8
Sep '11
Tip of the Week: Proper footwork is a must
By Swingpal.com staff
If you watch golf on TV or observe players at your home course or the driving range where you practice, it quickly will become apparent that there are plenty of effective ways to swing the golf club.
What is extremely rare, however, is to see a good player who has poor footwork.When it comes to modern instruction, much of the talk today centers around positions and swing plane, but the majority of good golf swings are built from the ground up and that means utilizing good footwork in your swing.
Keep in mind that your feet are the only thing that connect you to the ground during your swing and if utilized properly can help you generate tremendous power.
If you’re not completely sure what your feet are doing in your golf swing, a great way to feel exactly what they’re doing is to hit balls with your shoes off. Try this and you’ll immediately understand from a feel standpoint what it takes to keep your feet quiet, which will help promote good tempo, as well as how to use your feet to create balance in your swing.
And there’s no question that balance and tempo are great building blocks for good ball-striking.
If you hit some balls barefoot and find that you’re all over the place with your feet, and probably lower body as well, another good thought is to play/swing between your insteps.
What this means is that on your takeaway as you shift your weight you never let it get outside of the instep of your trail foot and as you start down you transfer your weight back to the instep of your lead foot.
If you do this, you’ll eliminate a sway going back and a slide coming down, and you’re also likely to promote a better turn both in your backswing and through the ball, all the while having your feet and lower body support your golf swing.
Devote some time to taking a look at your footwork the next time you practice, make adjustments as necessary and your golf swing, ball-striking and overall game will benefit.