Extending the Right Knee on the Backswing

[ks8829]

I watch some other videos of top tour players and they do straighten their rear legs. I am not sure now. I try not too.

[Shanks A Million]

It's perfectly fine to straighten the rear leg. Telling people it should maintain the same flex as address is asinine. You can't physically turn your hips without straightening it. Some very, very flexible people can keep it nearly the same, but that's the minority. If a person tells you that it doesn't straighten, and calls themselves an expert on the golf swing, seek another expert.

[uttexas]

no, that mean you are lifting and not turning parallal to the ground. ]

Ahh, that's what I used to believe. However, it makes more sense to me that you want to turn parallel to your swing plane, not the ground. The only way to turn parallel to your swing plane is to straighten the rear leg.

[senorchipotle]

In order for your hips to rotate and not slide, shouldn't your rear leg straighten. Not locking out... just slight straightening.

in order to hit a proper shot longer than a 50 yd pitch or something. yeah, it has to lengthen, i think i prefer that word to straighten cause it can give the wrong impression. plus, i think it just sounds better. :)

[delav]

no, that mean you are lifting and not turning parallal to the ground. watch Ernie Els hit a driver and watch his rear knee

Man I love his swing.

As other have said, I also believe the hips rotate on a plane perpendicular the the spine, not the ground. For this to happen, the right hip must lift slightly and the leg lengthen.

[Zeph]

no, that mean you are lifting and not turning parallal to the ground.

Being a forum veteran and having a 4.1 handicap, I would think you knew that we swing on an angled plane, not parallel to the ground.

The hips and upper body rotate on the same inclined plane. For this to happen, the back hip must move up as it rotate back, and the rear knee must straighten. Same thing with the shoulders, they rotate at the same inclination to the ground, not flat.

[lpuppy79]

Alright... so it is alright to have your rear leg straighten a bit. Thanks a lot!!!

[iacas]

no, that mean you are lifting and not turning parallal to the ground. watch Ernie Els hit a driver and watch his rear knee

Ernie should turn it more, but even he lessens the flex some:

[MSDOGS1976]

A couple of years ago I was playing on a resort course where a girl was taking a picture as you teed off on the first hole. As many of these courses do, the picture girl runs you down later in the round attempting to sell you the picture. Anyway, I tool a look at the picture and couldn't believe how my right leg(back one) collapsed in my back swing. Didn't feel like I was doing it but no denying the picture. I started making an attempt to firm it up or straighten it and what a difference it has made. I have gained a lot of yards on my drives and just hitting better shots through out the bag.

Whether it's correct or not I could care less, all I know a straight or firm right leg has worked for me.

[Boyder]

All I know is if I allow my back leg to straighten and lose flex, I hit it fat every time! I have worked long and hard to maintain some flex in the right knee thru my swing ...

[nevets88]

One person who straightens his back leg that stands out to me is Payne Stewart:



Also Charles Howell, but he does it quickly:

[LongballGer]

It's not (and I'm not an S&T; instructor). The golf swing has evolved from Ballard's "move way off the ball" with maintaining the knee flex into a swing in which the rear leg straightens and the head stays relatively centered. Those two things are principles in the modern, solid swing. They also happen to be part of S&T;, but a good many golfers have had steady heads and straightened their rear legs for decades before S&T.;

I´m a certified PGA pro from Germany.

The head has to move half a head width to the right on the backswing to give the hands time to lower on the downswing. Nobody on tour except for the S&T; guys that are rarely in contention straightens their right leg on the backswing. 99% of the players on tour try to maintain their right knee flex.

[Shanks A Million]

I´m a certified PGA pro from Germany.

Yeah, well you better teach these hackers what's best, obviously, they are wrong:

I bet these guys are S&T; guys rarely in contention though, eh? Too bad, if only they had you to teach them!

[LongballGer]

The swing has evolved. There was no real golf instruction back in the days. It was also taught back in the day to lift your left heel on the backswing, make a huge move off the ball, get the hands high at the top and then drive your legs as hard as you can to get in a reverse C position. According to your logic we should all still be swinging that way because the all time greats did it. Golf instruction has evolved that´s why todays players are simply better.

