Any good tip on maintaining proper spine angle on the downswing?

Question

my swing is good on the take away, but i notice when i video myself that i have a tendancy to straigthen up on the downswing (& consequently my head comes up & back) & i make all sort of weird adjustments coming back down. i might have developed this habit when i was working on bringing the club down from the inside. regardless, no matter what i try or read, i can't seem to fix it so wondering if anyone has a good tip on how to fix it. appreciate it.

Answer 1

I have experienced same thing resulted in heating the ball thin. It came from my target foot straitened up during the downswing, and may be I was trying to scoop the ball up in the air.

I fixed it by hammering down the club right into the back side of the ball and make a nice size of divot after the contact.

I was not trying to fix my swing mechanically, but just trying to think that I would hammer down the ball and get a dollar size divot after. I tried it with the short irons ( you know it is always hard to make a solid contact with long irons). With a few days of practice with that action, I fixed my down swing with the head stays in level. I also got better in ball contact.

This is important, when you do it, just relax your right arm (if you're right handed). That's the key to make a solid contact.

Hope it will help you.

Answer 2

I normally just try to hit the ball like regular and look at that spot you just hit for a full second after you've made contact before seeing where your ball went.  This usually forces you to keep your head down and your body relatively quiet.  It also may have to do with your core strength.  If you are having problems  keeping spine angle, maybe its your body telling you that its not comfortable for you to be in that position, in which case i would do some core strenghtening excersizes to help you keep that posture on your downswing.

Answer 3

You need to maintain the weight on the inside of your back foot. the feeling should be a pressure running from your big toe too the heel. you will notice that if you lift in your backswing this feeling will disappear.

The other possibility is that your body may nobe able to rotate properly. For this to be accessed you need to visit a bio mechanics expert.

Answer 4

Yes, put a 100 page paperback book tightly in your pants right below your back.

If you don't feel the book touching your back on your downswing then, you've dipped.

If you feel the book bending then, you're rising up.

Also, try some baseball type swings after you've practiced the above drill.

You'd be surprised how you never worry about your spine angle when you make baseball swings.

Answer 5

These are all good tips.

You can also try to make an effort to not try to scoop the ball.  This causes rising up, and a lot of movement.  If you concentrate on keeping your head still, and your upper body even, you will improve.  The book method works very well.  Also, what you can do is picture a spot on the very back part of the ball that you want to strike with the club, and make sure that the strike smashes the ball into the ground, and not horizontally.  Otherwise, just swing within yourself, and keep your head still.

Answer 6

A good drill is to take a club, usually about a six iron (but it depends on how tall you are and your set-up) and put it under your butt as you address the ball.  You want it to be like an extension of your spine going from your tailbone down to the ground.  Now swing and if you keep your spine angle consistent it will stay there until  you follow through when it will drop onto your right calf and slide down to your ankle.  When  you can swing and the club to end up there consistently you will have a consistent spine angle througout your swing.