Did you see this?

Ben Hogan believed there were two critical moments in the golf swing and the transition was referred to as the second.

He described the first movement of this transition as the turning of the left hip to the left. He said not to worry about the arms, shoulders, wrists or the club at this point.

All of your speed and power are generated from your body before the hands and arms come into play.

(see this Ben Hogan lesson in action)

With the turning of your hips to the left, you will generate enough lateral movement to shift your weight naturally to the left foot. Some golfers will try to hold back on their right which is not correct.

As you turn the hips, your club should follow simultaneously and create a swing from the inside out.

If, on the other hand, you try to move the club with your shoulders and hands, this will force the opposite and an outside-in swing.

The hips lead the movement to the left side and the shoulders are the last to unwind. 

“It is my opinion that it is important to master the idea of starting the downswing with the turning of the hips because it is the difference between seventy and ninety-plus golf.”

Whether you call it the transition or crosswords won’t make too much of a difference. But how you execute it WILL. 

And what about Seve Ballesteros?