[Shanks A Million]

The swing has evolved. There was no real golf instruction back in the days. It was also taught back in the day to lift your left heel on the backswing, make a huge move off the ball, get the hands high at the top and then drive your legs as hard as you can to get in a reverse C position. According to your logic we should all still be swinging that way because the all time greats did it. Golf instruction has evolved that´s why todays players are simply better.

Ah, that was the answer I was looking for. I have another set of hackers for you to diagnose. Some of these guys must really suck, they need your help!

[LongballGer]

You just proved my point. Look at Ernie´s picture and tell me his knee is not flexed. All the other guys try to maintain the flex in their knees, too. Kaymer´s leg straightens somewhat and I know from first hand that he´s working with his instructor to maintain more knee flex. Westwood´s leg straightens and he´s a good ballstriker despite of it not because of it. Phil has more of an old school swing with tons of compensations and he´s terrible off the tee. Not a good example.

[iacas]

I´m a certified PGA pro from Germany.

... who lists his handicap as 99.9 and has never sent a message to me to have the "Instructor" tag applied to his name. Just sayin', Chris.

The head has to move half a head width to the right on the backswing to give the hands time to lower on the downswing.

That makes no sense. Half a head width? Why would the hands need to lower unless they've raised somehow? And how, if you think the hands have to raise, would the position of the head matter?

Nobody on tour except for the S&T; guys that are rarely in contention straightens their right leg on the backswing. 99% of the players on tour try to maintain their right knee flex.

You probably shouldn't make statements like that as they're so easily proven wrong.

The swing has evolved.

A change is not always for the better. Jimmy Ballard taught people like Curtis Strange. Name the last guy you could think of whose head moved as far as Curtis's?

There was no real golf instruction back in the days. It was also taught back in the day to lift your left heel on the backswing, make a huge move off the ball, get the hands high at the top and then drive your legs as hard as you can to get in a reverse C position.

Ben Hogan did none of those things. You're only 21, so is "back in the day" the 1970s for you?

According to your logic we should all still be swinging that way because the all time greats did it. Golf instruction has evolved that´s why todays players are simply better.

Today's players, by and large, decrease the flex in their right knee on the backswing to allow their hips to turn.

You just proved my point. Look at Ernie´s picture and tell me his knee is not flexed.

Ernie's right knee is less flexed than his left knee. Not only does he not prove your point, but you said 99%, and most of the players have significantly decreased the flex or straightened the right leg.

[LongballGer]

... who lists his handicap as 99.9 and has never sent a message to me to have the "Instructor" tag applied to his name. Just sayin', Chris.

Oh yes, you´re right. I´m lacking credibility because I didn´t send you a message to get an instructor tag. Well let´s change that. I´m actually Ben Hogan returned from the grave and I know every single secret about the golf swing. I also have a +9 handicap. Credibility issue solved.

That makes no sense. Half a head width? Why would the hands need to lower unless they've raised somehow? And how, if you think the hands have to raise, would the position of the head matter?

That has gotta be the funniest thing I´ve ever heard. If the hands didn´t raise from address your hands would be at around hip height at the top of the backswing position. This is golf, not discus throw.

Head movement is the natural result of a proper weightshift. When you load up on your right side the head naturally moves to the right. Just like in every other athletic sport.

A change is not always for the better. Jimmy Ballard taught people like Curtis Strange. Name the last guy you could think of whose head moved as far as Curtis's?

Somewhere...Curtis Strange is crying now.

Ben Hogan did none of those things. You're only 21, so is "back in the day" the 1970s for you?

Neither did hogan completely straighten his right leg on the backswing. Why do you think he said you should pivot around your right leg and use it as a post? He didn´t kick his right knee in at address so that it could straighten. He wanted to keep it flexed.

Today's players, by and large, decrease the flex in their right knee on the backswing to allow their hips to turn.

No, they don´t. Have you ever heard of the X Factor?

Ernie's right knee is less flexed than his left knee. Not only does he not prove your point, but you said 99%, and most of the players have significantly decreased the flex or straightened the right leg.

Duh, of course his right knee is less flexed than his left knee. The left knee is always gonna move a little closer to the ball as the hip turns. His right leg is as flexed as it was at address though.