Thomas ,I’m 83 ,I played English soccer at Championship level when I was young .Center Forward :I was very fast at dribbling past the backs ,so to prevent me go past them ,I kept get kicked in the legs :result :two full prosthetic knees at age 70.This doesn’t prevent me to play good golf as taught by Paul
I said this in the video. Turn your hips as opposed to the snapping of the knee. Don’t hurt yourself. I did have a student with a really bad left knee today have no problem doing it. He was ecstatic about the results.
Andrew ,In another video lesson ,Paul shows his weight moving on the OUTSIDE of his left foot ,not as much though as JORDAN SPIETH (JORDAN should not be imitated )
Paul ,I do the move you show .Despite prothesises in both knees ,it doesn’t hurt me .To acheive it properly ,I use another move which is to kick back the left cheek when turning .Now ,if you watch replays in slow motion of BEN HOGAN ,he turns on a flexed left leg .So straigthening the left leg seems not to be a must,though today ‘s champions do it all of them (RORY Mc ILROY ,HIDEKI MATSUYAMA ,DUSTIN JOHNSON ,ZACH JOHNSON , RUSSEL KNOX etc.. )
So the BEN HOGAN exception must be a consequence of his bad car crash .
This flexed left knee turn is also taught by JOHN SCHLEE (He was taught by BEN HOGAN himself) in his very well documented book “MAXIMUM GOLF ”
JOHN SCHLEE is very flexed at the outset of the golf swing (Too much in my opinion)
He was a very talented golfer .Won several Opens- HAWAÏAN OPEN etc.. but had to stop playing championship golf due to a bad back and died from ALZEIHMER disease
Great tip…on the video almost every time you demonstrated the “SNAP” there was an auduble “snap-like” sound on the mic. It was a bit creepy and funny at the same time…thanks for the tip and the laugh
I watched this tip and said to myself, there is no way I can do this as I have had surgery on my left knee. While at the range today I thought I would give it a try anyway. I was amazed by how well it worked and how there was no stress on my knee. I immediately hit the ball further and finished on my left side with no effort. Great Tip !!
Is this snap movement also used in short and medium pitch shots? Makes sense for long pitch shots. The other challenge I have is that I’m 6’5″. I need to really bend my knees with short irons since I choke up on the club per your tips. . I may whiff if I lock my left leg. Suggestions?
You need your clubs fitted for you. At your height, I would say 1″ longer and 4 degree upright. Not sure if you have had this done but I taught Mike Dobbyn who is 6’8″ and has no problem setting up to it.
Great tip Paul. I’m a high handicapper trying to learn to hit the ball with my lower body and not with my arms. Can this forward leg snap double as a downswing trigger or do I need another trigger to start the downswing? Thanks.
Glad to have you on board and learning the right way to swing.
Yes, this is one of the triggers. You do not have to use it if you don’t want. I do want you to try it and get used to the feeling because no matter which trigger you choose they all happen.
Hi Paul, recently I was “in the zone” as they say, scoring below my handicap consistently (10.3 index) for a few weeks. Then all of a sudden, I couldn’t hit a solid shot at all. I was turning in scores in the high 80s / low 90s. Reflecting back, I believe I tried to “improve” my distance and reverted back to “hitting” instead of turning. I went back and reread your Body Swing book and recognized that I had slipped back into old bad habits. I played today with one swing thought, “touch the legs”. The improvement was immediate and dramatic.
That brings me to this tip. I too have a good swing but can’t get past high 80s in my swing speed. I’m a little hesitant to try this new technique based on the poor results from my latest attempt to increase my distance.
Thanks much for all you have taught me about the golf swing. You are the best teacher on the web, hands down.
All the best,
Tom
Anytime you are working on more clubhead speed your consistency will take a hit. You increase the speed for while then go back to perfect positioning and powerless arms to get the consistency back.
