How Do I Start Down?
 

Tell us 'your way'!

And I'll tell you mine!

How do you avoid the dreaded Over-the-Top move?

What winter-time drills -- and real time play drills -- will put you 'in the slot'?

Left Hip
 

If I start the downstroke by rotating my lefthip and getting all my weight onto my left heel I tend to hit a good shot.

If I do anything with my hands at the top of my swing I tend to go OOT.

I also use a toned down version of the same move for pitching and chipping.

I use an exagerrated version for punching

I imagine crushinga soda can under my left foot.

I still have way too many OTT shots and could be more on plane in the down swing.

I need that secret Yoda!!!

I'm hoping repeated watching of Alignment Golf over the next few months will sort me out.

I'm changing everything, and this is where I'm making the biggest change. I'm picking up a Smart Stick, and I am going to work very hard on keeping the club on plane, pointing at the sweet spot plane, on the downstroke from the start down past follow through. I think that is where I really need the most work.

Believe it or not, I have had NO concept of the swing plane in my own motion before...

Kevin

You and me both my friend......wonder if you can wear out a DVD by watching it too much :D
I just picture Yoda's move on the downswing and try to mimic it.
Alex

Down, down, down...
 

My start down involves shifting my weight forward as I drop right elbow toward right hip. At the same time, I feel my right shoulder move toward ball.

From the ground up. Weight starts moving onto the left leg (left foot pushing into the ground) as the hips bump slightly and start to rotate. The arms and hands are relaxed and simply along for the ride (the hands are "aiming" only with a little help from the right shoulder).

I have a little "UTT" (under-the-top) loop during startdown that I'm learning to embrace. (I've spent many hours trying to eliminate it, but I think it's just part of "my" motion).

CG

I'm hitting
 

from the top I want my thrust ( the straightening of the right arm/elbow pushing on top of the left thumb) to go in a straight line down into the 4 o'clock point on the ball, I want to feel the clubhead lag pressure on my right indexfinger, and passively direct that feel the same way. I want my shoulderline to trace the planeline, and so the right shoulder is also going down into the ball. In order to do that I need to make at lateral move forward with the hips (axis tilt). I've found out that I get the best results if I bumb the left hip out to the right field a little, crossline.

The "pump"-drill, or start down waggles do it for me.

If I take practice swings/hits, I'll concentrate on the shoulders tracing the planeline on the first one. With the second one I'll concentrate on directing the thrust and the pressure points down, out and forward into the ball. And then hopefully it comes together when I hit the ball.

Lots and lots of "downstroke waggles" from the "top" -or "end":golf:

I'm a hitter, so as soon as I've built up the desired pressure in the PP3, I'm then ready to drive my right forarm down and out through my aim point. The pivot takes care of itself.