ball with your left hand.
Many thanks Chris - you are by far the best golf tutor on the internet.
Very helpful. To correct my "over the top" downswing I was pulling my hands and arms down, only to be surprised that my club head still went inside-out. Moving my hands out as you suggested corrected this. My swing feels (and looks) normal. Thanks !
Chris, Your clear and concise detailing have helped me immensely. Thank You. Nearly all the faults that you describe, are faults that I either do or have done in the past. You have an understanding of the swing that is sorely needed. That is why I became a subscriber. Wish I had seen your videos earlier.
OMG this along with the speedboat drill has just gained me 5+ consistent mph with my 8 iron in under an hour of trying these moves. I have been pulling down from the top forever and then out to the right with a flip release that I had know clue how to fix. Thanks so much for this, you rock, I love your videos!
Thanks Trevor that’s great to hear!
Their is a recent Golf Channel video featuring David Duval, former number one in the world, demonstrating how he hits driver. He shows his down swing path being over(above) the back swing path as you do. This works for me if I focus on keeping elbows close together with left wrist flat or slightly bowed. Duval led the driving statistics for about three years. Great lesson, thanks.
What a player Double D way!!!! Loved watching him play. Glad you liked the video
For me it's more of a feeling that I'm pulling and turning (hips and shoulders) at the same time. The pulling is more out towards 2nd base though not downwards.
That's how it feels to me. Pull the club on the arc of the swing keeping the triangle of arms/shoulders together.
Should your hands be at the same low level on both driver n irons ? You’re one of the very best instructors I have found. Once pandemic is over n Yanks are welcome again, can’t wait to buy you a few pints at The Belfry !
I tried it and it helped me already. Thanks
Great explanation Chris of what to do and what not to do.
It’s funny because Golf Magazine has a article in the performance section this month describing how you should pull down with your hands and put some effort into it
I took this to the range and nothing but bad things happened
This video makes more sense especially the part with the hands going up and in as you approach impact
Imo you have to move the arms before allowing the right shoulder to turn. Really allows for increase club head speed
I'd say the hands will go down regardless. What improved my swing in this area is not rotating my shoulders in the initial start of the downswing. Otherwise, I'd come over the top. My impression of Chris' vid is to drop the arms down in plane while bumping the hips toward the target as the initial move.
Great explanation. My feeling which works fantastic for me is once I initiate my downswing from the top my feeling is the left hand/butt of the club is going to strike the ball first. It looks nothing like it on film but it's just my feeling from the top. Works great! Again it's just a feeling.
I used to have a lateral sway forward. Pulling down solved the problem. The difference is that I focus on having the butt of the club point at the ball. I also focus on clearing the left hip when I get to impact.
Actively using the hands is what distinguishes a "hitter" from a "swinger".
Chris, I just got back from the golf course and used this tip and the increase of distance for me was incredible, as well as hitting the ball straighter with less of a fade I only had two miss-hits but mostly because it felt so awkward. I also watched another video where you said to keep your left eye over the ball to help me stay behind the ball and be able to hit up on it and that also was very helpful too, I have had a hard time not hitting down on the ball with my driver and that really helped me out also. Thank you so much for your solid teaching, your the best!!! Shot an 88 today on a course where I usually shoot in the high 90's to 103! Way to go!
Thanks Dewey that’s great to hear 👍👍
What about pulling the shaft down the target line? I've never heard "pull the club down" before, but I'd interpret it as a way to get people to stop casting. If we're swinging from hip-high with a full wrist-cock, that seems like a reasonable tip. Even beyond hip-high, I could see the feeling being the same. Yours is my favorite golf channel, btw. Keep up the good work.
I agree with this video. I think about turning my wrist 90 degrees to start my back swing and push the grip with my lead left hand on a hogan like swing plane created by cutting a hole through a piece of plywood and placing the piece of plywood on top of my shoulder and the plywood rests on the ground parallel to the target line, but a few inches closer to my feet than the target line, so that the piece of plywood would not quite touch the ball on the ground. Then on the down swing I pull the grip of the club with my lead left hand, keeping the club head and the shaft and grip on the same plane , such that I have lag that gets converted in to shaft lean when in the impact zone and before I hit the ball. Slightly before impact my hands and grip of the golf club begin to leave my plywood swing plane and begin to swing along a curved surface that curves left of the target, such that the hands and grip travel left and up but the club head travel on the plywood plane straight down the target line. I am almost at impact and during impact my right hand releases at the same time that my right trail foot spins so that the right trail side of my turns rotates and releases energy into the ball by the right trail side delivering energy towards the target. So at impact my grip goes up and left but my club head goes slightly right or straight at the target. I also am playing rounds with my trail right heel off of the ground so that the timing of my right trail side is consistent and turns towards the target right before impact and that by keeping my right trail heel off of the ground during my entire swing that timing of my right trail side delivery energy to the ball at impact is the same each time, and that by doing this I do not have to time my right heel coming off of ground during the down swing, the heel is already up at address and stays off of the ground throughout the entire swing. I also keep the right trail foot off of the ground for short game and putts.
