Billy Horschel vs Ricky Fowler - Downswing Sequence

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Properly sequencing your downswing can be one of the most difficult concepts for amateur golfers. In this video, I'll show you how Billy Horschel and Ricky Fowler use their lower bodies in the downswing sequence for speed and stability.

  • Get seated left before you start down with the hands and arms. 
  • Use the lead side of the body to stabilize and control the speed of the hips in the hitting area. 
  • Move the left leg to a straight position and release the club for max speed at impact.

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Justin
I understand the squat to square principle and can execute it in pieces, the problem I am having is letting the arms remain passive and dropping them into the hitting area. My tendency is to come over the top which I know means that I am starting the down swing with my upper vs. lower body. Do you have any tips to help me with this? When I do allow the lower body to initiate the down swing the results are excellent. I guess that properly executed reps are a key to getting this right?
September 16, 2014
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Justin. It takes a lot of reps to get over the upper body drive "hump". Use the RST Tempo Drill in the Weight Shift Section and the "Stomp Drill" in the How the Lower Body Works Video Downswing Section to initiate the downswing with the lower body and weight transfer.
September 16, 2014
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Denys
It seems on my videos that I can achieve a fairly good delivry position, with glutes engaged and hips square, but after that, I rotate my shoulders too much (or too early) and my shoulders are open at impact, producing a lot of pull draws. Any suggestions or drills to help me maintain them square at impact?
September 16, 2014
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Denys. Use the Increase Your Swing Speed by Deceleration in the Advanced Downswing Section to practice the hips open, but shoulders square at impact. Also, the 5 Minutes to a Perfect Release in the Downswing Section to release the club instead of push with the trail shoulder and open too soon.
September 16, 2014
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Jed
The ability to pull through, rotate and engage the left hip/glute is made possible by straightning the left leg almost like a snap function......i.e. like we make a jump shot in basketball..... right? Jed DuBreuil P.S. a very good video of THE most important aspect of the swing.....and I quote your boss. Thanks so much for this.....please try to find a couple of senior players (and I am serious about this) to illustrate this with their form. Remember most of your paying membership is over 50......need to keep the instruction real - this is not as easy as it looks or sounds.
September 16, 2014
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello John. Thanks for the input of what you would like to see. Yes, using the leverage from the ground is a natural motion to transport the energy as in a jump shot.
September 16, 2014
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Alan
OK, clarify something for me. In the jumpshot (I was a shooting guard in another lifetime), the energy is going up(we called it up force). In the golf swing, the energy is going...where? Not up, but down through impact. I can visualize squatting left to route the arms/club to the inside, but not down. Squatting down lowers head, shoulders and everything else. Squatting left would only seem to lower the hands/arms/club. I'm only trying to understand the principle. Thanks!
September 17, 2014
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Chris (Certified RST Instructor)
Hey Alan - Great question, the squat and shift to the left side allows a few different things to happen. Yes, it does lower the head a bit, in some players more than others. This is allowing you to get the weight fully seated left while keeping the hips back. Once the weight is shifted to the lead side, the pushing of the lead heel into the ground and pulling the lead hip away from the target with the lead obliques is causing the lead leg to move to a straight position. This acts as a major source of leverage as you are pulling power out of the ground and moving the power up the chain and then turning it into speed through the release. You are lowering in transition to be able to pull more and more power out of the ground. Hope that helps.
September 17, 2014
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Alan
It does! Thanks.
September 17, 2014
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Chris (Certified RST Instructor)
My pleasure.
September 17, 2014
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ilan
Clay said in other videos that most of the speed comes from the hands and arms.in the explanations here it is not mentioned , it seems that they (hand and arms) are passive through out the swing. Can you explain why ?
September 16, 2014
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Ilan. Both players release the heck out of the club. That is how we expend all that good energy into the ball. Use the Acceleration Profile Sequence Video in the Advanced Downswing Section and the Martin Kaymer Releasing For Distance Video in the Videos for You - Latest Video Tab for more information.
September 16, 2014
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pat
Cool to see the similarities between 2 great young players, I feel like the sitting in the left side and the hip action is starting to fall into place( after 2 years of practice) but I seem to lose width in the downswing proces, is that a common thing or should I do drills to avoid getting narrow with the arms in the downswing?
September 16, 2014
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Pat. You want to increase the angle between the arms and wrist on the way down. Creating more lag is a good thing to a certain extent. You shouldn't have an issue with a wide-narrow-wide swing shape.
September 16, 2014
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Alan
I feel a little better about the squat move after watching these two. They do squat the lower body into impact, but their heads don't move down much. Billy's remains virtually level. Ricky's head is maybe 3/4's of an inch lower at impact than when he transitions. Their "squats" don't seem to have a huge Tiger like drop, which I find very uncomfortable and hard to repeat. I am working on the left leg and glute squat and I'm starting to see really good contact and higher, longer ball flight. Great video and good call on Billy and his current success.
September 16, 2014
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Thanks Alan for the post. Yes, you don't require a massive drop to get the glutes loaded and use proper leverage from the ground.
September 16, 2014
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Glenn
The lag doctor is no longer with rotary swing
September 16, 2014
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Glenn. Yes, Clay is no longer with Rotary Swing.
September 16, 2014
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fionn
Where is the lag doctor?
September 16, 2014
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Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Fionn. Clay has left the golf business and no longer affiliated with Rotary Swing. All of us here are wishing him the best with his new endeavors.
September 16, 2014
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Vince
Very sad to see Clay leave - with all due respect to the rest of you guys, I got much more out of his videos and commentary. Please find a way to leave his videos up on the site !!!! Sure he'll do well wherever he winds up.
September 17, 2014
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Chris (Certified RST Instructor)
Hey Vince -- We were sad to see him go as well and as Craig said, we wish him all of the best. I am certainly all ears for any suggestions in which we can make our commentary more enjoyable for you while you are a member here at RotarySwing.com. We work very hard to make sure we put the best product out possible for our entire user base and make the experience as high quality as possible. Let me know and we will work on it for sure. Just do not request a southern accent
September 17, 2014

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