I keep telling everyone who wants more power to do the practice swings at home nightly. This is the best, easiest way to get it. There is no ball to hit. You do the swings in the air to feel your legs and hips powering the swing. You increase it and get used to this feeling. Over time this becomes the norm and you will be doing it when you practice and when you play. You literally have to do this drill tens of thousands of times to get it:
So forget distance on the course. Work on perfect positioning. At home nightly, you do the practice swings in the tip above. Over time you will start seeing the results. It is gradual not immediate.
You have 1/4 of a second from the top to impact. You are starting to lock the leg as soon as you start down. You cannot lock the leg in 1/4 of a second. So if you start at the top it will not be locked until about 3/4 through. If you have never locked the leg it will feel like a snapping action. In no way does this hurt so be careful and gradually do it faster until you are good at it.
Paul when I try to turn quicker with my hips or try snaping my knee I have a tendency to start using my arms. Do have any suggestions.
Thank you.
-Mark
You may have to do both until you are good at firing the lower body. Get good at it then turn the arms off. You also need good positioning. If you are way out of position this could hamper your lower body action too. Do you feel tightly coiled at the top of the backswing? If not, you will need to use your arms because you have no spring-like effect.
Also, watch the tip I just posted yesterday. If you are using the arms and coming over the top then get the backwards tilt and get the club swinging out at the ball. You can do this manually. Once the club is on plane you can easily turn the arms off.
Also, what you are thinking? Are you trying to kill it or driving the lower body way too hard? If you are trying to do this at top speed you may use your arms because you are not good at firing this hard. So slow down and just do the moves then speed them up once you are better at it. So many people always try to do all of this stuff at top speed instead of doing it slow and building it up. So without more info it’s kind of hard ot know what you are doing. Are you pulling it? Are you swinging too hard?
Once again another gem in your archive that I had only discovered because you referenced it in another tip. Ignition Golf is like opening up a new treasure every day.
This guy sounds like my clone. I can get my seven-iron up to as high as 80 mph and recently was regularly swinging my three-wood 91-93 mph. Yet my driver rarely hits 90 and usually is about 86-89 mph.
I learned to lock my left leg by going around the house doing your exact drill snapping it back. It did create a bit of knee soreness that quickly went away.
I will re-dedicate myself to working on this snapping action with driver and hopefully get up to 97 or so. That would give me the next 20 yards I am looking for. I will let you know my progress.
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30 Responses to “Snap Part 1 – Lower Body”
August 6, 2017
ThomasWanstallPaul what if your knees are bad after playing football for 25 years and I’m 70
August 7, 2017
RaymondCHASTELThomas ,I’m 83 ,I played English soccer at Championship level when I was young .Center Forward :I was very fast at dribbling past the backs ,so to prevent me go past them ,I kept get kicked in the legs :result :two full prosthetic knees at age 70.This doesn’t prevent me to play good golf as taught by Paul
August 7, 2017
Paul WilsonThomas,
I said this in the video. Turn your hips as opposed to the snapping of the knee. Don’t hurt yourself. I did have a student with a really bad left knee today have no problem doing it. He was ecstatic about the results.
August 6, 2017
AnthonyGuidiceI know Harmon had Woods do this around 1999-2000, but never heard it explained well.
August 7, 2017
Paul WilsonAnthony,
Glad you liked it. Thanks. Just don’t do it as fast as Tiger.
August 6, 2017
AndrewRobsonHi Paul,
As the weight comes onto this front foot should we feel coming into the inside part of the foot?
Thanks, Andrew
August 7, 2017
RaymondCHASTELAndrew ,In another video lesson ,Paul shows his weight moving on the OUTSIDE of his left foot ,not as much though as JORDAN SPIETH (JORDAN should not be imitated )
August 7, 2017
Paul WilsonAndrew,
Your forward foot would be solidly planted and you should feel it flush or on the inner portion.
