Lifting the Left Heel

[vct33]

I've always had a strong aversion to the left heel coming off the ground.  When I would see other do it I felt very cringy.  Thanks to some injuries and some extra lbs, I've been having trouble getting my hands into the right position at the top of my backswing.  I've flared my right foot a little and it helped some but not enough.  I randomly decided to try lifting my left heel a little while hitting a bucket at the range.  The results were dramatic.  What do you think about the practice of lifting the left heel?

[Vinsk]

  On 5/5/2021 at 5:45 PM, vct33 said:

I've always had a strong aversion to the left heel coming off the ground.  When I would see other do it I felt very cringy.  Thanks to some injuries and some extra lbs, I've been having trouble getting my hands into the right position at the top of my backswing.  I've flared my right foot a little and it helped some but not enough.  I randomly decided to try lifting my left heel a little while hitting a bucket at the range.  The results were dramatic.  What do you think about the practice of lifting the left heel?

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The results will be temporary. I’ll let the swing gurus comment on the possible benefits of doing it. But a sudden change yielding ‘drastic’ results is usually temporary.

[boogielicious]

  On 5/5/2021 at 5:45 PM, vct33 said:

I've always had a strong aversion to the left heel coming off the ground.  When I would see other do it I felt very cringy.  Thanks to some injuries and some extra lbs, I've been having trouble getting my hands into the right position at the top of my backswing.  I've flared my right foot a little and it helped some but not enough.  I randomly decided to try lifting my left heel a little while hitting a bucket at the range.  The results were dramatic.  What do you think about the practice of lifting the left heel?

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I started doing it per my instructor. It does add a bit of rotation and then unweighting a replanting can add some speed. Best advice is to film your swing doing with and without lifting and see what changes. 

[Double Mocha Man]

  On 5/5/2021 at 6:15 PM, Vinsk said:

The results will be temporary. I’ll let the swing gurus comment on the possible benefits of doing it. But a sudden change yielding ‘drastic’ results is usually temporary.

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More often than not its a "range groove".  Until it replicates on the course don't be looking for a sponsor on the PGA Tour...

[Vinsk]

  On 5/5/2021 at 7:02 PM, Double Mocha Man said:

More often than not its a "range groove".  Until it replicates on the course don't be looking for a sponsor on the PGA Tour...

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Yeah…I know we sound like Debbie Downers…but this happens all too often. It’s the ever popular ‘eureka’ moment that almost always crushes the soul in a day or so…..

[vct33]

  On 5/5/2021 at 7:13 PM, Vinsk said:

Yeah…I know we sound like Debbie Downers…but this happens all too often. It’s the ever popular ‘eureka’ moment that almost always crushes the soul in a day or so…..

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Umm, I'm not asking for opinions on the results.  I understand that not everything on the range translates to the course.  I'm asking for opinions on whether or not you believe it's ok for the left heel to come up.

 

  On 5/5/2021 at 7:00 PM, boogielicious said:

I started doing it per my instructor. It does add a bit of rotation and then unweighting a replanting can add some speed. Best advice is to film your swing doing with and without lifting and see what changes. 

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Thank you for actually answering the question I asked.  That's interesting that your instructor gave you that advise.  I'm not the same student of the game that I was in my prime 20 years ago but it was always kind of frowned upon then.

[Double Mocha Man]

  On 5/5/2021 at 8:02 PM, vct33 said:

I'm asking for opinions on whether or not you believe it's ok for the left heel to come up.

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Yes, it's okay.  Jack did it.  Many others.  I can see the value if you are no longer as flexible as you were in your youth.  Personally, I believe it requires more timing.

[Vinsk]

I’ve been told that letting your foot come up is fine. Purposely lifting it may cause some problems. If your flexibility causes your foot to come up during the backswing it’s fine I would believe.

[boogielicious]

  On 5/5/2021 at 11:58 PM, Vinsk said:

I’ve been told that letting your foot come up is fine. Purposely lifting it may cause some problems. If your flexibility causes your foot to come up during the backswing it’s fine I would believe.

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It’s basically this, letting it rise. My instructor used Stenson, Nicklaus and Kyle Berkshire as examples with a slight shift back. It can add power for the driver. But I had already solidified other back and downswing elements. 

[colin007]

Lifting the left heel is the iron covers of swing fixes.

[vct33]

  On 5/5/2021 at 11:58 PM, Vinsk said:

I’ve been told that letting your foot come up is fine. Purposely lifting it may cause some problems. If your flexibility causes your foot to come up during the backswing it’s fine I would believe.

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Thanks.  This is actually a much better description.  I'm not actively lifting my heel it's more that I'm no longer consciously keeping it down.  As a result it's coming up a bit and I'm getting to a better position at the top.

