Starting the down swing, which leg do you "drive" off of?

[BigBad]

Golfers....LOL....Only this sport has guys trying to concentrate on every part of the body. Imagine golfers trying to help each other dunk a basketball. There would be a MILLION topics on jump thoughts. Do you squat more? Do you push into the court or jump off it? Did you try to flex your big toe?!!!

[MonteScheinblum]

Too much hip slide. Left knee fitting too early.

 

Have a look.

 

 

[PixlPutterman]

Too much hip slide. Left knee fitting too early.

 

Have a look.

 

 

 

What you mean fitting to early

[MonteScheinblum]

Too much hip slide. Left knee fitting too early.

 

Have a look.

 

 

 

What you mean fitting to early

 

Sorry, typo. Firing.

[PixlPutterman]

Ah, rear knee is firing to early.

 

What are your thoughts on rotating the front knee towards the target

[copperjeff]

Ah, rear knee is firing to early.

 

What are your thoughts on rotating the front knee towards the target

 

Not to answer for Monte, my own 2 cents here...

 

Rotating the left knee to start the downswing is more of a compensating move for the poor hip movement in the back and downswing. While your lead knee does collapse a lot, and rotating it back can help, you aren't attacking root issues in the swing.

[PixlPutterman]

I have much to learn ??

[dap]

Very often I think lots of golfers focus too much on technique/mechanics than what is really needed for the golf swing. I know you've probably read or heard this before, but try to make your movements as natural as possible. When you throw a baseball, or swing a bat, or serve a ball in tennis are you actively thinking about which body part does what.

 

Swinging a baseball bat to hit a ball off a tee for example, when you are about to start the baseball swing does mind first think, "ok lead foot steps slightly forward, then I rotate my hips, then my rear leg drives into the ground etc etc". No batter thinks like that because the movement is natural. A baseball swing hitting a ball off a tee which is roughly waist height is not much different than hitting a golf ball off a tee. The plane of the swing is just different.

 

Hammering a nail, using an axe to chop a tree, these movements naturally happen because your brain knows what the objective is. Now I understand the golf swing is not particularity a natural movement, but once you get the basic fundamentals down your brain knows what the objective is. Certainly things like hand eye coordination help with the task as well, but I feel lots of golfers try to over complicate the swing.

Telling hackers to just swing like they are throwing a frisbee, skip a stone, swing a baseball bat, etc,etc will not fix their hacker swing faults. If it were that easy all instructors will be out of business. Also if you want to become a high level player in sports such as tennis, squash, baseball, you also need to learn the correct technique. It doesn't just come naturally to beginners unless you are just messing around playing an average game and pretty much rely mostly on hand eye coordination but poor technique will only get you so far.

[HairyPutter]

Too much hip slide. Left knee fitting too early.

 

Have a look.

 

 

https://www.instagra...d=1n39ww804z95u

 

Monte, in this "down vector of pressure into the front foot" from your Instagram link (excellent post, BTW), I imagine the weight transfer being similar to if I was swinging an ax to chop at the base of a tree. As you're bringing the ax head down, you are shifting your weight to the front foot to deliver as much force at impact as possible. I am only referring to the weight shift to start the downswing. I understand that once the weight is transferred to the left foot, you need to straighten that left leg at impact to continue the follow through of the club whereas an ax head would be expected to immediately stop in the stump of the tree. I also understand that with an ax head, you would probably start by pulling the handle down a lot to get the ax moving whereas you wouldn't do that with a golf club. Is that a reasonable metaphor? (I find I learn challenging topics best if I can find a similar concept to relate it to)

[johnrobison]

Golfers....LOL....Only this sport has guys trying to concentrate on every part of the body. Imagine golfers trying to help each other dunk a basketball. There would be a MILLION topics on jump thoughts. Do you squat more? Do you push into the court or jump off it? Did you try to flex your big toe?!!!

Why are you spending your time in a discussion forum devoted entirely to golf instruction?

[dasams]

Monte - Nice Instagram on the transition move.

[PixlPutterman]

I am starting to understand the shift onto the front leg, and straightening it to provide a "post" to turn on, but how does one get the rear hip to rotate through vs just "standing up" on the front leg?

[glk]

I am starting to understand the shift onto the front leg, and straightening it to provide a "post" to turn on, but how does one get the rear hip to rotate through vs just "standing up" on the front leg?

You are pushing with the feet while apply the vertical force. FYI both swing catalyst and boditrak have excellent blogs/articles on their websites talking about GRF.

 

This is a blow up from one of the swing catalyst sites articles that I posted back on the first page. Shows direction of horizontal forces applied to generate torque.

Basically twistings one's feet in opposing directions.

 

 

Live action examples with little to almost no friction showing the foot movement.

 

Hockey golf on ice, gotta love it. https://twitter.com/...733261691867137

 

Golf on ice - stupid golf but entertaining.

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[PixlPutterman]

Its odd how well that ice video helps illustrate the point.

