To see this working, head to your live site.

Weight Forward but Still Standing Up on the Downswing.

When I’m doing the drills and practicing, I can make a good swing. Everything looks good and I make good contact.

However, when I play I‘m still standing up on the downswing. I believe I have my weight in the correct position. And I think that my top of the backswing position it correct. But, I can’t overcome standing up when I swing down.

Has anybody else had this problem and do you have a key or move that lets you make the proper bend / bump / turn?

I’m looking for the one thing that I can do that will assure that I bend / bump / turn instead of standing up. More than anything else I want to fix this. It is what has plauged me my entire golfing life.

Thanks!

25 comments

25 Comments

galloway8625

Jul 10, 2022

Fellow Saguto golfers,

I’m making progress. I was having trouble with my downswing and follow-thru. I was still standing up and flipping. But, I have found the following is helping.

Tom recently sent an email with a link to his YouTube video “The Best Ball Striking Drill - This Simple Golf Swing Move Works Like Magic”. https://youtu.be/nD-z0ovm62o Tom teaches this “move” throughout his program, but the video really reinforced how important it is. And I had not really given it the focus it deserves. I had not mastered it like he says we should.

So, I’m doing the drills and it has really helped. It helps with the correct club downswing path. It helps with keeping the weight forward during the downswing. It helps with eliminating the flip or scoop. And it helps with consistency, contact and distance.

I still need to keep practicing to build consistency. But I played 9 holes on Thursday and 18 holes yesterday and my full swing shots are improving.

Thanks Tom.

Mike

Tom Saguto

Jul 11, 2022

Replying to

I'm glad that lesson clicked with you and connected the dots, Mike, and it sounds like nice progress to me. Keep up the great work!!

GolfLivesMatter

Jun 21, 2022

•

Don't forget the 100 yard and in short game, bunker shots, and especially putting. A lot of guys I know who are roughly bogey golfers burn up a LOT of strokes with their short game and putting.

I've kept data on bogey-type golfers over the years. Generally speaking out of the 18 strokes over par, 6-7 were due to some errant shot (long game - OB - unplayable). The rest of the strokes were due to poor short games from 100 and in, especially from 25-50 yards in, bunker shots, and putting.

The pro's hit 11.7 greens on average and they are the best in the world. Bogey golfers should expect to hit 3-4 greens in regulation, which also depends on if the tees one plays are appropriate for their driver distance which is another problem I see on the course. Thus, they WILL have 14-15 short game shots of some type per round. And of course, everyone will putt. Even if they hit 5-6 greens on some days, they will still have 12-13 short game shots, and chances are the ball will be in 3 putt territory on the green anyway.

As for the range, the ground is flat, there's no penalty for bad shots, we tend to remember the best shot and use that as the "standard", plus, the tension level is likely far lower than on the course.

If you have not heard of Operation 36, it's a national program that teaches folks how to get down in three from 25, 50, 75, 100, 125, and 150 yards. They work in the opposite direction of focusing on hitting drivers and 7 irons on the range. Learning club control on short shots, especially 25-50 yard shots teaches folks a LOT about the full golf swing. That's why a lot of golf drills are half swings which eventually lead to full shot swings. The 1/2 swing is the short game swing.

Russell Hogue, PhD

Jun 23, 2022

•

Replying to

@GolfLivesMatter I didn’t start playing golf until mid 30’s. I am 46 now. When I started playing, I had to beg my old college roommate to teach me. He played college golf and I was playing other sports. I made fun of him ruthlessly for not playing “a man’s sport”. In my first year, we joined a par three course near the house and we played and practiced regularly. He said, “when I was in college, I didn’t hit the ball as far as the long hitters. I didn’t hit the ball as close as the most accurate iron players. But, when I hit the ball around the green, I was going up and down as good as anyone. We will only play the par three course because on a golf course, every hole turns into a par 3 after the tee shot (or approach).” Needless to say, I got to the point where my short game was good and I built my game around it. Even if I hit the ball terribly, I can score ok because of my short game.

Russell Hogue, PhD

Jun 23, 2022

•

Replying to

Btw - I started shooting in the 80’s in my second year (first year playing non-par three courses).

GolfLivesMatter

Jun 23, 2022

•

Replying to

@Russell Hogue, PhD Yes. The par 3 courses teach the short game. No doubt. Let's face it, all the club makers tout "forgiveness", "longer" irons and drivers, but at the end of the day even the most forgiving iron or driver will hit the ball based on the player's swing. I've played blades, Ping Eye 2's, and a host of "game improvement" clubs. At the end of the day, the results from playing blades vs game improvement irons had no significant effect on my scores. The difference has been, and always will be, my ability to get up and down for par.

I would rather hit a Mizuno blade club around the green vs. a larger, game improvement club. Therefore the offset to not hitting a "forgiving" iron is countered by hitting blades around the green with excellent feel and control, thus I can still make par.

