Golf Downswing Drills

The golf downswing is the most important part of the golf swing. It’s the sequence of delivering the clubhead into the ball.

If you perform a fundamentally solid downswing, you should see your golf shot be struck with accuracy, starting the ball on a straight path where you are aimed.

Working on the downswing will help you develop swing speed. This is how you’ll hit the golf ball farther. Let’s jump into some of the best golf downswing drills to practice on the range or at home.

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#1: Weight Transfer Drill

Many golfers fail to transfer body weight from right to left during their downswing transition. It happens because of the reverse pivot, where most of the body weight shifts to the left before the downswing begins and causes improper impact with the ball.

How to Do the Weight Transfer Drill:

Place the golf ball on the ground and take your stance.
Keep your left foot right next to the right foot.
Place the clubhead behind the golf ball as you usually do.
In this way, the golf ball will be quite far from the left side of your body.
Swing back and once you reach the top, pause and return the left foot to the normal position.
As you swing down, you’ll be forced to shift the body weight from right to left (for a right-hand player).

#2: Downswing Transition Drill

The drill helps you to make a solid impact with the golf ball during the downswing.

How to Do Downswing Transition Drill:

Start by placing a tee peg in the hole at the end of the grip. You can choose any length, but the longer, the better.
Now, place a golf ball on the tee and draw a straight line right behind it.
Take your club and swing back. Once you reach the top, pause and look at the tee peg.
Now, perform your downswing and aim the tee peg at the drawn straight line.
Try the drill slowly and gradually increase the speed after becoming comfortable with it in slow motion.

#3: The Right Heel Lift Drill

It is one of the great golf downswing drills that train you to use your hips, arms, and shoulders correctly during the downswing transition.

How to Do the Right Heel Lift Drill:

Grab a driver and take your stance.
Swing back, and once you reach the top, pause and lift the right heel a little higher than usual.
Lift it until it is pushed off from the surface and then swing down.
It’ll help you train the movement of hips during the downswing, allowing you to transfer your weight from right to left more smoothly.

Read: Stop Shanking Your Golf Shots

#4: The Baseball Drill

The baseball drill is for golfers who constantly struggle with their swings. It also helps you to train the downswing transition.

How to Do the Baseball Drill:

Choose a golf club you’re struggling with, like irons or wedges.
Now, take your regular stance.
On your way to the backswing, lift the left leg, similar to the baseball pitcher getting ready for a pitch.
Once you reach the top, rest your foot back on the ground.
Now, start your downswing.
Perform the drill slowly and increase the speed once you get comfortable with it.

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#5: Stand On A Club Drill

Many amateur golfers keep most of their body weight on the back and don’t shift it to the left. It becomes impossible for them to hit down on the ball, which leads to a bad shot. This drill helps you keep your weight moving forward in the downswing for a better swing.

How to Do the Stand On a Club Drill:

Put a golf club on the ground right outside the back foot.
With the outside of the back foot, step on the club’s shaft. By now, you’re standing partly on the club.
Now, hit a couple of swings standing right on the side of the golf club.
It allows you to move your weight forward in the downswing. When you perform this drill, you’ll find that it becomes easier to get your body weight onto the front side.

Read: Best Golf Swing Takeaway Drills to Practice

#6: Anti Over The Top Drill

Over the top is one of the worst downswing mistakes many golfers make. The drill helps you to get rid of the over-the-top swing.

How to Do Anti Over the Top Drill:

Hold the club as usual and slide the right hand, so it grips the golf club on the shaft.
Perform a couple of swings and notice the position of your right elbow on the top of the swing.
If your right elbow moves away from the body and pushes the club and hands away in front of you, it means you’re suffering from an over-the-top swing.
Now, swing back again and once you reach the top, drop the right elbow straight down to the right of the hips.
The movement helps to draw in the club and hands. Also, it shields you from the out to in swing path.

#7: The Bump Drill

The bump drill helps you move your weight forward in the transition and rotate your hips properly.

How to Do the Bump Drill:

Take an alignment stick and put it in the ground just outside the left foot.
The stick must stand straight and not touch your left side.
Now, perform a couple of swings with a middle iron at 60-70% speed.
As you transition to the downswing, slightly raise your left hip (for a right-hand player) in the air and move forward. In the process, it will touch the stick giving you feedback that you shifted the weight to your left side.

Make sure to watch our full golf swing sequence video on our YouTube channel. It’s a step by step video.

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Thanks for reading today’s article!

Nick Foy – Golf Instructor

Golf Downswing Drills