 

Thanks

[FullOfBrushMan]

[PixlPutterman]

 

can you comment on the two pics so I can follow along :)

[PixlPutterman]

Re reading this and trying a few things tonight,

 

this was my swing about a week ago, feels better.

 

I feel like I have too much wrist hinge at the top and it causes me to flip through impact?

 

[Zitlow]

Instead of pushing off the right foot, a better idea would be to lift the right heel as you shift which frees up the right side so the entire right side can rotate into the ball starting from the ground up.

[PixlPutterman]

are you explaining that as a left-handed or right-handed golfer so I know which foot you're referencing front foot or back foot?

 

 

> @Zitlow said:

> Instead of pushing off the right foot, a better idea would be to lift the right heel as you shift which frees up the right side so the entire right side can rotate into the ball starting from the ground up.

 

 

[PixlPutterman]

I think I noticed something. My rear knee really turns/bends back in the back swing. If I held it more in place would that allow for an easier transfer on the downswing?

[Zitlow]

Right handed golfer. Old school, right leg is the post and left side is the gate. Reverse happens in down swing, right heel lifts as you shift (step) on to your left foot setting up the post as your right heel lifts. The right side now becomes the gate.

 

Like walking, when you step on your right foot and leg, your left heel comes off the ground and your left foot and leg swing. When you step on your left foot your right foot and leg swing You couldn't walk if you kept both feet planted on the ground.

[Zitlow]

Watch Mickelson free up his left side from the ground up. He's almost 50 and averaging 300 yards off the tee. Not bad. His free wheeling left side is following the club head into the ball. Pow!

 

[garyt]

> @Timbo929 said:

> johnrobison wrote:

>

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> diablocrusher wrote:

>

>

>

> Swinging a baseball bat to hit a ball off a tee for example, when you are about to start the baseball swing does mind first think, "ok lead foot steps slightly forward, then I rotate my hips, then my rear leg drives into the ground etc etc". No batter thinks like that because the movement is natural. A baseball swing hitting a ball off a tee which is roughly waist height is not much different than hitting a golf ball off a tee. The plane of the swing is just different.

>

>

>

>

> Perhaps a batter playing tee-ball doesn't think about it, but a batter who wants to play at a much higher level spends a lot of time learning correct sequencing and mechanics.

>

>

>

>

>

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> Exactly.

 

Yep, you always hear "do you think when youthrow a ball?" Well, most people can't throw a ball worth a damn.

[NikeGolferTX]

I personally start with a clockwise pressure grip on my right foot to get my hips to start opening up while simultaneously externally rotating my left leg/knee and putting weight into my lead heel once I get my left a** cheek on the tush line.

[Zitlow]

The old timers used a forward press. They stepped on their forward foot and rebounded onto their rear foot which put their swings in motion.

[staylor1634]

> @Zitlow said:

> Watch Mickelson free up his left side from the ground up. He's almost 50 and averaging 300 yards off the tee. Not bad. His free wheeling left side is following the club head into the ball. Pow!

>

>

 

Get a little worried when anyone says watch Mickelson. Great player and I like him but I would never want to try and learn his moves.

[oz dee cee]

Interesting topic that has just come up in my latest lesson.

 

This is what I’m feeling....

 

On the backswing right hip works away from target line as left knee/hip works towards the target line.

In transition, the right hip stays where it is (like a pin in a hinge) and the left hip and knee move back and left as if it is swinging on the pin that is the right hip.

Then at about half way down, knees are like parallel, in a squat type looking position, the left hip continues left and back and the right hip now just moves in response to the left side clearing.

Is this feel close???? -

[Zitlow]

It should feel like a continuous synergistic motion from start to finish, not a series of mechanical positions. Tour pros have idiosyncrasies in their swings, look at the contrast among players like Dustin Johnson, Tony Finau and Rickie Fowler. They figured out at a young age what works for them and they don't make drastic changes.

 

Bottom line, if what you're doing is working don't change it.

 

[carrera]

> @"oz dee cee" said:

> Interesting topic that has just come up in my latest lesson.

>

> This is what I’m feeling....

>

> On the backswing right hip works away from target line as left knee/hip works towards the target line.

> In transition, the right hip stays where it is (like a pin in a hinge) and the left hip and knee move back and left as if it is swinging on the pin that is the right hip.

> Then at about half way down, knees are like parallel, in a squat type looking position, the left hip continues left and back and the right hip now just moves in response to the left side clearing.

> Is this feel close???? -

 

What you describe is similar to the Hogan Power Move video:

[BB28403]

Try pretending you are throwing a ball at the tee as hard as you can. If you try this, you should naturally load. Keep trying it over and over, and then put a 7 iron in your hands and throw the club head at the tee.

 

Try loading on your right leg, if you do, you have no power to throw the ball at the tee or it is a weak throw.

 

Then load on your left leg, you will make a natural “backswing” to gain ground forces to throw the ball hard at the tee.