For swing problems, try these exercises:

1.      On the practice range setup to a shot as normal

2.      Now I want you to put the club down and pick up the ball and get ready to throw it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3.      Once set like above I then want you to throw the ball as far as you can without using your feet or legs. Try to keep them as still as possible like the pictures show over the page…

 

Okay, excellent. Now I want you to throw another ball but this time use your feet and legs, especially on the follow-through. Look at the example below to see exactly what I mean.

 

 

 

If you do this exercise you'll find that your throws go a lot further when you use your feet and legs in combination with your body. So now you know this, how can you use this information to improve your swing?

 

Well, you need to have a crystal clear image of what your legs should be doing in the swing so that you can get the most power. To show you how to use your legs properly I'm going to give you two examples. One is good the other is not.

 

When you setup to a shot you should have some flex in your back leg. Now listen carefully because I want you to remember this like you've never remembered anything else before. Your back leg MUST stay in the same position as it was at address during the entire backswing.

 

Do not straighten your back leg at all during the backswing because that will promote a reverse pivot, which basically means the weight is going onto your front foot instead of your back foot.

 

Below is a good setup position and then following is two backswing positions. One is a good backswing position the other is not.  Have a look at both of them and then I'm going to explain what you’re seeing.  

                                                         Setup

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

         

 1.                                                                                           2.

 Good Backswing Position                                             Bad  Backswing Position

                                                                                 .

 

                

Notice in no.1 how the back leg is flexed and in the same position as it was at address.  This is what you must attempt to achieve.  Also the weight is concentrated on the inside of the back foot and not on the outside.  This is another very important aspect to a good, solid backswing.

 And in no. 2

Notice how the back leg has straightened from the setup position.  Also look how this has caused the head to move towards the target and the weight to go onto the front foot which is very, very bad.

From the good backswing position, what should happen?

 

Well, I believe the very first move in the downswing should be initiated by the front knee moving towards the target. And ideally what you want is for the front knee to move towards the target while the back knee remains where it is. This knee separation creates lag in the downswing, which creates the late hit that every golfer wants.

 

Every long hitter in the world does this knee separation and the longest hitters start this knee separation before the backswing has been completed. To get this feeling I suggest you do the following exercise.

 

At the top of your backswing get to a position where you are fully loaded into your right side, and as I've already said, I believe that to start your downswing you should do it with your left knee and left hip first.

 

So as you are about to reach the furthest point going back you should be starting your downswing movement with your left knee first and then your hip. The feeling should be one of moving in two directions at once for a split second. This is not the easiest thing to do but with practice it creates tremendous club head speed and you'll notice a big increase in distance.

 

Here's a great drill that teaches you the leg movements I'm talking about. Get a beach ball and place it between your knees at setup, just as I'm doing  

 

 

   

Then swing back as normal. And to start your downswing separate your knees so that the beach ball falls down, and then swing through normally.

 

 

As you can see from the pictures on the above, at the very top of my backswing my first move is to separate the knees. If you master this knee separation move you'll hit the ball longer than you ever have before, and you'll be more consistent too. I'm sure you'll love both of those benefits won't you??

 

Now the follow-through really is a reflection of the backswing. So you must concentrate on getting a good solid backswing before you even look at your follow-through. With that being said it's good that you get a clear picture of what you want to look like at the end of your swing and where your weight should be and what your feet should be doing.

 

Once again I'm going to show you a good follow-through and a not so good follow-though. Ok, Ok, it's a bad follow-through. So have a look at the pictures on the next page and I'll discuss what you're seeing in a second.

 

      A>      Good Follow-through Position                    B>    Bad Follow-through Position

 

                                                                                           

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Notice how in photo A>

Almost all of the weight is on the front foot.  And also notice how the belt buckle is pointing towards the target or even left of the target.  Lastly look at the back foot.  It’s almost completely off the ground and I could easily take this off the ground and balance on my front foot. You should make sure your follow-through has these characteristics.

And in B>

Look how the weight is on the back foot and it’s hardly off the ground.  Also notice how the belt buckle is pointing to the right of the target.  This clearly shows that the legs and feet have not been used to their full.

Hopefully now you've got a good idea as to how you can best use your feet to get the most power.  So I'll now summarize the points you should work on…

 

1.      During your backswing you should concentrate on keeping your back leg in the same position as it was at address.

 

2.      At the top of your backswing your back leg should be in the same position as it was at address and your weight should be concentrated on the inside of your back foot. No weight should be present on the outside of your back foot.

 

 

3.      To start your downswing you should do so with your front knee moving towards the target, attempting to separate the knees.

4.      At the finish of your swing you should have the majority of your weight on your front foot, with your belt buckle pointing towards the target. Plus your back foot should be up on it's toe so you can see all of the spikes as the picture opposite clearly shows.

 

 

 

 

 

If you follow these points your shots will be more powerful and more consistent and consequently you'll have more fun. I suggest you concentrate on your backswing first, and then the start of the downswing and then the follow-through last. But when you go to work on your follow-through here's something that will help you.

 

Pose your follow-through so that it's perfect, then have a swing and attempt to get into the same follow-through position that you just posed.

 

At the end of every shot you should be able to hold your follow-through until the ball has stopped rolling. And you'll only be able to do this if you have swung within yourself. Lastly remember a good finish generally means a good shot so get in the habit of holding your follow-through until your ball has stopped moving.

 

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