Right (Back) Knee Flex in Backswing

[iacas]

Vote in the Poll and then post below explaining your choice.

[gogolfing]

My instructor had me working on maintaining the flex in the knee as I was starting to straighten it and lose my posture. However, never thought of it as maintaining the flex or moving it a bit without locking out.

[lobsterzilla]

If I swung like Charlie Wi or Mike Bennett, Id be an extremely happy man.

[jerry g]

i think it depends on whether you swing with your weight on your left leg in the backswing, which would cause a straightening of the right leg, or if you shift your weight slightly back a couple inches, which would cause you to maintain address knee flex.

[FlopScotty]

I'm trying to feel that i keep my flex (and spine angle) during backswing. But looking at video I do straighten the leg a little bit.

[goblue107501]

Since I changed my swing a few years ago, it stays flexed. Not sure if that is how it is supposed to be done or not, but the instructor didn't have a problem with it. I have a bit more flew (than most people) in both knees because it helps me rotate my hips and generate a little more power.

[HoosierGolfer]

My instructor taught me to bend my right knee inward slightly during setup. This keeps me in that position through impact and it helps me make the weight shift to my left side and it helps me clear my hips. Works well for me on iron shots, but I tend to not do it as much with fairway woods and driver. This works good for me.

[moparman426]

Mine has a natural tendency to straighten a little, raising my right hip as I rotate. It gives me the sensation of rotating my hips and shoulders on the same plane, and keeps me comfortable while hacking away (if that makes sense).

[iacas]

I'm trying to feel that i keep my flex (and spine angle) during backswing. But looking at video I do straighten the leg a little bit.

Right - you have to straighten it a little. It's physiological and common sense.

(And, you're probably doing your spine angle wrong - but there will be a video in a few days that will address that...)

My instructor had me working on maintaining the flex in the knee as I was starting to straighten it and lose my posture. However, never thought of it as maintaining the flex or moving it a bit without locking out.

You should find a new instructor.

i think it depends on whether you swing with your weight on your left leg in the backswing, which would cause a straightening of the right leg, or if you shift your weight slightly back a couple inches, which would cause you to maintain address knee flex.

It doesn't depend - every good golfer straightens his right knee a little, and trying to maintain the same flex in the right knee causes all sorts of problems.

Since I changed my swing a few years ago, it stays flexed. Not sure if that is how it is supposed to be done or not, but the instructor didn't have a problem with it. I have a bit more flew (than most people) in both knees because it helps me rotate my hips and generate a little more power.

Except that's exactly the opposite of how your body works...

Everyone who answered "maintains the same flex" or whatever the first choice is, try this: squat down almost like you're a catcher (but leave both of your feet on the ground). Get your butt two feet or so off the ground or less. Try to turn your hips. It's physically impossible to turn your hips without losing flex in the knee. If you want to think of it in terms of bones, tendons, whatever: your right hip goes back and up. Your right foot is fixed in place on the ground. Thus, the radius from right hip to foot gets longer - your knee has to straighten to accommodate that. People who try to maintain the flex in their right knee will often slide their hips back, and nobody's ever recommended a swing with that move. Here's some visual proof: regardless of the way you swing, your right knee straightens out and loses its flex. P.S. I tried to word the question and answers in such a way that it made sense, but if you answered "incorrectly" because you thought "straighten" meant to go 100% perfectly straight, there's no need to explain yourself. It's not like you get an A or an F or something. If you knew what the question was asking and still answered "maintain the same flex" then hopefully you've learned something. P.P.S. The deterioration of Adam Scott's Golf Swing is telling.

[david_wedzik]

Rather than give my viewpoint on this I will ask everyone to do this exercise:

Stand in front of a full length mirror so you can see your down the line view (pretend you were hitting a ball in the exact opposite direction of the mirror) and make two separate backswings.

The first: Hold the flex in the back knee in its entirety...do not allow that knee flex to change one bit and try to turn your hips and swing to the top....should be very difficult to turn your hips at all and at the same time your shoulders will likely not be able to get to 90 degrees turned (very flexible people may be able to).

The second: Allow the right knee to straighten quite a bit...almost to completely straight and look at how much your hips can turn (which allows your shoulders to turn "further" as well (achieving more depth at the same time). This also allows the right hip to rise keeping your hips turning on an inclined plane.

Which looks/feels better...which makes more sense to you as a golfer?

[Golf_Gal]

I try to keep my flex in my knee, its more comfortable to me and I have the sensation of "scooping up" if you will :) And on day one, that's what my instructor had me do, so its kind of just natural to me now!

[jerry g]

very interesting. do you think then that some golfers could benefit having slightly less knee flex at address to promote a straighter right leg in the backswing? my guess would be no, but that thought crossed my mind.

[MiniMoe]

My legs are straight at address, so it is almost impossible for me to decrease flex in my knee without locking it, and that will never happen. If anything, I increase flex as I swing. I know it sounds backwards, but works for me.

[WUTiger]

As part of my swing rebuild, I noticed that I had been straightening the right knee too much, which was linked to:

* Overswinging -- > occasional loss of balance --> hitting from top OR chopping down on ball rather than swinging down and through.

Could get away somewhat with chopping down on mid to short irons, but NOT woods.

When I'm hitting good shots, I feel a flexibility in my right knee which helps me shift the weight through the ball, not mostly down. So, I think flexibility is necessary.

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Note: I've been having right hip problems since June. Will see doctor on Friday, hopefully get past it.
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[Vance87]

My legs are straight at address, so it is almost impossible for me to decrease flex in my knee without locking it, and that will never happen. If anything, I increase flex as I swing. I know it sounds backwards, but works for me.

I wonder why... :P

[iacas]

very interesting. do you think then that some golfers could benefit having slightly less knee flex at address to promote a straighter right leg in the backswing? my guess would be no, but that thought crossed my mind.

No, I don't think so. It's possible to have too much flex at address but - and I'm not an instructor of course - I rarely see people with too much flex. If anything, people often have too little.

And the key act is "straightening" of the right leg (the left knee increases its flex on the backswing), not "straight." It's the act that lets you do it - see the explanation with the radius from your foot to your hip and the proper hip action. If you start with that too long already it's the same as keeping it the same radius by maintaining hip flex. It'd be just as bad.

As part of my swing rebuild, I noticed that I had been straightening the right knee too much, which was linked to:

I would venture to guess that unless you were turning your hips a good bit more than 45°, the hips likely weren't the cause of your overswinging.

When I'm hitting good shots, I feel a flexibility in my right knee which helps me shift the weight through the ball, not mostly down.

Two things: one, this is just about the backswing. Your right knee should regain flex coming down before straightening (again).

Two, I took care to say it doesn't "lock out" and in a lot of players it doesn't even get what you could call "straight." It just gets "straighter" or "loses some of the bend or flex."

[misty_mountainhop]

Voted straighten but not lock. Don't think you can really maintain exactly the same flex without a sway on takeaway. I maintain a flex but cf. the start position it's straightened slightly.

[lobsterzilla]

buwahahaha chez revie just said that straightening the right leg was the "kiss of death" to any good swing.

Interesting