“My first move is down, everything is down to the ball.”
- Moe Norman

This continuation of back-swing to downswing called the transition occurs when the golfer changes direction of the golf club from away from the target to toward the target.  The direction change is an important part of the sequence an underscores how equally significant the backswing and the downswing are to the full swing.

Often what occurs in the moment of transition becomes the subject of such conscious scrutiny that flow is destroyed and swing chaos surely follows.  The question of “what starts the downswing?” is often asked.

To further understand transition, it is important to understand that the purpose of the arm movement in the golf swing is to produce speed.  Speed is a result of correct arm and hand movement where the body, during this movement, stabilizes and anticipates this movement.  

To understand transition as it relates to arm movement, consider throwing a ball 5 feet. When you do, you make a simple arm movement.  Now throw the ball as far as you can and you recognize that your body moves into a different position when you add speed to the arm.  The longer throw requires a more stable body position.  This is the same thing occurring in the golf swing.

The requirement for speed and the movement between backward motion and forward motion is the transition making the transition directly related to arm motion.

Moe described the transition in his golf swing; “As I swing back I am coming down”

His description explains how the golf swing movement is dynamic.  The club does not just stop at the top of the back-swing.  The movement of the back-swing is anticipatory where the backward movement of the hands and arms means a forward motion is soon to follow.

To transition the club correctly, body position, club position, lower body stabilization and arm movement are all included.

The downswing is the motion, from the leveraged position at the top of the backswing toward the ball, moving the shaft of the club on the plane established at the beginning.

Toward the bottom half of the downswing the leverage angle set in the wrists begins to release, creating speed for the strike.

The trail arm begins to unfold.  The wrists begin to release the leverage when the club returns to a parallel to the ground position.  The lead arm, through the unhinging of the wrist into a straight line with the arm, rotates back toward its “square” start position.  The head remains still.  Both feet stay flat on the ground.  Weight is shifting toward the lead foot and the lead knee is slightly flexed.

At this moment the body is stabilizing for the movement of the club through the ball and toward the target.