Myth of Maintaining Your Address Flex in the Rear Knee

[saevel25]

22 minutes ago, lastings said:

Is it even possible to make a full hip turn and full shoulder turn, while maintaining address flex?  I'm seriously standing in the middle of my office right now trying to do it and I can't seem to get past a 3/4 without feeling like my spine is about to fall apart. 

Depends on the golfer. Most compensate by having lots of hip slide away from the target.

 

[Kalnoky]

Very useful thread, I enjoyed reading. Just did 20 practice swings in the conference room, thanks

Edited January 24, 2018 by Kalnoky

[iacas]

1 hour ago, lastings said:

Is it even possible to make a full hip turn and full shoulder turn, while maintaining address flex? 

Some people can do it. Not most.

[iacas]

Just changing the embed image…

[3puttglenn]

I'm 50, and for years I've tried to maintain my right knee flex... couldn't turn...pull hooks ....fat shots...ect..... this past week I decided to stay on my left side.... let my right leg straighten going back so I could turn more..... and bingo.. not one fat shot... hit 11 of 14 fairways... AND made an eagle on a par four.. it was the best ball striking day of my whole life... and my only swing thought was stay left.. then get more left on the downswing...... and I couldn't have stayed left with out letting my trail leg lose some flex,... I hope the success continues and Its not just a band aid.

 

[Patch]

42 minutes ago, 3puttglenn said:

I'm 50, and for years I've tried to maintain my right knee flex... couldn't turn...pull hooks ....fat shots...ect..... this past week I decided to stay on my left side.... let my right leg straighten going back so I could turn more..... and bingo.. not one fat shot... hit 11 of 14 fairways... AND made an eagle on a par four.. it was the best ball striking day of my whole life... and my only swing thought was stay left.. then get more left on the downswing...... and I couldn't have stayed left with out letting my trail leg lose some flex,... I hope the success continues and Its not just a band aid.

 

That's pretty much what I do. I even have a step through drill I use to make sure I get as much as possible to the left side. It also helps with divot location, what little divots I take. 

I learned a while back, that the older you get, the better off you are by not trying make your body do things it can't.

Congrats on your great ball striking day. 

[Marty2019]

1 hour ago, 3puttglenn said:

I'm 50, and for years I've tried to maintain my right knee flex... couldn't turn...pull hooks ....fat shots...ect..... this past week I decided to stay on my left side.... let my right leg straighten going back so I could turn more..... and bingo.. not one fat shot... hit 11 of 14 fairways... AND made an eagle on a par four.. it was the best ball striking day of my whole life... and my only swing thought was stay left.. then get more left on the downswing...... and I couldn't have stayed left with out letting my trail leg lose some flex,... I hope the success continues and Its not just a band aid.

 

What a coincidence!  I just started doing this, too.   On my back swing, I keep my head centered over the ball and even try to move it very slightly forward.   The only way to do this is to straighten the right leg somewhat.  

In my case, it's part of an all out attempt to eliminate fat shots, and combined with some other things, it seems to work. 

It's definitely improved my ball striking with my irons. 

[mvmac]

7 hours ago, 3puttglenn said:

I'm 50, and for years I've tried to maintain my right knee flex... couldn't turn...pull hooks ....fat shots...ect..... this past week I decided to stay on my left side.... let my right leg straighten going back so I could turn more..... and bingo.. not one fat shot... hit 11 of 14 fairways... AND made an eagle on a par four.. it was the best ball striking day of my whole life... and my only swing thought was stay left.. then get more left on the downswing...... and I couldn't have stayed left with out letting my trail leg lose some flex,... I hope the success continues and Its not just a band aid.

 

Great to hear. 

Just want to clarify that lessening flex in the trail leg doesn't mean you don't "load" into your trail side. Now you may feel like you stay on your left side, that's personal to you and all good. I'm talking about what is really happening.