On the pull down you kept your body back. On your desired idea you turned your body. If you pull down while turning a whole different effect.
Awesome!!! You know how many times I've wondered this!!! ?
For a right handed. Can you explain or demonstrate the power used in the downward swing? Is the dominant left hand in control to create the power or the the right hand? Or the reverse?
Check out your own video as you pull down the club handle with both hand on a non rotating body . Now note the 45 degree angle between your hand and the club shaft. Now do the same pulling down on the club grip handle with both hands on a coiled body. Wow what a beautiful no bullshit downswing you created.
So are you pushing instead? And which hand dominates the force of the club coming down?
As this subject is 'all over the Internet ',Thankyou for explaining the mechanics of it! I have been advised that I should swing my arms and not attempt to power any shots. In essence my arms should take on a passive role. If this is correct,how do I achieve what you are doing? My problem,apparently is that I am too muscular. So why do the pros work out in the Gym? How should the swing 'feel', from an arms perspective? Your thoughts would be appreciated.
At the end of this video you tell us about the hands being a little further away from the body just before impact.
Does this also relate when hitting irons?
such a touchy one, i attribute the biggest improvement ive made in golf has been pulling hard down.. Watch all the pros sitting around before a shot ,alot of them sit around the T box pulling there hands down and steepening the shaft and stopping at there knees. they look like there trying to pull from the top so hard they are trying to snap the shaft.
Not to mention the second i started pulling the hands down, i started hitting fairways a hell of alot more, , and went from 210 carry to almost 270 .
I have gotten so many great things from this channel. This is just not one that worked with me currently! . Also pulling the hands down hard instantly changed my club path from about 6 degrees out to in to a neutral to in to out path, and started hitting long knuckle balls and baby draws and fades. kinda bounce around in that small area..2 degrees on either side, but very neutral for the most part. What i think it might be for me, is that i fight such a horrible over the top for soo long, that pulling the hands down makes me not start them out at the golf ball, so it fixes a big problem for me.. As for the pros standing around doing pre shot at T box?! you tell me
Hi Chris
I think your videos are great. One question - if the hands are further away from the body at impact than they were at address why aren't you hitting the ball out of the heel of the club. Is it because the left shoulder is moving up and in and hands are following?
I think you're wrong. The pulling down from the top doesnt really refer to pulling the hands down but to pull the whole arm/club unit to promote the right elbow drive and lateral side bend. Some people say that also promotes the clearing of the hips automatically. Thats how i see it and thats just my opinion.
the goal is to get the club head to travel the furthest & safest path generating more natural speed, this actually is pretty lodgical, I haven't done any physics equations on the club head path but it looks like the proper vs improper path is at least 30% longer traverse compared to a steep over the top swing.
Very informative thank you
None of this can happen without a proper shoulder rotation which brings the hands down correctly.
Having worked as a tour representative for many years. I have never seen a video that is worthless in instruction on showing how you do something.
Great video.
Why do I have that feeling that this'll be a great video?!
Hello Chris for left dominant would that swing taught be good one padraig Dooley from lreland
Great video however it still leaves me with the quandary of how I initiate the transition/downswing to get the hands into that position half way down. I expect many use a different "feel" to do this, but is there one that is optimum. If I am thinking what my arms are doing at the start of the downswing I tend to come over-the-top. Is it better say to focus on the right shoulder. What feel tends to work on day doesnt seem to work the next.
Your view on this would be appreciated Chris- Thanks
What works one day, might not work the next. Boy, can I testify to that!😉
My swing thoughts even stopped working from one hole to the next...
What works for me now is: keeping my arms close to my chest (connected swing), initiating the downswing by moving back my left hip and trying to keep the back of the club shaft aimed at the ball for as long as possible, until the wrists HAVE to unhinge.
