You're Correct!

If there is one area of your golf swing that is absolutely crucial, it is how the club head swings through impact on your down swing. At the end of the day, the ball just reacts to how the club is moving as it contacts it. The ball does not react to your back swing, it does not react to your set up position.

These areas of your swing do not directly influence the ball flight. As long as you know where the club is positioned at the top of your golf swing, you can improve the position on your down swing and achieve a sweet strike even if you are out of position as you swing back. The key is to swing well through impact.

The first key point that you want to check on your down swing is half way down towards the golf ball. When you reach this point swinging towards the golf ball, you need to have rotated your lower body towards the target and shifted your weight on to your front foot. Your wrists should be cocked creating an L shape between your extended left arm and the club shaft and the shaft should be pointing down towards the target line. Ensure that you maintain your posture and the forward tilt of your spine angle.

From this position, you need to continue to turn towards the target with your lower body and then achieve a position at around hip high where the shaft of the club is just above horizontal but parallel to the target line. Your hips should be rotated towards the target at this point and you need to work on maintaining your spine angle as you rotate.

This is the position that you should now release the club head into the golf ball from. Impact requires you to deliver the club head so that the centre of the face strikes the golf ball. Your left arm should be extended and the lever of your right arm should also be moving into extension. You should achieve a position where your left shoulder, left hip and left knee are vertically up over your left foot and your hips are rotated towards the target, with the majority of your weight on your front foot. Your hands want to be opposite your left thigh so that the shaft of the golf club has a slight forward lean in it and this will deliver a sweet strike with the club head hitting the ball from its centre.

If you swing down towards the golf ball and your left arm bends through impact, you will strike the top of the golf ball and will not hit a sweet golf shot. Bending your left arm reduces the distance from the club head to your left shoulder and effectively you will pull the club head up from the ground and hit the top of the ball.

If you raise your head, your spine angle moves more towards vertical as you swing down towards the golf ball, and you will increase the distance between your left shoulder and the ground. The club head will then swing in above the ground as the length of your left arm and the shaft do not increase and you will top the golf ball.

If you swing the golf club down to hip high and the shaft of the club is pointing to the right of the target, then the club head is too much on the inside and too flat. Releasing the club head from this position will result in it striking the ground before it strikes the golf ball and you will hit a fat golf shot.