Front foot question

pkellz25

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I am an ex-college baseball player and I have a pretty hard swing. My front foot tends to rotate when I swing just as it did when I was hitting a baseball. Just wondering if this is a flaw or if it is a normal thing.
 
It is probably a flaw, I have done it for years because my right knee was so bad and now since getting it replaced a year ago, I can't break the habit. I have been flaring the right foot about 30 degrees and trying not to rotate (recommended by the ole pro here at the club.) At 63, I am not the most flexible guy around.
 
You're spinning out of the shot. Normally caused by winding up on your back leg and then rotating hips leaving your weight back in the dust. If you can wind INTO your back leg (weight on rear heel instep at the top of backswing) then when you unwind your weight will naturally move laterally to the target and you won't spin out. Also you can flare your lead foot out to help with this.
 
ok thanks! I really appreciate it!
 
If you point your foot out a quarter turn to begin with you'll find that you wont lose balance during the transition or "spin out" per se.
 
Yep, good advise. Keep you right foot facing 12 o'clock or you'll give your hips a chance to over rotate in the backswing. But keep your left foot somewhere around 10 to 10:30 as others have said to keep your balance.


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I am an ex-college baseball player and I have a pretty hard swing. My front foot tends to rotate when I swing just as it did when I was hitting a baseball. Just wondering if this is a flaw or if it is a normal thing.

There is really nothing wrong with movement in your right foot. Some of the greatest player have 'happy feet'. Provided its not coming of the ground and just turning its not a flaw.
If you are a RH golfer then the back foot is the foot that should be planted firm to support your take away and weight transfer but the lead or front foot can have some movement.
That being said the about post are also correct. Having a slight turn or square front foot at address is also healthy. It really depends on golfer and the type of swing that have.
Those greats I was speaking of are Johnny miller, Arnold Palmer, Bubba, Phil on occasion and host of others.
 
Search tool ftw.

My instructor and I spoke the other day. He said he would like to see me work on flaring my left foot open a tad at address. Just to make the swing easier on my lower body. I am going to work on that with him this winter (on his new FlightScope!).
 
I keep my front foot a little open.
 
Ya just flare out your front foot to match the position where you end up when you don't flare it out. It'll set you up for some solid rotation. A flared front foot is a fundamental stressed by Ben Hogan, among others. I flare both feet personally to encourage a deeper turn in the backswing and a fuller hip rotation in the downswing.
 
Definitely agree with Tadashi on this. As a RH player, having your left foot spin out through the hitting area isn't a bad thing. I actually went through a month or so in college where I fought this issue in my own swing. It came out of nowhere and wasn't something I had been doing previously. For me it was an overswing issue. I focused on making sure that I got my weight transferred correctly and to swing under control and I was able to eliminate it. As a few mentioned, if you had knee issues it can actually be something that can help keep pressure off the knee. Flaring the lead foot out in your address position can help increase hip turn through the hitting area and potentially lead to better balance. Provided that you are swinging under control, you can focus on driving in to the ball and outside of your left foot through the downswing...doing this can improve your weight transfer as well as eliminate the spin out if you want to stop doing it.
 
I suffered with this problem alot also being a former baseball player it was hard not to "step" into my swing or turn my left foot out which sometimes leads to more pulls and pull hooks for me.

One thing that I have found that helps me is to allow my left heel to raise slightly in the at the top of the backswing. For me this acomplishes several things...it gives me a little more rotation going back and forces my weight into my right side, by making the "planting of my left heel my first move from the top it also acts as a trigger to begin my downswing and promotes my hips and legs moving before the club and it gives my left foot something to do in the transition so it tends to "spin out" less.
 
Search tool ftw.

My instructor and I spoke the other day. He said he would like to see me work on flaring my left foot open a tad at address. Just to make the swing easier on my lower body. I am going to work on that with him this winter (on his new FlightScope!).

This is good and it will allow you to get to your left side better. Square is always good but nothing wrong with a little flare. I don't think either foot should come off the ground on the back swing but some can't avoid it.
 
This is good and it will allow you to get to your left side better. Square is always good but nothing wrong with a little flare. I don't think either foot should come off the ground on the back swing but some can't avoid it.

I have no problems getting left. My instructor is worried about my ability to walk later in life. I apparently have a lot of torque and thrust absorbed by my left ankle.
 
I had this for awhile. After watching a a Golf Fix and Breed recommending turning left foot out a bit, I started doing that a little and it stopped. Took no more than that. Never thought about it again.
 
I have no problems getting left. My instructor is worried about my ability to walk later in life. I apparently have a lot of torque and thrust absorbed by my left ankle.

Is your ankle sore after a round. I've never herd of anyone having a concern about the torque on the ankle
 
Is your ankle sore after a round. I've never herd of anyone having a concern about the torque on the ankle

No. My ankles are fine. My instructors point is that in the long run, I won't be able to swing that way as I get older, as I do age my ankle might get sore and potentially damaged. His idea is to make that change now and save myself pain in the long run, potentially.
 
This is good and it will allow you to get to your left side better. Square is always good but nothing wrong with a little flare. I don't think either foot should come off the ground on the back swing but some can't avoid it.

This is an old thread but an article came out the recent golf magazine where Brandl Chamblee basically challenges that assumption. I want to say up front that I agree with your comments but am intrigued...is he trying to sell books or is he onto something?

ef78707c9d3b938b0c65e562cf299ab8.jpg




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This is an old thread but an article came out the recent golf magazine where Brandl Chamblee basically challenges that assumption. I want to say up front that I agree with your comments but am intrigued...is he trying to sell books or is he onto something?

ef78707c9d3b938b0c65e562cf299ab8.jpg




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Let's just say I do not agree with this method he speaks of. That being said, it doesn't mean it doesn't work. There is a whole lot of timing in this swing to make it work.
 
I try to keep my feet square. But, I have a habit if flaring them if I go too long w/o paying attention to that. I believe the squared up feet, along with a wider stance provide more stability. And, it allows for more torque (X-factor) to be generated. I have wondered if my occasional hip aches are due to the squared up feet, especially the left one. At a minimum, I think the right foot (for RH golfer) should be square to ensure proper weight transfer (minimize swaying over to the outside of the right foot).
 
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