Start The Downswing Like This To Hit Great Iron Shots 

Russell I paused this video halfway thru just to say I started watching you a couple years back and then I disappeared from utube video/ instructions but since I first watched you I knew you were a differnt teacher ,you talk to the person in terms and a gentleness that really stays with us,, I watched you driver fitting couple days back and was blown away on your swing and the lesson I learned from that video and then you made another video to explain how you feel when you swing your driver which was outstanding, because I can totally relate to how you teach, brilliant was of teaching ,, now I decided to watch this video and already you have my full attention on how the hands work at contact which I believe is the most important part of contact and you teach it perfectly!!! So thank you for getting me back into your teachings ,,outstanding!! Thanks again ,,

I wasted so much time believing I could ‘feel’ what I was doing in my swing. Positive changes only came once I started to video my swing. Feel vs real was eye opening for me.

I'm a 70-year-old golfer who has been struggling for 21 years and I never hit my 3 wood or 7 iron as well than after watching this video and doing the drill. Only 2 thoughts, 1. eye on the back of the ball 2. drop my right elbow to start the downswing. Brilliant. You are a terrific instructor and teacher. Thank you for sharing.

Thank you Russell for sharing your knowledge. I keyed into your videos immediately I didn’t know how to get to where your pupil is in this video. After a year of trial and error finally figured it out with your help and a video app that slowed the video and allowed lines to be drawn on it to track my motion. For me I found the key to getting that right elbow through was pushing the left hip way back in the downswing. It feels like I’m sticking my butt way out behind me but in reality I’m not. On the backswing I drop my left shoulder much further down than I thought to point at the ball. It makes a huge difference dropping the left shoulder the help keep your head down and your body down which provides you the space to allow your right elbow to drive-through and automatically moves your left hip back where it needs to be. I was always taught to be more upright when swinging through… but in actuality I am way leaned over to where my shoulders are almost vertical when I hit the ball. This provides increased power and better consistency. I didn’t realize that on the backswing your right hip needs to freeze where it is and then your left hip moves back from that location like it’s up against a wall behind me. The final piece is that when you extend your left leg to move your hip back and it moves your hands up anywhere from 2 to 4 inches in order to bring your club head in plane with the ball so the club doesn’t go into the ground. The trick is timing this with your swing. The overall feel l is that you feel like you’re much closer to ball and you’re going to drive to club into the ground but then when you throw your left hip back against the imaginary wall everything goes to where it needs to be. For me when I drop my hands it feels like I’m dropping my hands to my feet. I used to swing out more, now I drop them straight down and it makes a huge difference. The swing is more compact now so I believe I get more speed kind of like when the ice skater pulls in their arms and they spin faster. The last key is to make 100% sure that a majority of your weight is on your front left foot to keep from hitting behind the ball.

This video is truly worthy of a CBE - The honour to one who have made major contributions to any activity, usually at national level. I was reminded by an old pro to “strike the ball inside below the equator for consistency.” Finding this video - It immediately made sense again. This is epic of all his videos, and it combines theoretical concepts with practical modeling. A+ 💯✅

Excellent downswing tip. It reminds me of Ernie Els's downswing.

Wow Russell. I think the secret in the drop and throw is that your subconscious mind acquires the concept of giving yourself time in the backswing to have much more control. Worked like magic 30 mins after watching your video. Awesomeness 👏👏👏👏

The best drill yet, already practice with amazing results! Cheers!

Thanks Russell, I tried this drill today and even put it in my routine before hitting the ball. Best game I’ve had for a couple of months. Cheers Gibby downunder in NZ

That up, drop, and swing just cleared up a lot for me.. Thanx, Russell

I can't say thank you enough on how this video has helped me! I watched it late last night was able to hit about 20 balls into net before my golf league today. I used the swing, let the club fall then throw it to the ball as my practice swing before each shot. Shot a 38!! I will make this a regular drill in practice!!

Love the Wilson staff ball. They are superb.

Great drill Russel, just what I needed.

I've learned the 3 most important things in a golf swing are sequencing, sequencing and sequencing.

Great tips

This really resonates. My club face and path are generally very neutral but where I lose shots is distance control through strike.

Like the concept of "less is more" for practice and spend more time with reflection (mental rehearsal).

Quality explanation and simplified. Many thanks. I use a thought that I am trying to hit the ball with the back of my hand, so if the grip pressure is not correct, impossible to do. If the pressure is correct the club head will unwind itself and strike the ball solid., Also, grip setup so important, if a strong grip you'll hook nad if too weak, of course, you'll cut the shot.

Pros are simply born with superior hand eye coordination. 6:07. Dude simply kicks ball over to the guy perfectly.

Really good results. Im curious what inspired you to put this out? Do you have a backswing video that would complement this?

This has been my only swing thought in the past 2 rounds. I feel I’m making good progress.

Instead of letting the club drop, I focus on NOT HURRYING the transition phase i.e. actually applying a very similar move with a throw at impact as well. By the way I am highly impressed by Ideki Matsuyama 'swing-stop' he is still using though he recently revealed that he and his coach are working on eliminating the pause phase in his backswing. I agree that for me a 'do-not-hurry' transition followed by a 'throw' leads to straighter and even longer shots as a result.

