Instruction
Should you strive for a flatter transition in your golf swing?
A lot has been said recently regarding flattening the transition in the downswing. As a teacher for many years, I totally agree that this is clearly what highly skilled players do. Sasho Mackenzie, the great biomechanist from Canada, explains that when the center of mass of the golf club gets UNDER the hand path coming down, we get a much easier squaring of the club face.
There is, however, a difference in the players we see making this move and average amateur golfers. Nothing in the golf swing happens in a vacuum, so to speak. That is, every move has to complement the other moves and balance the equation. So when we see Sergio “laying the club down” (flatten) in transition, it complements or is in sync with the “delivery” he has into impact.
Sergio has Hogan-esque “lag” in his downswing. That is, his wrists stay cocked very late as he approaches impact. with a great deal of forward shaft lean. While this may be characteristic of all great ball strikers, his “flat” action is more pronounced than most. He lays the club down, downcocks his wrists and voila, strikes it solid.
The point here is when the shaft is laid off and flattened in transition, it cannot then be released early. Those who cast, or release early from a laid off transition are staring shanks right in the face, and feeling heel hits with the driver. The reason is the club is being cast out, not down when it is coming in on a more horizontal plane. When a professional flattens it, they then tighten the delivery with hands in and a narrowed arc into impact. This is a huge distinction, and one I feel is little understood. If you are working on laying it down, but are used to an early release, you may accomplish the former, but are asking for trouble on the latter. It has to be released later and tighter after the transition to work.
Another common error I see quite often is the hand path issue. Here I’m referring to to how far from the body the hands move on the down swing. If you are a player who transition steep (too vertical), your miss is very likely the toe of the club. As a result you develop a habit of sending your hands out and away from your center (the distal and proximal, in biomechanist terminology) to compensate for the toe hit and in an attempt to find the center of the face. That swing habit is common and will, at times, compensate for the steep transition. So you can see why the club will be more likely to hit the heel if it is delivered on a more horizontal plane.
The point here is this: it’s the same theme that I have seen and written about for many years: Golf swing corrections, if that be your goal, are rarely singular; the come in pairs. And the reason it can be frustrating is because we have develop two new feelings, not one. Many golfers abandon the effort because the accomplish one without the other.
If, for example, you decide your transition is far too steep, and you flatten it but then cast the club (remember now OUT not DOWN) and hit the heel of the club or shank a wedge, you may say: “Hey, that’s just not for me; or that was WORSE, not better”. And you’d be right, the RESULT is likely to be worse- but maybe not the effort. If you are committed to a swing change, it rarely comes with a singular correction.
Be sure you know what you’re in for when working on laying the club down ala Sergio, or Furyk, or Ryan Moore, when you are told you’re too steep starting down. My advice would be to try and work on one thing at at time. For this particular correction, I have my students ht balls on a sidehill, above the feet lie. This can orient you to a more horizontal swing feeling and then an only then can start to work on keeping the hands, arms and body connected (the “inside moving the outside”) for the completion of the swing change.
One final note on this: I want to repeat that any change is optional based on your current ball striking, not what your video looks like. Phil Mickelson is one of the best players EVER, and his swing starts down as steeply as any club golfer, and he swings his hand path out away from him as a result every time. Let me me ask this question: who among us would change the swing of a 44-time champion and five-major winner on the PGA Tour? Whatever works…
There may be no more painful affliction in golf than the “yips” – those uncontrollable and maddening little nervous twitches that prevent you from making a decent stroke on short putts. If you’ve never had them, consider yourself very fortunate (or possibly just very young). But I can assure you that when your most treacherous and feared golf shot is not the 195 yard approach over water with a quartering headwind…not the extra tight fairway with water left and sand right…not the soft bunker shot to a downhill pin with water on the other side…No, when your most feared shot is the remaining 2- 4-foot putt after hitting a great approach, recovery or lag putt, it makes the game almost painful.
And I’ve been fighting the yips (again) for a while now. It’s a recurring nightmare that has haunted me most of my adult life. I even had the yips when I was in my 20s, but I’ve beat them into submission off and on most of my adult life. But just recently, that nasty virus came to life once again. My lag putting has been very good, but when I get over one of those “you should make this” length putts, the entire nervous system seems to go haywire. I make great practice strokes, and then the most pitiful short-stroke or jab at the ball you can imagine. Sheesh.
But I’m a traditionalist, and do not look toward the long putter, belly putter, cross-hand, claw or other variation as the solution. My approach is to beat those damn yips into submission some other way. Here’s what I’m doing that is working pretty well, and I offer it to all of you who might have a similar affliction on the greens.
