Table of Contents

Golf Downswing and Follow-Through: Start From the Ground Up

Less “hit,” more “unwind”—and finish in balance.

If you start the downswing with your arms, you’ll often get weak contact, slices, and topped shots.

The downswing is basically the backswing in reverse, but it should begin from the lower body and “work up,” not the other way around.

This post breaks it into simple pieces: the trigger move, preventing casting, one clean swing thought, and a balanced finish you can use as a “truth test.”

The transition: how to start down

A clean downswing starts with a simple trigger: plant the lead foot and move the lead knee slightly toward the target to begin the weight shift.

This can create a brief “squatty” feel (knees still flexed) as the lower body slides and begins to unwind.

Feel the front foot return flatter to the ground as you start down.
Let the hips lead the motion instead of yanking with the shoulders.
Keep the head fairly level (avoid bobbing up/down during the shift).

Tip: A helpful feel is starting the downswing before the backswing is “fully finished,” so the arms don’t take over first.

Avoid casting (the #1 power leak)

“Casting” happens when the wrists unhinge too early because the downswing starts with arms/shoulders, and it often produces topped shots and slices.

How to prevent it (simple cues)

Start down from the ground: lead knee/hip move first, then torso, then arms.
Let the body unwind to “release” the club—don’t try to throw the clubhead at the ball.
Keep the motion smooth so the wrists stay set longer and the club can accelerate later.

Quick reflection: Do your bad shots feel like you “threw the club” from the top? That’s the casting pattern this section fixes.

One swing thought: belt buckle to target

A simple rule: keep only one downswing thought, because there isn’t time for more during the motion.

A strong single cue is turning the belt buckle (or bellybutton) toward the target as fast as you can, starting around the middle of the downswing.

This encourages hips leading and torso following.
It also helps you finish facing the target instead of “stalling” and flipping the hands.

Tip: When the lower body leads, the arms tend to fall into place—so the swing feels more automatic.

Follow-through: the balance “barometer”

The follow-through is a continuation of rotation to the left, and a good finish usually means the swing had good sequence and balance.

In a balanced finish, most of the weight is on the lead foot, the body is turned toward the target, and the hands finish high with the club over the back.

The “did I do it right?” test

If you finish stable and tall, the motion likely worked well.
If you finish off-balance and have to catch yourself, go back to the beginning and find where balance was lost.

Practice idea: Hold your finish for 3 seconds after every range ball—this trains balance and makes flaws easier to notice.

Drill: “No Arms” rehearsal

A great way to feel coil + unwind is rehearsing without a club: cross your arms over your chest and practice turning back and through at a steady tempo.

On the backswing: turn and feel the front foot roll inward while staying grounded.
Transition: start the “down” move by moving the lead knee toward the target.
Through-swing: turn the hips through like your belt buckle is chasing the target.