So many talks mention the need to video yourself, but it's rare to find talks about exactly how to do that, like equipment, apps, anything that should be done to make that more effective.

Really like this video. You make some great points about practicing the right way. Great drill too. THANKS A TON!!!!

Interesting. Will give it a try.

Great drill. For me, this drill naturally created a lot of desirable swing attributes that I was trying to force (and rather unsuccessfully) before I learned this. This drill made it easy to keep my leading arm straight and also created a lot of club lag (when combined with the tilting of the spine).

Looks excellent.. will try the drill on the range this weekend... thanks much for the clear explanation

Dear Russell, great Video, thank you very much. Best greetings from Vienna!

I like the TOP, DROP, THROW. That makes sense to me.

Thanks it make sense

I worked as a golf psychologist and tried to help some people. The most important thing they had to learn was not to move the 16 pound bowling ball they have above their shoulders toward the target. Jack Nicholas, a famous player, head slightly to the right to offset that heavyweight...... then all you've got to do is hinge and turn and keep your back to the target. Keep your back to the target keep your back to the target.

Great Tip, really helped me on the downswing! Thanks!

Great drill!

Great video Russell! I find it difficult to just drop my right elbow when starting the downswing. For me, the ability to drop my elbow comes from something else like a slight weight bump forward or something. The problem is, the "something else" comes and goes. Thanks, Hank in North Carolina

Such a big fan of this.

Great work definitely going to be using it.

One of your better vids.

Love this drill, thanks Russell.

Thanks

Russell does this help with shallowing the swing getting the hands or club in the slot?

Russell.. after watching this video, I noticed that this seems completely opposite to what other teachers teach. The sequence here (if I'm correct) is 1. drop the arms 2. throw and turn I have a teacher that is teaching a 1. lower body shift 2. chest turn 3. keep arms back during 1 and 2 4 drop the arms. Am I understanding what you are saying in this video correctly?

Doesn't coiling on the back swing by rotating the chest in the golf posture result in a downswing with rotating the torso automatically, create good contact. Lot of independent movements to get to the proper spot at the right time get eliminated.

Been getting lessons with head pro at my club did this exact drill at my last lesson and it’s really starting to gel. My problem is I take the club away much too shallow so I can’t drop it more on the down swing transition and it destroys my sequence. When I get it in the right window it’s money though. Very good drill

'Swing up to the top, George, and pause'. How many times have you said that, Russ? A thousand, 10 thousand? He seems quite happy to keep doing it!

very good thanks

Don't you have to get to your left side before you drop?? Or are you suggesting that will happen automatically with your drill

Took this to the range today and found I was hitting it better, just have to have the balls to take it on the course.

Great for a tour player

I used to actively drop my hands when swinging like this drill on the course and played pretty well but its hard to be consistent actively dropping the hands. Everything I read says if you do it right the hands should drop naturally, however i guess im doing it wrong then cause they never do haha. Do you agree?

Great content thank you.

Thanks Russ give it a go pm

Like that drill. Been taking it half back, then “throwing”. Like the whole swing drill. Ta.

Fast fwd to 4:00

Question for you: Why even think about dropping your hands, or putting them in a position correctly? What I mean is that what it seams like the most important parts of the swing are making sure you're in the correct position at the top of the backswing, and then transitioning into the downswing from the legs up. Your body doesn't want to be in the position its in at the top of the backswing, so you don't even have to think about manipulating your upper body. Just make sure that your lower body is the first thing making the transition in the downswing, and releasing naturally. All these awkward upper body issues that golfers are having are because they are trying to manipulate the club with their upper body instead of their lower body. First thing that needs to happen on the downswing is the right leg transferring the weight back over to the left side. You simply cannot manipulate your hand positions in the downswing with your upper body.

I've had so many lessons, joined a golf club, playing loads of rounds and I'm going backwards so much that I'm now beginning to hate the game. Loose on average 10 balls a round but come back because I'll hit one pure shot. Welcome being a pupil to see if you can change my game.

"4 to 5 practice swings." now that's a pro tip.

Russell how do we send our videos to you? How much does it cost for you to look at our video?

I wish they wood of show behind golfer

You recommend drop and throw, but it looks like George gets to club parallel and then rotates body and arms in unison, right elbow tucked in front of right hip until post contact. Is that why his low point is so consistent?

Hi , I seem to punch my irons ,my driving is good but my irons ,and seem to lose distance

Livdont know what I do wrong, but noop, I almost never hit the ball, I hit the ground, or the air, or the ball but horribly.

I think the throw terminology is going to cause people throw their arms and to stop at the ball you gotta keep your left hip/s turning... your welcome : )

0:35 making my neck hurt just looking at it

Did nothing bu ht balls thin over and over

How and why did we go from focusing on rotation on this channel to controlling the swing with hands & arms?? 🤷‍♂️

I top it into the woods. I drop my resulting penalty shot. I throw my driver into the pond. Top... check. Drop... check. Throw... check. The obvious question: do you give swimming lessons too. That driver cost me $650.

Think all you want, but don't play slow.

Love ur videos but too long, get to the point

I love it how he starts off by showing how 24 handicappers swing and then gives a golf drill that single handicappers will struggle to do. Clueless fellow🤣😂🤣

Hard to take tips from a chicken wing swing

Great drill!