When you are over a short putt, forget the practice strokes…you want your natural eye-hand coordination to be unhindered by mechanics. Address your putt and take a good look at the hole, and back to the putter to ensure good alignment. Lighten your right hand grip on the putter and make sure that only the fingertips are in contact with the grip, to prevent you from getting to tight.
Then, take a long, long look at the hole to fill your entire mind and senses with the target. When you bring your head/eyes back to the ball, try to make a smooth, immediate move right into your backstroke — not even a second pause — and then let your hands and putter track right back together right back to where you were looking — the HOLE! Seeing the putter make contact with the ball, preferably even the forward edge of the ball – the side near the hole.
For me, this is working, but I am asking all of you to chime in with your own “home remedies” for the most aggravating and senseless of all golf maladies. It never hurts to have more to fall back on!
Over the last couple of decades, golf has become much more science-based. We measure swing speed, smash factor, angle of attack, strokes gained, and many other metrics that can really help golfers improve. But I often wonder if the advancement of golf’s “hard” sciences comes at the expense of the “soft” sciences.
Take, for example, golf instruction. Good golf instruction requires understanding swing mechanics and ball flight. But let’s take that as a given for PGA instructors. The other factors that make an instructor effective can be evaluated by social science, rather than launch monitors.
If you are a recreational golfer looking for a golf instructor, here are my top three points to consider.
1. Cultural mindset
What is “cultural mindset? To social scientists, it means whether a culture of genius or a culture of learning exists. In a golf instruction context, that may mean whether the teacher communicates a message that golf ability is something innate (you either have it or you don’t), or whether golf ability is something that can be learned. You want the latter!
It may sound obvious to suggest that you find a golf instructor who thinks you can improve, but my research suggests that it isn’t a given. In a large sample study of golf instructors, I found that when it came to recreational golfers, there was a wide range of belief systems. Some instructors strongly believed recreational golfers could improve through lessons. while others strongly believed they could not. And those beliefs manifested in the instructor’s feedback given to a student and the culture created for players.
2. Coping and self-modeling can beat role-modeling
Swing analysis technology is often preloaded with swings of PGA and LPGA Tour players. The swings of elite players are intended to be used for comparative purposes with golfers taking lessons. What social science tells us is that for novice and non-expert golfers, comparing swings to tour professionals can have the opposite effect of that intended. If you fit into the novice or non-expert category of golfer, you will learn more and be more motivated to change if you see yourself making a ‘better’ swing (self-modeling) or seeing your swing compared to a similar other (a coping model). Stay away from instructors who want to compare your swing with that of a tour player.
3. Learning theory basics
It is not a sexy selling point, but learning is a process, and that process is incremental – particularly for recreational adult players. Social science helps us understand this element of golf instruction. A good instructor will take learning slowly. He or she will give you just about enough information that challenges you, but is still manageable. The artful instructor will take time to decide what that one or two learning points are before jumping in to make full-scale swing changes. If the instructor moves too fast, you will probably leave the lesson with an arm’s length of swing thoughts and not really know which to focus on.
As an instructor, I develop a priority list of changes I want to make in a player’s technique. We then patiently and gradually work through that list. Beware of instructors who give you more than you can chew.
So if you are in the market for golf instruction, I encourage you to look beyond the X’s and O’s to find the right match!
Most pros take months, even years, to win their first tournament. Lottie Woad needed exactly four days.
The 21-year-old from Surrey shot 21-under 267 at Dundonald Links to win the ISPS Handa Women’s Scottish Open by three shots — in her very first event as a professional. She’s only the third player in LPGA history to accomplish this feat, joining Rose Zhang (2023) and Beverly Hanson (1951).
But here’s what caught my attention as a coach: Woad didn’t win through miraculous putting or bombing 300-yard drives. She won through relentless precision and unshakeable composure. After watching her performance unfold, I’m convinced every golfer — from weekend warriors to scratch players — can steal pages from her playbook.
Precision Beats Power (And It’s Not Even Close)
Forget the driving contests. Woad proved that finding greens matters more than finding distance.
What Woad did:
• Hit it straight, hit it solid, give yourself chances
• Aimed for the fat parts of greens instead of chasing pins
• Let her putting do the talking after hitting safe targets
• As she said, “Everyone was chasing me today, and managed to maintain the lead and played really nicely down the stretch and hit a lot of good shots”
Why most golfers mess this up:
• They see a pin tucked behind a bunker and grab one more club to “go right at it”
• Distance becomes more important than accuracy
• They try to be heroic instead of smart
ACTION ITEM: For your next 10 rounds, aim for the center of every green regardless of pin position. Track your greens in regulation and watch your scores drop before your swing changes.
