What do swinging a golf club and throwing a baseball have in common? Both of them add some force to a motion by using the ground. If you didn’t, your throw would miss the mark or you wouldn’t be able to hit the ball very far. Without stepping backwards with your back foot, you wouldn’t even consider throwing a baseball. Leveraging the ground is frequently a natural inclination. Although occasionally it’s not.
In everyday activities like walking, skipping a stone across water, or closing a car door, the same principle known as “ground leverage” is used. You can boost the force and thrust of your action by using ground leverage. This skill needs to be learned in golf. It also requires effort and focus. However, once you’ve mastered the mechanics of ground leverage, it can significantly improve both your swing and your golf handicap.
Start with the Setup
We’ll start with your setup since it has a lot to do with how much ground leverage you use in your swing. You must alter your setup in order to create ground leverage. You can use the ground to your advantage when swinging a golf club by following the five golf tips below.
* Widen your stance
* Flare your back foot in
* Flare your front foot out
* Use a trigger
* Transfer your weight
The small adjustments you make to your setup have a significant impact on distance when added together. Starting from the inside of your foot, widen your stance just enough to reach shoulder length.) Create a strong coiling post with your back foot by slightly flared in order to support your backswing, torso rotation, and weight transfer. Additionally, extend your front foot slightly. At first, this setup might seem a bit strange. However, it does not limit your ability to turn. The more significant benefit is that it prevents you from pivoting backward by twisting your hip.
Reversing the direction of a pivot is the incorrect way to transfer weight. Instead of shifting your weight from your back foot to your front foot and back again when swinging, you (1) shift it to your front foot during takeaway and (2) return it to your back foot during follow through. Your body turn is restricted by this sequence, which also inhibits consistency and short-circuits power. Golfers who reverse their pivot don’t hit their drives or iron shots very far.
Get Comfortable
Take a few practice backswings to get used to the sensation of this new setup. A lighter coil should be audible. Also take note of how your front foot is pointed forward and has one toe pointed directly at the target, almost as if you were stepping forward to throw a ball. The most leverage for the forward swing is provided by this open foot position.
Additionally, the open foot position encourages weight-shifting and permits full-acceleration hip, arm, shoulder, and hand rotation. Utilize ground leverage as you descend to produce the dynamic weight transfer and acceleration that produce power—the kind of power that drives a ball a long distance and lowers golf handicaps.
Add a Trigger
Many golfers with low golf handicaps supplement the use of ground leverage with the addition of a trigger. Some athletes slightly nudge their front knees in the direction of the target. Their swings are mechanically and psychologically triggered by this action, which functions as a forward press. Additionally, it promotes rhythm, another source of power. Gary Player employs a knee. A slight rightward head turn is made by Jack Nicklaus. Use whichever method suits you.
Your golf scores and handicap can be significantly impacted by using ground leverage. A straightforward idea that underlies a multitude of daily actions is leveraged by the ground. Whether you take golf lessons or figure it out on your own, using ground leverage in golf is a skill that must be learned and mastered. Once mastered, it aids in making your drives longer and straighter.
Copyright (c) 2008 Jack Moorehouse