Take a look at Bubba as well, his lead heel comes off the ground but he loses a good amount of flex in the trail leg (same thing with a lot of the old school players). If anything, the pressure increasing under your trail foot helps you "push" upward to "stretch" the trail side which keeps the golfer rotating on an inclined angle.

[3puttglenn]

11 hours ago, mvmac said:

Great to hear. 

Just want to clarify that lessening flex in the trail leg doesn't mean you don't "load" into your trail side. Now you may feel like you stay on your left side, that's personal to you and all good. I'm talking about what is really happening.

Take a look at Bubba as well, his lead heel comes off the ground but he loses a good amount of flex in the trail leg (same thing with a lot of the old school players). If anything, the pressure increasing under your trail foot helps you "push" upward to "stretch" the trail side which keeps the golfer rotating on an inclined angle.

I'm sure its more of a feeling then actually having all my weight left... but isn't golf a feel sport... I'm sure the weight of the club moves some weight to the trail leg on the back swing... It did keep me from sliding off the ball,.. And I am sure I was losing flexion in my trail leg I tried to feel like the side  angle of my leg at address stayed the same, essentially turning back around my leg while making it stay in the same position other then the flex in my knee

[Marty2019]

9 hours ago, mvmac said:

Great to hear. 

Just want to clarify that lessening flex in the trail leg doesn't mean you don't "load" into your trail side. Now you may feel like you stay on your left side, that's personal to you and all good. I'm talking about what is really happening.

Take a look at Bubba as well, his lead heel comes off the ground but he loses a good amount of flex in the trail leg (same thing with a lot of the old school players). If anything, the pressure increasing under your trail foot helps you "push" upward to "stretch" the trail side which keeps the golfer rotating on an inclined angle.

 

That's a great explanation.   So, if the right shoulder comes up on the back swing, the right side has to stretch, and some of that stretch naturally comes from the right leg straightening somewhat.  

It's so encouraging when I learn stuff like this, but at the same time, it's aggravating that it took me 50 years to learn it. 

 

Edited April 2, 2018 by Marty2019

[mvmac]

5 hours ago, Marty2019 said:

That's a great explanation.   So, if the right shoulder comes up on the back swing, the right side has to stretch, and some of that stretch naturally comes from the right leg straightening somewhat.  

Basically in order to turn fully, the trail side has to stretch. I feel that my right ribs are stretching up and out, direction of the arrows below. This gives me a good mix of turn and tilt.

Would recommend this drill to see how it feels for you.

Another drill/move to feel the upward push I mentioned in my last post. Allow the right foot to come off the ground slightly and then step on it to start the swing.

I'm doing something similar here, check out my right foot before I swing.

 

[saevel25]

18 minutes ago, mvmac said:

Basically in order to turn fully, the trail side has to stretch. I feel that my right ribs are stretching up and out, direction of the arrows below. This gives me a good mix of turn and tilt.

Apparently, my previous way of turning did not achieve this stretching movement. New muscle got a work out.

 

[mvmac]

 

[mvmac]

 

[Vinsk]

I think this was even mentioned in a recent tournament (Travelers?) how some don’t lose flex in the trail leg. IIRC it was Henley. I might be wrong but it appears he doesn’t lose flex in his. I find it much more difficult to make a good hip rotation without letting some straightening of my trail leg occur.

Edited July 12, 2018 by Vinsk

[mvmac]

14 hours ago, Vinsk said:

I might be wrong but it appears he doesn’t lose flex in his.

He does.

[Vinsk]

4 hours ago, mvmac said:

He does.

Well you’ve got a better eye for it than I do. It looks to me that he just points his rear knee more to his right but maintains the same flex. And honestly I’m not sure he’s the one mentioned. I do remember on the broadcast they showed a swing and the player almost looked to be slightly squatting the entire backswing. 

[iacas]

@Vinsk it’s not like it’s s key.  Just a 98% kinda thing.