The Putter That Stayed Cool Under Fire
Woad started the final round two shots clear and immediately applied pressure with birdies at the 2nd and 3rd holes. When South Korea’s Hyo Joo Kim mounted a charge and reached 20-under with a birdie at the 14th, Woad didn’t panic.
How she responded to pressure:
• Fired back with consecutive birdies at the 13th and 14th
• Watched Kim stumble with back-to-back bogeys
• Capped it with her fifth birdie of the day at the par-5 18th
• Stayed patient when others pressed, pressed when others cracked
What amateurs do wrong:
• Get conservative when they should be aggressive
• Try to force magic when steady play would win
• Panic when someone else makes a move
ACTION ITEM: Practice your 3-6 foot putts for 15 minutes after every range session. Woad’s putting wasn’t spectacular—it was reliable. Make the putts you should make.
Course Management 101: Play Your Game, Not the Course’s Game
Woad admitted she couldn’t see many scoreboards during the final round, but it didn’t matter. She stuck to her game plan regardless of what others were doing.
Her mental approach:
• Focused on her process, not the competition
• Drew on past pressure situations (Augusta National Women’s Amateur win)
• As she said, “That was the biggest tournament I played in at the time and was kind of my big win. So definitely felt the pressure of it more there, and I felt like all those experiences helped me with this”
Her physical execution:
• 270-yard drives (nothing flashy)
• Methodical iron play
• Steady putting
• Everything effective, nothing spectacular
ACTION ITEM: Create a yardage book for your home course. Know your distances to every pin, every hazard, every landing area. Stick to your plan no matter what your playing partners are doing.
Mental Toughness Isn’t Born, It’s Built
The most impressive part of Woad’s win? She genuinely didn’t expect it: “I definitely wasn’t expecting to win my first event as a pro, but I knew I was playing well, and I was hoping to contend.”
Her winning mindset:
• Didn’t put winning pressure on herself
• Focused on playing well and contending
• Made winning a byproduct of a good process
• Built confidence through recent experiences:
- Won the Women’s Irish Open as an amateur
- Missed a playoff by one shot at the Evian Championship
- Each experience prepared her for the next
What this means for you:
• Stop trying to shoot career rounds every time you tee up
• Focus on executing your pre-shot routine
• Commit to every shot
• Stay present in the moment
ACTION ITEM: Before each round, set process goals instead of score goals. Example: “I will take three practice swings before every shot” or “I will pick a specific target for every shot.” Let your score be the result, not the focus.
The Real Lesson
Woad collected $300,000 for her first professional victory, but the real prize was proving that fundamentals still work at golf’s highest level. She didn’t reinvent the game — she simply executed the basics better than everyone else that week.
The fundamentals that won:
• Hit more fairways
• Find more greens
• Make the putts you should make
• Stay patient under pressure
That’s something every golfer can do, regardless of handicap. Lottie Woad just showed us it’s still the winning formula.
FINAL ACTION ITEM: Pick one of the four action items above and commit to it for the next month. Master one fundamental before moving to the next. That’s how champions are built.
PGA Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer. You can check out his writing work and learn more about him by visiting BEAGOLFER.golf and OneMoreRollGolf.com. Also, check out “The Starter” on RG.org each Monday.
Editor’s note: Brendon shares his nearly 30 years of experience in the game with GolfWRX readers through his ongoing tip series. He looks forward to providing valuable insights and advice to help golfers improve their game. Stay tuned for more Tips!
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Dennis clark
Feb 20, 2019 at 8:19 pm
JD it is a vicious cycle and that’s why I caution all my students and readers with IF this THEN that. Grip, aim, posture all preferences. Backswing preference. But what is NOT one day this, one day that is matching your downswing to any or all of the above.
DS
Feb 20, 2019 at 12:48 pm
Flat takeaway, not downswing. My personal curse. Add to it a pretty flexible back, and I turn too much, stand up, and my right shoulder (I’m a righty) actually moves back towards the target at the top. I get across the line every time and ‘compensate’ by coming over the top on the downswing. Net – I felt like 1 Year I didn’t hit a fairway. Actually, I hit many – just none my own. Big pulls and huge fades. Unsure of any early/late release but I hit it pretty far. Just not straight.
I’m working on both a better takeaway and a downswing that is ‘under’ the plane. Such a hard thing to master but making progress, little by little. This is a long way to say “I love the idea of a flatter downswing”, and appreciate the cautionary note about “comes in pairs”, Dennis.
Steve
Feb 20, 2019 at 12:34 pm
Interesting article, thanks, Dennis. I think the challenge for us mere mortals, is “how” to shallow the club’s angle of attack into impact. I struggle with this owing to a backswing that does not conventionally “set” the club at the top, so I tend to come down steeply. Spent last year, somewhat in vain, trying to shallow my attack and compress the ball better. “Modern” teachers such as G Gankas and Brad Hughes (among others) preach about getting hands and arms out in front, but differ on how to get there. Keeping back to target and leading with lower body are newer teachings that are hard to incorporate, especially for my generation that grew up with watching Nicklaus and learning swing concepts from 30+ years ago. Again, thanks.
