Staying Centered, Weight on the Left Foot, or not?

[ThomasTheTank]

How important is it to stay centered over the ball, Ive started keeping more wright on my left leg during the backswing (a la Zach Johnson) and been hitting the ball much better. It almost feels like im turning around my left knee rather than my right?

 

[bendet3]

It could be that you had been swaying on your backswing and the "feel" of staying more on your left side, helped you have a correct weight transfer. I'm speaking from my own experience.

 

[ThomasTheTank]

It could be that you had been swaying on your backswing and the "feel" of staying more on your left side, helped you have a correct weight transfer. I'm speaking from my own experience.

I think thats almost certainly what it is. I feel like I have more weight on my toes at address, the weight is 70/30 to the front leg and that as I swing back with my right forearm, I feel as if im pushing my feet down into the ground to help that centered feeling.

 

[tongzilla]

you were probably overdoing the weight shift to your right leg on the backswing.

having a bit of weight on your left leg to begin with is good because it can eliminate some (but not all) of the weight shift / hip slide movement in the downswing and makes it easier to compress the ball.

 

[Brian Manzella]

Power? or No Power?

There is next to no advantage in keeping your weight on the left foot on the backswing on a full shot.

Near powerless.

"But Brian, but Brian, it works for me. What gives???"

Your ATTEMPT at keeping the weight on the left foot has produced something else you needed.

Like:

A steeper backswing Shoulder Turn.

Over-lean to the right control.

etc.​

The proper way to do these things, is to ALWAYS take weight OFF your left foot, and then put it back on.

You can do this and produce ANY of the alignments that have caused you to "hit it better."

If there was ANYTHING TO IT, the baseball players would do it.

They ALL lift their left leg going back.

Got it?

 

[ThomasTheTank]

Thanks Brian

Im sure youre right. I think the 'feeling' that I kept more weight on the left side actually kept me centered and stopped the sway. What do you think of the feeling to push your feet into the ground as you pivot back, to again stop that right side sway/lean?

I ended up feeling more on top of the ball at the top and it seemed easier to get my weight back on to my left foot on the DS

 

[Brian Manzella]

One of my favorite patterns these days, is the "Soft Fade" pattern.

Think the PIVOT of '72 Nicklaus, '92 Montgomerie, '73 Miller, with the left arm more across the chest like '53 Hogan.

Steeper Shoulder Turn, enough hip slide to get the weight "off" the left foot mid-backswing, ZERO Axis Tilt at the top to slightly left leaning.

Watch Jack and Colin's left feet.

 

[rwh]

One of my favorite patterns these days, is the "Soft Fade" pattern.

Think the PIVOT of '72 Nicklaus, '92 Montgomerie, '73 Miller, with the left arm more across the chest like '53 Hogan.

Steeper Shoulder Turn, enough hip slide to get the weight "off" the left foot mid-backswing, ZERO Axis Tilt at the top to slightly left leaning.

Watch Jack and Colin's left feet.

Brian,

Does this mean I'm free to let the left heel come off the ground a little? I have been trying to keep it on the ground.

 

[curtisj76]

Ok, me wants Soft Fade and me wants Soft Fade NOW! When's it coming out Brian?

 

[ThomasTheTank]

One of my favorite patterns these days, is the "Soft Fade" pattern.

Think the PIVOT of '72 Nicklaus, '92 Montgomerie, '73 Miller, with the left arm more across the chest like '53 Hogan.

Steeper Shoulder Turn, enough hip slide to get the weight "off" the left foot mid-backswing, ZERO Axis Tilt at the top to slightly left leaning.

Watch Jack and Colin's left feet.

Thats pretty much how I was feeling it .. no lean at the top. I also had a weeaker left hand grip, ball up in the stance and was hitting some lovely high fades

I would MUCH rather play a gentle fade than go after a draw which I find hard to execute/control

 

[tongzilla]

Brian, do you think feeling very centered in a golf swing is a bad thing? When I feel centered, I can't really feel any signicficant weight shift to my right or left side. However, I definitely do feel weight some weight shift (although not deliberate) toward the target during the downswing. If I try to keep my head very centered on my backswing, then I will feel a slight weight shift to my left.

 

[Erik_K]

I never liked the 'centered' swing (for full swings) because it's rough on my back.

Letting the weight shift over to the right foot (into the arch of the foot to be more precise) allows me to make a better turn behind the ball with little or no stress on the lower back.

Erik

 

[Brian Manzella]

Brian,

Does this mean I'm free to let the left heel come off the ground a little? I have been trying to keep it on the ground.

Absolutely, Positively, YES!!

 

[birdie_man]

I hit lots of shots with weight on my left foot.

Mostly short clubs............

Not a full on driver or anything........or any shot where I'm mostly concerned with power and height.

...

The proper way to do these things, is to ALWAYS take weight OFF your left foot, and then put it back on.

You must mean for any kind of full power shot...?

Regardless.......this sounds like a great way for me to trace more left and not overdraw it with my "closer to the NSA side of the Matrix" pattern. ("birdie_man soft draw")

I'm gonna test it out.

 

[Kevin Shields]

One of my favorite patterns these days, is the "Soft Fade" pattern.

Think the PIVOT of '72 Nicklaus, '92 Montgomerie, '73 Miller, with the left arm more across the chest like '53 Hogan.

Steeper Shoulder Turn, enough hip slide to get the weight "off" the left foot mid-backswing, ZERO Axis Tilt at the top to slightly left leaning.

Watch Jack and Colin's left feet.

This is an awesome pattern!! Maximum compression.

 

[ThomasTheTank]

Does it help this pattern to have a narrow stance? I find for me it does?

 

[Chris Sturgess]

I like to get 100% of my weight on my left leg on the backswing when I want to hit a really long drive. Then I put "110%" on it on the downswing and fall over while driving the ball underground. Just someting you might want to tinker with at the range.

 

[birdie_man]

Good one Chris.

 

[birdie_man]

Regardless.......this sounds like a great way for me to trace more left and not overdraw it with my "closer to the NSA side of the Matrix" pattern. ("birdie_man soft draw")

I'm gonna test it out.

Tried today. With my "closer to NSA" swing I just came outta my tilt and hit it low and left.

But otherwise it was a good day.

 

[flapro]

Staying centered over the ball is just another way of saying "Balanced", try not staying centered-balanced-and see what you get.

How important is it to stay centered over the ball, Ive started keeping more wright on my left leg during the backswing (a la Zach Johnson) and been hitting the ball much better. It almost feels like im turning around my left knee rather than my right?