Linksman Golf – Proper Foot Work

Today we’re going to discuss a topic that you really don’t see a lot in the book & magazines and that is footwork.

So, why do all good players’ finish look like this? They finish like that because if you stay tilted and work through the under position then your right leg must fold in like this, it has to, if it doesn’t fold in, if you’re hitting from the back foot, like this you’re going to lift up. I guarantee it, it just a matter of balance.

Footwork is a direct reflection of your golf swing

So, footwork and what you see a person’s feet do is a direct reflection of their golf swing. I can look at someone feet, I don’t even have to see their swing, just show be from the knees down and I’ll tell you what their swing did, at least most of the time.

Tour players, all good players, finish their swing with the under and then up. Notice how my right knee folds in to my left knee. My hips are facing the target; my chest is facing the target. I’m balanced solidly on my left foot ant the tip of my right foot is on the ground. That is what you see with good players. It’s not what you see with the average player that is struggling with this aspect of the swing.

Practice this drill like the Tour Players

So to get a feel for that this is a great drill that I would like everybody to do, I do this drill all the time, I’ve seen Vijay Singh do it, I’ve seen many, many tour players do this drill. Take a driver of fairway wood and I going to hold the head of it with my left hand (my right if I’m a lefty). I’m going to get in my posture and I’m going to look at the handle of the club as it touches the ground as if it was a golf ball. Now swing my right arm back, you don’t have to go very far, and now I’m just going to pass my right arm under my left and pretend I’m shaking hands with someone on my left.

When I get people doing this they immediately start to notice that their right knee is folds in. Now you want to be careful with this drill. You don’t want to go back too far and you don’t want to move your head forward as you’re passing your arm. So the reason my left arm is holding on to this club is so it stays stationary and does not move forward. My head will stay right here.

Position at Impact

Now your body will scream at you when you first start this drill because there is a lot of stuff going on in the back and hips. You need to start slow as will any stretching drill which this is. You’re going to hold that final position for a few seconds to get that feeling of being solid in that position. If I was actually taking a picture of anyone with a decent golf swing, then at the moment just after impact which we call the follow thru position then this is want all good player look like after they strike the ball.

So, we talked before about how impact is the most important position in the golf swing, and really follow though might be the second most important position because if I follow through that means that I stayed under and was able to keep the club moving down and through the ball.

Try this drill it’s a very good drill. Remember your head should not go forward. You may find this physically challenging at first but if you can do this kind of drill it will really help you get the center of your body moving properly.