This video has brought to mind a questuon that i have been holding onto for a while.
i have had a straightening of the right knee as well as my left shoulder causing a lifting of my head on the backswing for many years. I have tried to keep my head from raising up many times without any success unless i limit my backswing to what feels like 1/2 turn. That limited turn is a power killer for me. A pro last year suggested that I have too much of a lateral backswing turn with the club and wanted me to practice makung it much flatter by having my hands below my right shoulder at the top. I see in another one of your video’s that you don’t like that flat a turn.
i have substituted what i call a squatting of my right knee throughout my backswing and that does create torque for me. Would you advise me to continue with that backswing thought and not worry about my left shoulder forcing my head up?
If you still have problems I would suggest getting a video golf lesson. Yes, this will cost you money but you have us right here to check and work on your swing. If you can afford it it would be a good investment. Find out more here:
Thanks for yor suggestions. I watched setup edge of bar stool Part 1 and will try that tomorrow. Is there a part 2 available?
i have already signed up for a video lesson. Just waiting to get someone to do the filming part and then i will send it in.
If you don’t have someone to shoot your swing just go to the range and ask someone who is hitting balls at the same time. I’m sure no one will have a problem helping you out. Glad you going to work with us.
Hi Paul, I am a recently retired structural engineer who specialized in earthquake engineering and associated structural dynamics. The concept of coiling the body to store energy in the large muscle groups that can then be converted into club head speed makes sense to me from this engineering perspective.
During the back-swing coiling I am interested in what you are feeling in your feet.
If you try a back-swing on your tip-toes on a smooth floor you will find that your feet rotate clockwise on the floor (for right handed golfer). This is because the floor is required to provide a counter-clockwise torque (twisting force) to the bottom of your feet to maintain their dynamic stability during the back-swing. During the back-swing you feel this torque as your feet trying to twist clockwise in your shoes.
You can increase the amount of clockwise torque (twisting force) you feel in your shoes by pushing the back foot forward and the front foot backwards with an equal amount force. You can test this without doing a back-swing. Doing the back-swing as well would just increase the clockwise twist you feel in your shoes.
Pushing the back foot forward and the front foot backwards stabilizes the bottom part of the body and enable more energy to be stored in the “coiled string”. It also helps the front knee to snap-back straight when the coil is released during the down-swing.
I have not found anywhere on your site where you describe what you feel in your feet during the back-swing (other than the pressure being on the insides of the feet with 80% on the back-foot at the top of the swing) and am interested if what you feel is consistent with what I am describing. I will then know that I am stabilizing the bottom part of my body using the correct procedure.
I did some backswings on my toes on a slippery floor. Both toes turned clockwise. Golf spikes would provide a counter to both feet wanting to twist. I don’t really see too many people twisting their feet going back. If anything, they are rolling to the outside of this foot. I do get what you are saying but keep in mind you have a quarter of a second from the top to impact. Do you have enough time to think like this plus are you going to twist out of position? I will try it next time I hit some balls. Could be interesting.
I am feeling the weight loading into my back instep. I need this weight loaded so I can uncoil with the lower body. So it is like my back foot is gripping the grass. The weight loads to the instep heel of this back foot 80%. This takes lots of practice backswings trying to hold it all together and find this balance point. I would work on this in practice swings every night.
Hi Paul, Thanks for your prompt response. Yes the golf spikes prevent the feet from twisting during an actual back-swing but can you FEEL your feet trying to twist clockwise within your shoes during the back-swing as they must do from basic engineering principals to achieve dynamic equilibrium.
Also do YOU try to increase this twisting feeling in your feet by pushing the back foot forward and the front foot backwards during your back-swing (here front and back feet are relative to the target and forwards and backwards directions are relative to the ball). I have to generate these backward and forward foot forces (relative to the ball) in order to develop significant coiling (spring) action and limit the movement of my knees during the back-swing. Can you feel these forward and backward forces during YOUR back-swing? (if you stand on your toes on a slippery floor and apply the forward and backward foot forces I am taking about your feet will rotate clockwise as they do when you just do a back-swing without applying the forward and backward foot forces).
Assuming that you do feel your feet trying to twist in your shoes during the back-swing do you feel the twisting force evenly in both your front and back feet? The amount of twisting force resisted by the two feet does not need to be equal from an engineering perspective and relative amount carried by each foot can be varied by the golfer using their leg and other muscles. I would expect most (e.g. 80%) of the twisting force to be resisted along the inside edge of the back foot where 80% of the weight is also being resisted – this is where I feel most of twisting of my feet in my shoes.
