Golf Leg Work, Leg Action in the Golf Swing
Action Legs Resist a Golf Turn and Work to Create Torque in a Swing
Jun 2, 2009
The way the legs work in the golf swing is directly related to power and accuracy. If the legs wobble about on the backswing and don’t form a stable base the upper body can sway back and forth making it difficult to return to impact consistently. The first part in getting the legs to work with a good action starts with the correct stance.
Leg Set and Width of Stance
- The legs need to be set in a position where they can effectively resist the turning of the upper body during the backswing. The most common fault in leg action is where the right leg buckles as the stress of the golfers turn builds up, and the body weight is thrown onto the outside of the right foot. From this position it is impossible to create power.
- Each person must be aware of their individual strength. Some people are very supple and strong in the mid section and would be able to resist the turn with a fairly narrow stance.
- But if like a normal person you do not get much chance to exercise, a wider stance makes it easier to create necessary tension on the backswing. It is absolutely crucial that the body weight remains on the inside of the right foot at the top of the backswing.
Leg Work and Action in Downswing
- This is where leg action plays an important roll. Rather than being too active, the legs stabilise the downswing. Many people think the hips and legs jump out of the way in an attempt to pull the arms down. This is the wrong feel. All this would cause is the arms and club being left behind almost wrapping the club round your neck.
- The leg action on the downswing builds up smoothly. No sudden jumping out of the way. For most players it should feel as though the shoulders and legs work together. In the golf swing there is no muscle group that does not work in harmony with the rest of the body. Everything should feel smooth and graceful. Not a hit.
- To understand how little the legs drive forward in the swing, Seve Ballesteros used to hit balls off his knees in his golf clinics. Many famous golfers do, and they hardly lose any power at all.
Follow Through Leg Position
If the golfer has managed to create some tension on the backswing the downswing should be an almost unconscious unwinding or 'letting go' of the tension. The most important thing to think about is the follow through position. If you can finish with balance, and with the right foot in the classic vertical position, the legs will have worked well.
See also: What is an Over the Top Golf Swing PGA Tip or Hand Action in the Golf Swing PGA Tip
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