August 7, 2017
Paul WilsonAndrew,
Here is the tip on it:
Front Foot Impact: https://ignitiongolf.com/foot-position/
August 7, 2017
RaymondCHASTELPaul ,I do the move you show .Despite prothesises in both knees ,it doesn’t hurt me .To acheive it properly ,I use another move which is to kick back the left cheek when turning .Now ,if you watch replays in slow motion of BEN HOGAN ,he turns on a flexed left leg .So straigthening the left leg seems not to be a must,though today ‘s champions do it all of them (RORY Mc ILROY ,HIDEKI MATSUYAMA ,DUSTIN JOHNSON ,ZACH JOHNSON , RUSSEL KNOX etc.. )
So the BEN HOGAN exception must be a consequence of his bad car crash .
This flexed left knee turn is also taught by JOHN SCHLEE (He was taught by BEN HOGAN himself) in his very well documented book “MAXIMUM GOLF ”
JOHN SCHLEE is very flexed at the outset of the golf swing (Too much in my opinion)
He was a very talented golfer .Won several Opens- HAWAÏAN OPEN etc.. but had to stop playing championship golf due to a bad back and died from ALZEIHMER disease
August 7, 2017
Paul WilsonRaymond,
Back in the day they did have more lateral and wilder swings. I want it very circular and tight for distance and consistency.
August 7, 2017
SusanEcclesI think this is one of yr greatest tips. Thank you.
August 7, 2017
Paul WilsonSusan,
Glad you liked it. Thanks.
August 7, 2017
KathyMedlarGreat tip…on the video almost every time you demonstrated the “SNAP” there was an auduble “snap-like” sound on the mic. It was a bit creepy and funny at the same time…thanks for the tip and the laugh
August 7, 2017
Paul WilsonKathy,
That was the mic creating static. I did notice that. Glad you liked it.
August 7, 2017
WilliamMcDonaldI watched this tip and said to myself, there is no way I can do this as I have had surgery on my left knee. While at the range today I thought I would give it a try anyway. I was amazed by how well it worked and how there was no stress on my knee. I immediately hit the ball further and finished on my left side with no effort. Great Tip !!
August 7, 2017
Paul WilsonBill,
That was an eye opener. Glad you tried it and got it. Big things to come for you in the future.
August 8, 2017
JimBremhorstIs this snap movement also used in short and medium pitch shots? Makes sense for long pitch shots. The other challenge I have is that I’m 6’5″. I need to really bend my knees with short irons since I choke up on the club per your tips. . I may whiff if I lock my left leg. Suggestions?
August 10, 2017
Paul WilsonJim,
No. Just for any full swing.
You need your clubs fitted for you. At your height, I would say 1″ longer and 4 degree upright. Not sure if you have had this done but I taught Mike Dobbyn who is 6’8″ and has no problem setting up to it.
August 29, 2017
RichardLangGreat tip Paul. I’m a high handicapper trying to learn to hit the ball with my lower body and not with my arms. Can this forward leg snap double as a downswing trigger or do I need another trigger to start the downswing? Thanks.
August 29, 2017
Paul WilsonRichard,
Glad to have you on board and learning the right way to swing.
Yes, this is one of the triggers. You do not have to use it if you don’t want. I do want you to try it and get used to the feeling because no matter which trigger you choose they all happen.
All Downswing Triggers: https://ignitiongolf.com/all-downswing-triggers/
Think About Your Trigger For Life: https://ignitiongolf.com/trigger-for-life/
September 13, 2017
TomCHi Paul, recently I was “in the zone” as they say, scoring below my handicap consistently (10.3 index) for a few weeks. Then all of a sudden, I couldn’t hit a solid shot at all. I was turning in scores in the high 80s / low 90s. Reflecting back, I believe I tried to “improve” my distance and reverted back to “hitting” instead of turning. I went back and reread your Body Swing book and recognized that I had slipped back into old bad habits. I played today with one swing thought, “touch the legs”. The improvement was immediate and dramatic.
That brings me to this tip. I too have a good swing but can’t get past high 80s in my swing speed. I’m a little hesitant to try this new technique based on the poor results from my latest attempt to increase my distance.
Thanks much for all you have taught me about the golf swing. You are the best teacher on the web, hands down.
All the best,
Tom
September 14, 2017
Paul WilsonTom,
This happens to everyone at some point.
Yes, you started hitting which brought the arms back in.