I rolled out my 1991 Wilson Staff FG-51's and shot 75 yesterday. Pure blades, but somehow the ultra thin top line on the irons helped me to align the club to the target, and around the green they are 2nd to none. Same with my Mizuno MP-69s, and MP-4s. Somehow though, I chicken out and play my other clubs despite the fact that I tend to suffer more from 100 yards and in with "game improvement" irons.

Russell Hogue, PhD

Jun 21, 2022

•

@galloway8625 can you post a video of your swing on the range? Standing up isn’t typically “the problem”, but a byproduct of being out of position. Your brain supercomputer knows that you are trying to hit the ball and will automatically make room to accomplish the task. My first guess, without video would be that you aren’t getting far enough left on your downswing and thus have to stand up to create room to reach the ball. Your weight should be almost entirely to the front foot by the time you reach the top of your backswing…body goes left while arms are still finishing backswing (think about the motion throwing a ball)…you step forward as your arm goes back so that you have a solid platform to release around. If you don’t get your tailbone going to the target on your backswing, then everything becomes a rushed mess on the downswing…and won’t give you enough time to get to the left. Further, if your weight hasn’t moved left, when your lead side pushes off to brace and support the club swinging forward…bam, the ole standup. Without video, it’s just speculation. I would hit balls with all your weight on the front foot. Literally, just feel like your back foot is hanging there. Shoulder down, shoulder down.

galloway8625

Jun 21, 2022

Replying to

@Russell Hogue, PhD Thank you. Everything makes sense. And seems possible.

I’m guessing that when I’m playing I’m rushing and not making a complete backswing. Which means I’m not getting my weight and tailbone in the correct positions. And I‘m starting my downswing from the wrong position.

I’m playing this Friday and I will focus on making a full, correct backswing. I’ll post my results.

Thanks again.

Russell Hogue, PhD

Jun 21, 2022

•

Replying to

Biggest thing get the weight to the lead foot earlier. It’s the platform you have to swing on…if weight is not to the left and you are trying to move left on the downswing, it’s too late. It’s a power robbing direction control…nightmare.

fish4197

Jun 20, 2022

I am have the same problem. I don't have much advice and would like to see what the response to your post. However, I think my problem is with not get my right shoulder down and thru when hitting the ball. Try to practice the left should down on back swing and right shoulder down on down swing. ??

galloway8625

Jun 21, 2022

Replying to

@fish4197 Thanks for the comment. I think about my left shoulder on the backswing, but I really have not thought about my right shoulder on the downswing. Mike

Tom Saguto

Jun 21, 2022

Replying to

@burkholder.ronald Wow - talk about an interesting round....

Thanks for chiming in and sharing your 2.8 thoughts!

galloway8625

Jun 21, 2022

Replying to

@fish4197 I’ll have to go back and review the right shoulder down move. I may have overlooked something important. Thanks.

Tom Saguto

Jun 20, 2022

@galloway8625 - So you are not standing up when practicing - even full swings - but continue to do so on the course? Is that what you are saying?

Tom Saguto

Jun 20, 2022

Replying to

@galloway8625 & @fish4197 - So it's really then a matter of how we transport "Ranger Rick" to the golf course. We all experience that! All I can tell you is that it is part of the process, and as your practice performance becomes more and more consistent, then it's just a function of time in terms of when/how that will translate itself to the pressures and challenges of actual play. As confidence in your swing grows you should find more and more that you are playing "golf" instead of "golf swing" on the course, at which point your mechanical thoughts will be reduced to one or two at the most, and you will be nearly entirely focused on your target and not your swing. An excellent book that may help you with this is "Fearless Golf: Conquering the Mental Game" by Dr. Gio Valiante. Another book that I like is "Play Your Best Golf Now" by Lynn Marriott & Pia Nilsson.

@GolfLivesMatter & @Russell Hogue, PhD have offered some valuable contributions within this realm as well, so perhaps they may have some kernels of wisdom for you.

Beyond that, it’s a good idea to have a reliable “default swing” that you can dial up mid-round when you sense that you are beginning to leak some oil. Many members use the swing provided by Drill 2.8, which is actually the full swing minus just a couple of power accumulators. @burkholder.ronald might be able to speak to this if he's available. The Flying Wedge Drill is another good option. Master one of these and keep it in your back pocket.

galloway8625

Jun 21, 2022

Replying to

@Tom Saguto Thanks for the advice, suggested reading and reference to the drills. I’ll keep working until I get it! Mike

Tom Saguto

Jun 21, 2022

Replying to

@galloway8625 - I agree with @Russell Hogue, PhD - post a couple of videos in the forum's Video Analysis Room - one face-on and one DTL. Let your fellow members have a look and offer their thoughts. There could be something subtle occurring in your range swing that is magnified under the pressures of regular play.

And also heed the wisdom of @burkholder.ronald's reply. First about patience with the process, and second in reiterating the importance of having a reliable base swing like 2.8 that can literally save a round if the wheels start coming off.