During the down-swing, the forces I am talking about are released so I would not expect to feel the forces during this part of the swing and, as you say, the downswing is too fast for much to register anyway.
Thanks for taking the time to decipher my query. I have built a practice net (6m x 3.5m) in my back-yard and am currently practicing my swing every day.
Paul,
I find this also works well mentally when I do the 3/4 swing drill to stretch out the trailing arm. Kind of a ‘mini test’ of lower body stability before going to full swng. I start with thw 3/4 swing drill and check I am still staying stable on all those shots and after I am sure of my arm stretch and stability, I go for the full swing practice shots. Is making an amazng difference in my ball strinking. Less effort and more solid. Toed shots are becoming less frequent because I am now gaining confidence in the new “feelings”. Just thought I would share that finding. Thanks.
Paul,
I’ve been following your method for about six months now. I had no doubt from the beginning that, what you were providing was what I’ve been looking for, amazingly, for more than fifty years now — a sensible explanation of how the golf swing works, and where the power comes from. I saw immediate results in my golf swing, when I started to apply your method, but I was still inconsistent, mostly because I had difficulty deciding which “trigger” I should use. Despite your apparent belief that they all work equally, I found that, for me (a lefty), thinking of using my left knee as the “trigger,” did not result in straightening my right leg; thinking about straightening my right leg, did not seem to fully engage my hips; and thinking only of my belt buckle, did not seem to result in my knees touching, or the right leg fully straightening. Finally I got the bright idea to just start thinking of just duplicating the entire lower body movement you are always demonstrating. I started to discover very quickly that this seems to result in my right leg fully straightening, my knees touching, and the club touching the back of my head at the end of the swing. I also got this “bonus.” I started to realize that, as long as I bring my upper body to a full coil, as you teach, and then duplicate the lower body movement you are always demonstrating, my knee seems to work as an “aiming” device. In other words, if I think of finishing my swing with my left knee not just touching my right, but aiming toward the target at the end of the swing, guess what? I now find more and more often that the ball goes in exactly the direction my left (back knee as a lefty) is pointing toward, at the end of the swing. Wow! Could this actually be how you and the other pros so consistently get that ball moving with full power right at the pin? Does it seem like I’m on the right track with this? And can a “fourth trigger possibility,” be the idea of thinking of straightening the forward leg, and touching the legs, at the same time? It seems to work better for me, than only thinking of one trigger. I now feel a sense of greater confidence that every swing will result in getting most, if not all of my power into the shot.
Anything that can be a trigger that actually gets you to do the move will work. Why not just “touch the legs.” That would get you thinking of taking the back leg and physically touching the forward leg.
Did you throw balls overhand? This is the same move. So an easy way to get it would be not throwing 3 balls hoping that it. Throw 300 or 3000 balls until you memorize the movement. It is all about repetition. If you did it that many times you would have felt it better then you just had to apply it to practice swings. Then real golf balls. I keep saying the ball is the problem and it’s about the movement. Just got to keep repeating it over and over until you don’t know any other way to do it.
So if this is the way that is working keep doing it. Might want to throw some balls overhand anyway.
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14 Responses to “How To Feel Stability In The Lower Body”
August 17, 2012
jimmarlowThis video has brought to mind a questuon that i have been holding onto for a while.
i have had a straightening of the right knee as well as my left shoulder causing a lifting of my head on the backswing for many years. I have tried to keep my head from raising up many times without any success unless i limit my backswing to what feels like 1/2 turn. That limited turn is a power killer for me. A pro last year suggested that I have too much of a lateral backswing turn with the club and wanted me to practice makung it much flatter by having my hands below my right shoulder at the top. I see in another one of your video’s that you don’t like that flat a turn.
i have substituted what i call a squatting of my right knee throughout my backswing and that does create torque for me. Would you advise me to continue with that backswing thought and not worry about my left shoulder forcing my head up?
August 18, 2012
Paul WilsonJim,
The head moves in the backswing for 2 reasons:
1. You are relieving the tight feeling of being coiled up. Standing up puts no strain on your body.
2. You are too tilted to begin with. When you are low you will naturally want to stand up going back.
I get the feeling you are way too tilted as you set up to the ball. Start by standing up and see if this fixes it.
