pressure on front foot in downswing?

[ChrisNZ]

Hi all,

First I'd just like to thank Brian for a GREAT site! Some of the info on here is extremely interesting and unique (at least I haven't seen it elsewhere). When I read about the right leg straightening in the backswing I thought "That can't be right!" - it was like blasphemy against golf orthodxy, but the pictures of Snead convinced me, and it feels like you have so much more snap in your hips with this move. And better, now that I've stopped trying to keep my hips as restricted as possible on the backswing, I feel my backstroke is much more 3 dimensional, not just up and back, but up back and IN, which makes down and forward and OUT so much simpler. Of course the twist away stuff is also excellent!

Anyway, on to my actual question. How much pressure should you feel in your lead foot when you begin (and throughout) the downswing? Does it feel like your weight sort of drifts over your frontfoot throughout the downswing (I think this is what I've been doing), or do you more feel almost like you drive your upper body back against a lot of pressure in your front foot, ie should you feel almost like you are pushing away from the target with your front foot. Or are both feels wrong, and is it something else?

Thanks for any help with this
ChrisNZ

 

[Brian Manzella]

Ben taught me to hit ball while standing on a milk crate.

You shift PRESSURE, without shifting much weight.

The weight should be about even at impact, but your hips should be well left.

 

[DDL]

quote:Originally posted by brianman

Ben taught me to hit ball while standing on a milk crate.

You shift PRESSURE, without shifting much weight.

The weight should be about even at impact, but your hips should be well left.

By well left, do you mean slid well left or rotated well left.

Chris, I too have been brainwashed by the harmon et al philosophy of the restricted hip on the backstroke. Watching the Senior tourney this weekend, I noticed the golfers, especially Haas straighten their back leg significantly on the backstroke. Maybe it is because of reduced flexibilty or perhaps they were taught that way. I could never hit a decent shot with a restricted hip rotation. I have to straighten my back pretty much completely straight in order to hit a middle iron.

 

[Brian Manzella]

SLID and Rotated well left.

 

[ChrisNZ]

Had a new front foot/leg feeling today, which I think might be related to what Brian mentioned in his downswing article. As I started the downswing it felt like the bend in my front leg increased (actually, I think I might be delaying the knee bend straightening rather than actually bending it further, but it feels like this). That is, I shifted to left foot and then down into my front knee. Brian, is this the "going down into the ground like a basketballer" move you described (in your article), or is it some hideous fault that I shouldn't entertain allowing into my swing? It felt weird, but it also felt like the shaft was really loading, like it wanted to snap in half and impact felt good.

Any thoughts?