This is a compliment to my previous question. I've seen good players, when addressing the ball, they tend to have the ball a little bit more to the toe or even outside the face of the club. Could this be an effect of the different hands position at address and impact?
Seen many of your vids and I like them. However. Whats your take on Malaska and momentum of the club. So called hands in clubhead out. Seriously not bad vids from Mike.
Great videos and tips! One of the best on RUclips! Can you please make a playlist of your drills?! Thank you!
Am I the only one to wonder, if we have to make adjustments in path and arm position from the top to start the downswing, that maybe "the top" needs to be re-defined?
Tell Lee Trevino that he was wrong to focus on pulling his left hand down and through with his hip.
really this is about club face awareness, I know this is a big argument in the golf coaching community, but I think you just settled it
love to get Mike Malaska and chris together to defend thier views. I really think Chris has no chance but I am a Malaska fan
jacob racquer/ you are obviously an idiot...bitch please
the modern day swing is based on what Jack Nicolus did, Chris and Mike teach the same thing, what Chris is talking about is club face awarness without using that teminology because there is a big debate among golf teachers what's right and what's wrong. You've got to concider that there are different types of postures and different types of people, little idiosincricies vary from player to player, look at all the tour players and they do the exact same thing but then you've got folks like Tiger who has a bad back. but he's still doing the same things just slightly different.
You've got to treat golf teachers like a buffett, take what you like and leave the rest for someone else, I only do 6 drills that chris covers becasue I don't need every drill for my swing.
They are both doing the same thing; getting the arms _back_ into hitting position. They may differ to one degree or another on how, but both are primarily returning the lead elbow to it's starting position relative to the rib cage. Whatever move is made from the top is entirely related to where the top is. Any slight variance of where the elbows are at the top, makes for a slightly different move to start the downswing. That's why there are so many different opinions on what that move consists of.
The downswing is a pull "delayed pull" after the downswing is initiated.
That, is the truth right there. There's no pulling from the top from my experience as well. There's a gravity/momentum that automatically starts DS from the top, which is initiated by the simultaneous weight-shift and unwinding of the lower body ALA hogan. Then centripetal force takes over, where you one can then their hands as hard as they want at the ball half-way in the DS ala hogan.
Turner Humphrey absolutely been teaching for 27 years
This is great stuff. However, I don't think any instructor would seriously ask a client to bring the hands straight down--that would be a misinterpretation on the golfer's part. Most instructors would manipulate the club as the golfer is holding on--as my instructor did when he said pull down. I think instructors say this in order to keep clients from casting the club. Words, though, do matter as the golfer sometimes needs a verbal cue to bring to the course--I do. Physical manipulation doesn't always work for me. The difficulty for the instructor is finding a mantra/phrase/metaphor that doesn't mislead the golfer into something really destructive. I find what Mike Malaska teaches--the hands go in while the club goes out, creating a mini over-the-top move --to be obscure, really unhelpful. I have to re-frame that as simply hitting the ball inside out--hitting to right field--to make any sense of it. Mr. Ryan has it right. Thank you, sir.
maybe we could devolope a golfer brainwash weekend camp
You are pulling down the wrong way.
Exactly my problem. Thank you Chris. What would be a good swing thought - skimming stones? Why am I able to demonstrate a better hand position in my practice swings but not when there is a ball in front of me?
Sam Snead and Gary player both pulled doy
Chris, good video. Thank you. I have struggled to keep my left wrist straight at the top of the backswing and found that bowing the wrist at takeaway, or at least feeling like that is what I do) also helps flatten the swing at the transition. Would you agree that is good practice or am I kidding myself?
when your hands are further away from your penis when you are coming down, it promotes a shank.when the newbies ask should u pull down from top, it means do i pull down the way i go up and not pull down vertical to the ground.
when you say try getting the shaft away from your body/penis upon coming down, it also promotes a big LOOP in your swing. Loop in swing is good but looping from inside to outside means you re gonna promote slice because you ARE AWAY FROM YOUR ORIGINAL SWING path when you get the shaft to move away from your body upon coming down.
thx Chris - I really enjoy your videos to understand golf and improve my swing. What is your view of the Stack n Tilt philosophy?
Brilliant!
Thanks 👍👍
Starting down with the hand does not mean pulling down with the hands and arms so that your right arm hits your side. Pulling down with the hands is a move that is a matter of inches and not feet.
