Golfing: You also can—Part 2, down swing

Sport
The downswing is in reality the return journey. It starts from the time the club and the body actions start moving forward from “the station” up to the point of impact.

What follows after the impact “hitting the ball” is the follow through. Whenever someone goes on a journey he wishes to return safely to where he started from. Assume you are driving on the highway, you make sure that you do not swerve out of the road. You should be awake .You keep on the road and at the right side of the road for that matter. Your full concentration is needed at all times and it should not be allowed to lapse by any means.On the backswing the left hand is more in control of the backward swing path direction. The reverse is true on the “downward swing”/ downswing, when the right hand and arm takes over. Any misjudgement during your swinging process results in all sorts of accidents ranging from minor to fatal.

The importance of the left hand and arm on the backswing is to set the club in the right swing plane / line of flight creating an arc which will be followed on  the return swing. It is therefore important to always keep in mind that on the downswing, the club should follow the same path it used on the outward journey. This then results on the club face coming back to the square position when the ball is struck and the shoulders should be square to the intended target at impact. If all these sequences are followed without deviation, you will be assured that the ball will be struck at the club face’s sweet spot, square to the target.

If your left hand collapses on the backswing you will in the process head for a big loss in accuracy and reduced power on impact. At the start of a golf swing, the backswing or takeaway should be a slow, unrushed process, and once you have reached your end of the backward journey, “at your station”, do not overstay. Make a smooth turn on the downswing and you will be assured of good results. Playing golf is all about moving the club backwards to your right “for the right handed person” and bringing it back to the left and strike the ball. Mastering what happens on the backswing and downswing is very crucial. If you encounter challenges, be patient and get assistance at your earliest convenience. Do not underrate the problem. Enjoy the sport. YOU ALSO CAN.

For any feedback/ comments and any assistance you may need contact the writer, Tavenganiswa Mabikacheche at The Centre for Training and Research Services on email: [email protected] or mobile numbers, +263712200922 /+263772319612