You need to know how to work on distance. I show this in The Body Swing. I also have this tip:
DRILL: Golf Swing Timing For More Distance: https://ignitiongolf.com/timing-more-distance/
Anytime you are working on more clubhead speed your consistency will take a hit. You increase the speed for while then go back to perfect positioning and powerless arms to get the consistency back.
I keep telling everyone who wants more power to do the practice swings at home nightly. This is the best, easiest way to get it. There is no ball to hit. You do the swings in the air to feel your legs and hips powering the swing. You increase it and get used to this feeling. Over time this becomes the norm and you will be doing it when you practice and when you play. You literally have to do this drill tens of thousands of times to get it:
DRILL: How To Really Increase Power: https://ignitiongolf.com/how-to-really-increase-power/
So forget distance on the course. Work on perfect positioning. At home nightly, you do the practice swings in the tip above. Over time you will start seeing the results. It is gradual not immediate.
November 12, 2017
SalahuddinAbbasiPaul,
At what point should you try to snap the forward leg. Is it at the beginning of the downswing or at a later point?
Thanks
Sal
November 13, 2017
Paul WilsonSal,
You have 1/4 of a second from the top to impact. You are starting to lock the leg as soon as you start down. You cannot lock the leg in 1/4 of a second. So if you start at the top it will not be locked until about 3/4 through. If you have never locked the leg it will feel like a snapping action. In no way does this hurt so be careful and gradually do it faster until you are good at it.
Lock the Lead Leg at Three Quarters Through: https://ignitiongolf.com/lock-lead-leg/
November 14, 2017
SalahuddinAbbasiGot it. Thanks Paul
May 20, 2018
MarkShomPaul when I try to turn quicker with my hips or try snaping my knee I have a tendency to start using my arms. Do have any suggestions.
Thank you.
-Mark
May 21, 2018
Paul WilsonMark,
You may have to do both until you are good at firing the lower body. Get good at it then turn the arms off. You also need good positioning. If you are way out of position this could hamper your lower body action too. Do you feel tightly coiled at the top of the backswing? If not, you will need to use your arms because you have no spring-like effect.
Also, watch the tip I just posted yesterday. If you are using the arms and coming over the top then get the backwards tilt and get the club swinging out at the ball. You can do this manually. Once the club is on plane you can easily turn the arms off.
Also, what you are thinking? Are you trying to kill it or driving the lower body way too hard? If you are trying to do this at top speed you may use your arms because you are not good at firing this hard. So slow down and just do the moves then speed them up once you are better at it. So many people always try to do all of this stuff at top speed instead of doing it slow and building it up. So without more info it’s kind of hard ot know what you are doing. Are you pulling it? Are you swinging too hard?
Watch Back of The Golf Ball: https://ignitiongolf.com/watch-backside-golf-ball/
Another Way To Stay Behind It: https://ignitiongolf.com/another-way-to-stay-behind-it/
Impact Head Behind Ball: https://ignitiongolf.com/impact-head/
Body Tilt: https://ignitiongolf.com/impact-body-tilt/
2 Things Flatten the Plane: https://ignitiongolf.com/2-things-flatten-plane/
September 19, 2018
MichaelBarrettPaul,
Once again another gem in your archive that I had only discovered because you referenced it in another tip. Ignition Golf is like opening up a new treasure every day.
This guy sounds like my clone. I can get my seven-iron up to as high as 80 mph and recently was regularly swinging my three-wood 91-93 mph. Yet my driver rarely hits 90 and usually is about 86-89 mph.
I learned to lock my left leg by going around the house doing your exact drill snapping it back. It did create a bit of knee soreness that quickly went away.
I will re-dedicate myself to working on this snapping action with driver and hopefully get up to 97 or so. That would give me the next 20 yards I am looking for. I will let you know my progress.
Thanks for all you do to help us enjoy the game.
Mike
September 19, 2018
Paul WilsonMike,
Glad you liked it.
Here is one you need to watch:
DRILL: How To Really Increase Power: https://ignitiongolf.com/how-to-really-increase-power/