You don't pull the club straight down into your leg.
Interesting, there is a guy Mike Malaska who say that you should pull the club down and then tip tip the shaft. That is what he teaches, Any comments?
I subscribe to Malaska's web site. I cannot make sense of his full swing instruction. That's why I am here in Chris Ryan's site seeking help. Malaska's zipper away instruction I can't do and makes no sense. Supposed to counter early extension. I like Chris connected swing idea ala Jimmy Ballard. Nothing new about it but it works.
chris is teaching club face awarness here, Mike and chris aren't teaching opposite things, just go with the coach you better understand
MAlaska doesn’t say you should do that. He says you should FEEL that. That’s completely different.
My golf pro had me doing the pull down or pump drill for 2 hrs yesterday.
You've put a spanner in the works now.
You shouldn't need to do a drill for 2 hours to get the hang of it tbh
I think your static analysis with no actual forces involved is very misleading. The pulling down is a dynamic feeling to offset the momentum of the club falling back behind you. I started this feeling of pulling straight down about 6 months ago and my driver's are longer and my swing path is actually shallower and more in to out. Doubt use static situations to describe dynamic motions.
More to pickle my head :)
It would be helpful if you removed the body rotation in describing how the arms move in front of you and simply isolate the arms and show how they are moving then later put in the rotation to bend in the downswing motion.
I have to disagree with Chris here. I can show you videos of Tiger and Sergio both demonstrating the best thing to do is pull the arms down, keeps you from coming over the top. Has worked for me.
So Sergio Garcia swings wrong for it
If you are not pulling are they just falling via gravity?
Swing like a rope...sequence happens naturally and keeps hand out
The club is supposed to ‘steepen’ like that on the downswing lol
No it isn’t
I think u pull down from inside not straight down.
Hahaha... perhaps you should ping Mike Malaska and tell him to stop teaching the hands down/in, clubhead out method.
butette Mikes method is spot on. When I first tried it I didn't understand it now I know how to execute it and it's completely changed my swing I crush it will out thinking and with minimal effort those who are not getting results from it just haven't figured it out completely but when you do it's like a life changing event.
butette U r wrong. He is just explaining what the arms should do. He also indicates that it is a exaggeration, and it s
sypen1 uh
Tell Sam Snead or Gary player that all bs
P.S. The hand path is rarely understood..... Critical insight....
Chris does the best at hand path that I've seen
No likey, in the demonstration of the poor swing you never moved your shoulders at all, yet in your recommended movement you made a full turn shoulders arms hips,
completely contradicting yourself Chris
normally love your instructions too
Hi Colin, sorry you feel that way, but not sure I agree that I contradicted myself. The video was filmed to inform golfers that from the top the hands should not move vertically down as this move very rarely causes the club shaft to shallow, and the golfers who are generally trying to 'pull' are often desired this shallower club shaft. Moving the hands on a path slightly more outward with the correct arm rotations is the most efficient way to deliver the club.
I agree Chris its just in the video you drop the hands and arms with no shoulder rotation at all,
I tend to allow the hands to drop and I get the feeling of pulling down from the left and this always get a more consistent strike. Happy new year chum
So do we need to tee the ball up a little further at adress ?But you did't do that. Why not?
Well that was stupid. Wonder what would happen if you actually "shifted your weight and pulled the club.? Oh we won't know now will we. Others that pulled the club hard were Moe Norman and Sam Snead later in life. But they moved off their right foot also.
This sounds like complete nonsense. You are pulling your hands down without rotating is completely different from pulling down and rotating.
Exactly. The idea of pulling down has to be accompanied with weight shift and rotation (like ringing a heavy bell). This video is total nonsense.
Not agree..Sam Snead was pulling the handle down and he had a marvvelous swing nd tempo
That may be true, but not sure how anyone will ever know what Sam Snead was doing. This video is based on research which is now available allowing us to measure what a golfer is doing, based on this research id confidently say that he was not pulling down on the handle 👍👍
@@ChrisRyanGolfYes he was, but he was rotating and shifting pressure as he did it. Like ringing a heavy bell.
You are not rotating. Your video is nonsense.
It’s funny because Golf Magazine has a article in the performance section this month describing how you should pull down with your hands and put some effort into it
I took this to the range and nothing but bad things happened
This video makes more sense especially the part with the hands going up and in as you approach impact