Watch:
Sit On The Edge Of A Bar Stool To Set Up – Part 1 of 2: https://ignitiongolf.com/setup-edge-of-bar-stool/
Work on this:
Sit On The Edge Of A Bar Stool To Set Up – Part 1 of 2: https://ignitiongolf.com/setup-edge-of-bar-stool/
If you still have problems I would suggest getting a video golf lesson. Yes, this will cost you money but you have us right here to check and work on your swing. If you can afford it it would be a good investment. Find out more here:
http://paulwilsongolf.com/las-vegas-golf-lessons/video-golf-lessons.htm
August 18, 2012
jimmarlowThanks for yor suggestions. I watched setup edge of bar stool Part 1 and will try that tomorrow. Is there a part 2 available?
i have already signed up for a video lesson. Just waiting to get someone to do the filming part and then i will send it in.
August 19, 2012
Paul WilsonJim,
I thought I copied part 2 but I copied part 1 2 times. Here is part 2: DRILL: How To Feel Torque In Your Backswing – Part 2 of 2: https://ignitiongolf.com/drill-feel-torque-backswing/
If you don’t have someone to shoot your swing just go to the range and ask someone who is hitting balls at the same time. I’m sure no one will have a problem helping you out. Glad you going to work with us.
September 19, 2012
williamcapuozzoi have too much knee flex your knee seems les bent
September 20, 2012
Paul WilsonWilliam, Just flex your knees until you feel your legs activate. This is the correct amount.
Here you go: Knee Flex: https://ignitiongolf.com/setup-knee-flex
August 4, 2014
KennethMoffatSo for this tall guy I should just change my wrist angle and move closer to the ball, not bend over?
March 11, 2015
TedBlaikieHi Paul, I am a recently retired structural engineer who specialized in earthquake engineering and associated structural dynamics. The concept of coiling the body to store energy in the large muscle groups that can then be converted into club head speed makes sense to me from this engineering perspective.
During the back-swing coiling I am interested in what you are feeling in your feet.
If you try a back-swing on your tip-toes on a smooth floor you will find that your feet rotate clockwise on the floor (for right handed golfer). This is because the floor is required to provide a counter-clockwise torque (twisting force) to the bottom of your feet to maintain their dynamic stability during the back-swing. During the back-swing you feel this torque as your feet trying to twist clockwise in your shoes.
You can increase the amount of clockwise torque (twisting force) you feel in your shoes by pushing the back foot forward and the front foot backwards with an equal amount force. You can test this without doing a back-swing. Doing the back-swing as well would just increase the clockwise twist you feel in your shoes.
Pushing the back foot forward and the front foot backwards stabilizes the bottom part of the body and enable more energy to be stored in the “coiled string”. It also helps the front knee to snap-back straight when the coil is released during the down-swing.
I have not found anywhere on your site where you describe what you feel in your feet during the back-swing (other than the pressure being on the insides of the feet with 80% on the back-foot at the top of the swing) and am interested if what you feel is consistent with what I am describing. I will then know that I am stabilizing the bottom part of my body using the correct procedure.
March 12, 2015
Paul WilsonTed,
I did some backswings on my toes on a slippery floor. Both toes turned clockwise. Golf spikes would provide a counter to both feet wanting to twist. I don’t really see too many people twisting their feet going back. If anything, they are rolling to the outside of this foot. I do get what you are saying but keep in mind you have a quarter of a second from the top to impact. Do you have enough time to think like this plus are you going to twist out of position? I will try it next time I hit some balls. Could be interesting.
I am feeling the weight loading into my back instep. I need this weight loaded so I can uncoil with the lower body. So it is like my back foot is gripping the grass. The weight loads to the instep heel of this back foot 80%. This takes lots of practice backswings trying to hold it all together and find this balance point. I would work on this in practice swings every night.
Back Foot: https://ignitiongolf.com/back-foot-position
Think of the Instep Going Back: https://ignitiongolf.com/think-instep-going-back/
Let’s Go Surfing: https://ignitiongolf.com/lets-go-surfing/
Flex Back Knee: https://ignitiongolf.com/backswing-back-knee
Flexed Back Knee Holding Knee: https://ignitiongolf.com/lower-body-stability/
Hips: https://ignitiongolf.com/turning-hips/
Move Less: https://ignitiongolf.com/moving-less/
Flex Right Knee: https://ignitiongolf.com/backswing-back-knee
DRILL: Bounce On Back Knee: https://ignitiongolf.com/drill-bounce-knee/
March 12, 2015
TedBlaikieHi Paul, Thanks for your prompt response. Yes the golf spikes prevent the feet from twisting during an actual back-swing but can you FEEL your feet trying to twist clockwise within your shoes during the back-swing as they must do from basic engineering principals to achieve dynamic equilibrium.