[Zippo]

  On 5/5/2021 at 5:45 PM, vct33 said:

I've always had a strong aversion to the left heel coming off the ground.  When I would see other do it I felt very cringy.  Thanks to some injuries and some extra lbs, I've been having trouble getting my hands into the right position at the top of my backswing.  I've flared my right foot a little and it helped some but not enough.  I randomly decided to try lifting my left heel a little while hitting a bucket at the range.  The results were dramatic.  What do you think about the practice of lifting the left heel?

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I find, as an old geezer just a bit away from the edge of the mortality table, that lifting the lead heel and letting my lead knee point towards or even slightly behind the ball, gives me a bit more rotation and the act of replanting it improves my pressure shift to the lead foot. My handicap is slowing creeping downwards so it seems to be working for me or, at least, it FEELS like it's working...  😈

[billchao]

  On 5/6/2021 at 1:58 AM, vct33 said:

Thanks.  This is actually a much better description.  I'm not actively lifting my heel it's more that I'm no longer consciously keeping it down.  As a result it's coming up a bit and I'm getting to a better position at the top.

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I think you’re on the right track with this. You don’t want to lift the heel just for the sake of lifting it, but you also don’t want to forcibly keep it down, either.

Some people can make a good turn without lifting the lead heel and some can’t. The heel itself is not the important part.

[measureoffsetinnm]

I am not a guru but it certainly seems plausible to me that a swing would be learned based on a certain degree of hip rotation and if you have lost muscular flexibility it is also plausible that you would need to let your heel come off the ground during the backswing to achieve that same range of motion.

[JetFan1983]

  On 5/6/2021 at 12:25 AM, boogielicious said:

It’s basically this, letting it rise. My instructor used Stenson, Nicklaus and Kyle Berkshire as examples with a slight shift back. It can add power for the driver. But I had already solidified other back and downswing elements. 

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I dunno if this is 100% relevant to the thread but I recently watched this video Kyle Berkshire uploaded and found his preshot routine to be super fascinating. For long drive this kind of motion makes a ton of sense before initiating the backswing. 

Maybe this is better for a thread specifically about this, but check out the time stamp here. Really cool he has this in his swing:

I dunno how safe this would be for amateurs to use, but I think a lot of people who get too stack-and-tilty in the backswing could benefit from trying this on the range sometime -- as long as it's done properly and doesn't introduce some ugly hip sway or something. In the hands of a more self-aware swing tinkerer tho, this could be useful, I dunno.

Sorry if this is off-topic, but he does lift his lead heel at least on the backswing 😄 Perhaps this is a placebo of sorts, but I could see how this exaggerated hopping back-and-forth just before drawing the club back could be beneficial in loading the trail side well.

[boogielicious]

  On 5/6/2021 at 9:34 PM, JetFan1983 said:

I dunno if this is 100% relevant to the thread but I recently watched this video Kyle Berkshire uploaded and found his preshot routine to be super fascinating. For long drive this kind of motion makes a ton of sense before initiating the backswing. 

Maybe this is better for a thread specifically about this, but check out the time stamp here. Really cool he has this in his swing:

I dunno how safe this would be for amateurs to use, but I think a lot of people who get too stack-and-tilty in the backswing could benefit from trying this on the range sometime -- as long as it's done properly and doesn't introduce some ugly hip sway or something. In the hands of a more self-aware swing tinkerer tho, this could be useful, I dunno.

Sorry if this is off-topic, but he does lift his lead heel at least on the backswing 😄 Perhaps this is a placebo of sorts, but I could see how this exaggerated hopping back-and-forth just before drawing the club back could be beneficial in loading the trail side well.

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It’s a good drill to do with lifting the front heel. It’s similar to the full swing flow COVID drill. The feel I use is more planting the left foot back down and pushing back.

 

[Double Mocha Man]

  On 5/6/2021 at 9:34 PM, JetFan1983 said:

I dunno if this is 100% relevant to the thread but I recently watched this video Kyle Berkshire uploaded and found his preshot routine to be super fascinating. For long drive this kind of motion makes a ton of sense before initiating the backswing. 

Maybe this is better for a thread specifically about this, but check out the time stamp here. Really cool he has this in his swing:

I dunno how safe this would be for amateurs to use, but I think a lot of people who get too stack-and-tilty in the backswing could benefit from trying this on the range sometime -- as long as it's done properly and doesn't introduce some ugly hip sway or something. In the hands of a more self-aware swing tinkerer tho, this could be useful, I dunno.

Sorry if this is off-topic, but he does lift his lead heel at least on the backswing 😄 Perhaps this is a placebo of sorts, but I could see how this exaggerated hopping back-and-forth just before drawing the club back could be beneficial in loading the trail side well.

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I tried this for about two weeks.  Was great on the range.  Not so much on the course.  And I couldn't hit it quite as long as Kyle.

Edited May 6, 2021 by Double Mocha Man