How to learn footwork in golf?

[nikegolfer93]

What are the best resources on YouTube or online to learn about footwork?

I'm a little hesitant to just go down the YouTube rabbit hole without some form of corroboration from GolfWRX (I view the users here, not all, but many users here to be the most knowledgeable in golf). 

 

[signats]

Is that you Scottie Scheffler?

[me05501]

Your rabbit hole hesitation is reasonable. I think a lot of the ground forces videos out there over-promote the idea of adding speed to your full swing, especially your driver swing. If you're going to start from 100% effort and try to add ground forces on top of that your fundamentals better be very good to begin with. 

 

Try the feet together drill with a short iron. 

 

You want to be able to hit really solid shots that start on your target line while your feet are really close to each other. To do this without falling over requires some stability in your legs and core. Ramp up your effort as far as you can without losing your balance. The only way to do that without falling over is to engage the ground and have a really solid base. 

 

If you can take that feel into your normal stance you'll be using the ground more than before. 

 

 

[glk]

Footwork on golf compared to other activities is pretty tame - elite swings only max average around 1.6 times BW (body weight) of vertical force - getting over 2 BW is the domain of long drive - the to/away and forward/backward forces are considerably under 1 BW.     Jogging creates 3 BW vertical.     But most important is understanding how to develop both a horizontal and vertical rhythm in using the ground.    Practicing the shift/turn/shift/turn motion is an easy way to develop this motion and bring it into your swing - that said, I've seen folks really struggle on their own to do what is a simple motion - it takes Dr Kwon an hour or more with some of his reprogramming students.     Stepping drills as described by Dr Kwon is also a way to develop this rhythm.

 

 

Here is the basic pattern - shift entire body to trail side about an inch and push the ground hard which extends the right knee and raises the hip while the lead hip lowers - this unweights the lead side from p3  to just past the top and causes a shift to the lead foot by what can feel like a fall - by p5 one can rotate as hard as possible and push the ground hard with the lead foot.    

 

 

This video starts with just the arms and builds to a club.   Can also see his rope swing and one arm swings from his drills playlist.

 

 

 

 

Bryan Pate a teaching pro doing the drills

 

 

The move is subtle as can be seen in Grant Waite's swing below - the graph I posted above is his grf pattern.    Not unusual for folks who haven't done this to struggle with over and under doing the shifting etc - in particular I've seen people struggle  with the shifting right and pushing hard and just want to spin.    Takes time.

 

 

Edited June 20, 2023 by glk

[Zitlow]

You don't have to jump out of your shoes to hit the ball hard, you just have to eliminate energy robbing wasted motion by swinging in balance. 

 

I posted this yesterday, Dunaway isn't swinging on an invisible axis, he's swinging in balance. His right side is the axis and his left side is the kinetic side going back and it reverses coming down. 

 

He shifts to the right and his left side turns in the backswing and he shifts to his left and his right side turns in the downswing. 

 

 

 

Edited June 20, 2023 by Zitlow

[me05501]

1 hour ago, glk said:

Footwork on golf compared to other activities is pretty tame - elite swings only max average around 1.6 times BW (body weight) of vertical force - getting over 2 BW is the domain of long drive - the to/away and forward/backward forces are considerably under 1 BW.     Jogging creates 3 BW vertical.     

 

This is some great perspective. I think a lot of people end up trying to overdo it with poor results. 

[RoyalTroon]

How to learn footwork?  Bind your hands and wrists.  @nikegolfer93 send all other replies to your circular file.

Edited June 20, 2023 by BALLYBUNION

[phizzy30]

33 minutes ago, me05501 said:

 

This is some great perspective. I think a lot of people end up trying to overdo it with poor results. 

Agree.  I see kids at the range literally squat down into the ball more than 3 inches pop up, hit it all over the face and spray it all over the place.  You have guys like Wyndam Clark and Patrick Rogers who are on the extreme end of squatting IMO, but still manage to pound the ball a long way.  The squat move is actually very subtle and if done correctly, can add quite a bit of speed.  Most golfers don't know how to apply it correctly unfortunately. 

[AlohaPineapple]

the kettle ball drills from dr kwon helped me develop a good feel of the necessary pressure shifts and hip/shoulder rotation isolation dynamic

[Ri_Redneck]

On 6/20/2023 at 2:06 PM, phizzy30 said:

Agree.  I see kids at the range literally squat down into the ball more than 3 inches pop up, hit it all over the face and spray it all over the place.  You have guys like Wyndam Clark and Patrick Rogers who are on the extreme end of squatting IMO, but still manage to pound the ball a long way.  The squat move is actually very subtle and if done correctly, can add quite a bit of speed.  Most golfers don't know how to apply it correctly unfortunately. 

This is SO TRUE. I can do the squat thing when I swing normally. But, if I THINK about doing it, I can't. It has to be a natural motion.

 

BT

[Jeselnik]

On 6/19/2023 at 12:26 PM, nikegolfer93 said:

What are the best resources on YouTube or online to learn about footwork?

I'm a little hesitant to just go down the YouTube rabbit hole without some form of corroboration from GolfWRX (I view the users here, not all, but many users here to be the most knowledgeable in golf). 

 

The Kwon kettle bells drills are awesome. They will increase coordination, mobility and stability.  You will notice the difference in golf and everyday life.