Old School golf...

[Tball88]

I've noticed in watching a lot of old clips that a lot of golfers(Nicklaus, Snead, Price, M. Wright, and Hogan(to some extent)) all lifted their left heel on the back swing, some more than others. In observing this it seems that the left heel could be good for assisting in timing and getting the hips moving.

Instructors today seem to want people to keep their left heel on the ground throughout the swing, is there any particular reason or benefit??

 

[EdZ]

There is a big benefit for swingers - getting the lead shoulder behind the ball. This dramatically increases the ease with which you can deliver the club from the inside. Most people are not flexible enough to even come CLOSE to getting the lead shoulder behind the ball, keeping the heel down.

It also is a big benefit in that it sets up the proper downswing sequence for creating and sustaining lag - heck, gravity will do it for you if you let the heel come up.

The better you are, the more you can keep that foot down IF you know the right moves - you have a good pivot, and can synch your hands and chest well on the downswing. For the better player, this can really stabilize the machine - for hitters especially.

The average player, especially the slicer, is much better off letting that heel come up, and "hitting the ball with the back of the lead shoulder"

 

[Tball88]

I'm not really very flexible, can't much of the "x-factor", picking up the left heel seems to allow me to really turn my hips and get my shoulder behind the ball. Also the placing down of the left foot seems to make it easier to get my weight back to the left side.

I just wasn't sure why more of today's golfers don't use this motion.