Dennis Clark
Feb 20, 2019 at 8:29 am
The main reason I wrote this is that MANY players who flatten the transition start SHANKING. For all the reasons listed in the article. Be careful.
Benny
Feb 21, 2019 at 7:17 am
You guys want a fix to all of this.. go watch “square to square” on you tube. Thats Stricker, Zach Johnson a bit and even Speith a little. No wrist, just cock, lock amd swing. Take the guessing out of it.
Time and time again people put WAY to much into the issue instead of just playing. Pros, sure this is their life, but hand – eye contact is what humans are good at. Just stay still, stable and swing but make sure you watch the ball off the face..
Russell Ziskey
Feb 19, 2019 at 2:49 pm
Ha! I have historically had a steeper path into the ball, and played around with laying the club down (with Sergio as the mental model). Great results at first, but then I turned into my alter ego – El Hosel…interestingly have also noticed that sidehill lies (ball above feet) don’t force as much of a pulled left shot for me in stock shots…compensation comes in pairs is the key phrase that is sticking with me…great article
geohogan
Feb 19, 2019 at 2:10 pm
Ben Hogan dropped into the Slot
Jack Nicklaus kept the club equally between the arms in DS, as he used a gravity drop
Both players knew how to use the leverage of both arms equally, letting their torso rotation square the clubface, with release after impact, Level Left.
Dennis clark
Feb 19, 2019 at 2:40 pm
Hogan late Jack earlier Watson earliest. Lag watson swing and stick it in the ground. Release Hogan’s move and drop kick hook it. The release point is a function of the shaft plane and hand height into impact.
geohogan
Feb 19, 2019 at 9:13 pm
Hogan and Nicklaus, among others (two, Moe Norman and Knudson), showed us that if we drop into the Slot ie (3 levers in a common plane) then torso will square clubface at impact without release of the hands until after impact if at all.
Of course using torso rotation to square clubface is one way to swing. Right arm straightening and hitting with the hands are the other ways, where shaft plane and hand height may well be key. After all the latter two methods are so very timing dependent.
geohogan
Feb 19, 2019 at 9:27 pm
So no surprise in order to rid himself of going left, Hogan learned to drop into the Slot, and let torso rotation square the clubface. No reliance on squaring the clubface within thousandths of a second, with the hands.
Dennis Clark
Feb 20, 2019 at 8:26 am
Agreed. His whole thing was “how not to hook the ball”, which in the 30s, into early 40s he did plenty of. He became Ben Hogan the legend when he stopped hooking. But some of the things he advocates can cause amateurs to slice. Nothing is for everybody! Tnx
geohogan
Feb 20, 2019 at 11:06 am
Hogans go to shot was still a draw, but he could fade at will.
Many things that Hogan stated and wrote have been misconstrued. Any and all details need to be vetted. Opinions dont matter.
The subconscious does not, not do anything. ie there is no negative intention.
Dont drink and drive…translates in SC, “drink and drive’
Dont hit it left into the hazard…translates to ‘hit it left into the hazard’
MG
Feb 19, 2019 at 11:37 am
I am self taught and for the last 5 years (until this last year) always shot between 71 and 79 at my home course. I have always been steep in the downswing. To combat this, I would naturally early extend starting on the backswing and then early extend even more on the downswing. The contrast between my head always raising and a tour player like Tiger’s head always lowering in crazy. “Knowing” I should be flattening my downswing, I was able to get rid of my early extension on the backswing and reduce my early extension on the downswing (to me it feels like is gone but when I watch video I still do it). I was hoping that getting rid of early extension would then eliminate my steep transition. Unfortunately the opposite is true. I believe I have been early extending because I have a steep transition. The final result is a nicer looking take away but now with less early extension and still having a steep transition, I hit a ton of shanks. It has ben really hard to play the game for the last year. And I don’t know how I can go back to my old swing. It just doesn’t feel right to do so much early extension now.
Dennis clack
Feb 19, 2019 at 2:35 pm
Send me a video I’ll ftske a look. V1 app if you have it
geohogan
Feb 20, 2019 at 3:12 pm
Everyone’s Slot will be unique to their body size, shape, length of arms etc.
ie neither steep or flat.. just right for you.
JD
Feb 19, 2019 at 10:02 am
one day do this, next day do that. Back and forth we go. It’s a viscous cycle.
juststeve
Feb 19, 2019 at 9:42 am
Whatever works. What a great concept!