When most of us amateur duffers begin our downswings, there’s a lot of wasted motion. Watch a pro tournament on TV and one thing you’ll probably be impressed by is how smooth the full swings are. That smoothness comes about, in part, by not adding movements that are not necessary in the swing.

One of the toughest parts of the full golf swing is making the transition from backswing to downswing. Most of us tend to move the hips and shoulders together as we swing down into impact. And that’s precisely where we go wrong!

You’ve probably heard the phrase ‘finding the slot’ or ‘getting into the slot.’ This refers to keeping the downswing on plane so you can bring the clubhead into the back of the ball along the correct path to produce straight, long shots. Most amateurs mess this up by lunging at the ball with the upper body early in the downswing. This creates an out-to-in swing path, producing weak shots in the classic slice ball flight pattern. Better golfers who end up out-to-in often have the opposite problem - pulling shots as they square the clubface at impact instead of leaving it open.

The key to finding the slot and delivering the club on the proper path into the ball is to let the hips start to open as the swing begins moving down, while resisting the urge to move the shoulders and arms along with the hips. Instead, practice dropping the trailing elbow (right for right-handers) down toward the trailing hip as you begin the downswing. Let the hips move a bit laterally toward the target, then start to open. Momentum will then pull the shoulders and arms forward in what feels almost effortless to you (when done properly).

This move is unnatural, especially if you’ve been playing the game for years without it. Practice at the range and at home as often as you can. Don’t worry if your shots are flying all over the place - or even if you’re sticking the club into the ground behind the ball at first. It may happen until you get the new coordination of movements down pat. By holding back your shoulders and arms a bit at the start of the swing, you’ll be putting the clubhead path coming down into that fabled ’slot,’ which will result in your shots flying straighter and going farther. It’s worth the frustration of practicing while you ingrain the new swing.