Also do YOU try to increase this twisting feeling in your feet by pushing the back foot forward and the front foot backwards during your back-swing (here front and back feet are relative to the target and forwards and backwards directions are relative to the ball). I have to generate these backward and forward foot forces (relative to the ball) in order to develop significant coiling (spring) action and limit the movement of my knees during the back-swing. Can you feel these forward and backward forces during YOUR back-swing? (if you stand on your toes on a slippery floor and apply the forward and backward foot forces I am taking about your feet will rotate clockwise as they do when you just do a back-swing without applying the forward and backward foot forces).
Assuming that you do feel your feet trying to twist in your shoes during the back-swing do you feel the twisting force evenly in both your front and back feet? The amount of twisting force resisted by the two feet does not need to be equal from an engineering perspective and relative amount carried by each foot can be varied by the golfer using their leg and other muscles. I would expect most (e.g. 80%) of the twisting force to be resisted along the inside edge of the back foot where 80% of the weight is also being resisted – this is where I feel most of twisting of my feet in my shoes.
During the down-swing, the forces I am talking about are released so I would not expect to feel the forces during this part of the swing and, as you say, the downswing is too fast for much to register anyway.
Thanks for taking the time to decipher my query. I have built a practice net (6m x 3.5m) in my back-yard and am currently practicing my swing every day.
April 2, 2016
KimBozikPaul,
I find this also works well mentally when I do the 3/4 swing drill to stretch out the trailing arm. Kind of a ‘mini test’ of lower body stability before going to full swng. I start with thw 3/4 swing drill and check I am still staying stable on all those shots and after I am sure of my arm stretch and stability, I go for the full swing practice shots. Is making an amazng difference in my ball strinking. Less effort and more solid. Toed shots are becoming less frequent because I am now gaining confidence in the new “feelings”. Just thought I would share that finding. Thanks.
Kim
April 3, 2016
Paul WilsonKim,
Very good. Sounds like it’s paying off.
May 15, 2016
garymeyersPaul,
I’ve been following your method for about six months now. I had no doubt from the beginning that, what you were providing was what I’ve been looking for, amazingly, for more than fifty years now — a sensible explanation of how the golf swing works, and where the power comes from. I saw immediate results in my golf swing, when I started to apply your method, but I was still inconsistent, mostly because I had difficulty deciding which “trigger” I should use. Despite your apparent belief that they all work equally, I found that, for me (a lefty), thinking of using my left knee as the “trigger,” did not result in straightening my right leg; thinking about straightening my right leg, did not seem to fully engage my hips; and thinking only of my belt buckle, did not seem to result in my knees touching, or the right leg fully straightening. Finally I got the bright idea to just start thinking of just duplicating the entire lower body movement you are always demonstrating. I started to discover very quickly that this seems to result in my right leg fully straightening, my knees touching, and the club touching the back of my head at the end of the swing. I also got this “bonus.” I started to realize that, as long as I bring my upper body to a full coil, as you teach, and then duplicate the lower body movement you are always demonstrating, my knee seems to work as an “aiming” device. In other words, if I think of finishing my swing with my left knee not just touching my right, but aiming toward the target at the end of the swing, guess what? I now find more and more often that the ball goes in exactly the direction my left (back knee as a lefty) is pointing toward, at the end of the swing. Wow! Could this actually be how you and the other pros so consistently get that ball moving with full power right at the pin? Does it seem like I’m on the right track with this? And can a “fourth trigger possibility,” be the idea of thinking of straightening the forward leg, and touching the legs, at the same time? It seems to work better for me, than only thinking of one trigger. I now feel a sense of greater confidence that every swing will result in getting most, if not all of my power into the shot.
May 16, 2016
Paul WilsonGary,
Anything that can be a trigger that actually gets you to do the move will work. Why not just “touch the legs.” That would get you thinking of taking the back leg and physically touching the forward leg.
Did you throw balls overhand? This is the same move. So an easy way to get it would be not throwing 3 balls hoping that it. Throw 300 or 3000 balls until you memorize the movement. It is all about repetition. If you did it that many times you would have felt it better then you just had to apply it to practice swings. Then real golf balls. I keep saying the ball is the problem and it’s about the movement. Just got to keep repeating it over and over until you don’t know any other way to do it.
So if this is the way that is working keep doing it. Might want to throw some balls overhand anyway.