Myth of Maintaining Your Address Flex in the Rear Knee

[nrage33]

This worked for me during my last round. Stopped hitting it fat. My follow through was all over the place though (felt kinda funny implementing the knee flex), but the ball went straight, got a lot more GIRs and I played to my handicap for the round.

Such a simple fix. Will hafta work on the follow through but so far so good. Thanks again!

[mvmac]

Originally Posted by nrage33

This worked for me during my last round. Stopped hitting it fat. My follow through was all over the place though (felt kinda funny implementing the knee flex), but the ball went straight, got a lot more GIRs and I played to my handicap for the round.

Such a simple fix. Will hafta work on the follow through but so far so good. Thanks again!

Great to hear!  The "implementing the knee flex" are you referring to regaining flex on the downswing?  Not something you have to think about, happens pretty automatically.

[nrage33]

Originally Posted by mvmac

Great to hear!  The "implementing the knee flex" are you referring to regaining flex on the downswing?  Not something you have to think about, happens pretty automatically.

Yup correct, 'regaining flex on the downswing' is what I was referring to, I suppose it did happen automatically...and contact was solid as ever, but during the follow through, I found my entire body lifting up and all the weight ended up on my back foot. Not at every iron shot, but maybe 60% of the time. I should probably get a video up to explain it better.

I guess now it's a small matter of fine-tuning the weight-shift after impact. But the great thing is that my swing path HAS been corrected, and the shots are getting more accurate.

[golfobsession]

just got pointed to this.  very interesting.

Is the straigtening the left leg part of the stack and tilt swing or something seperate.

[mvmac]

Originally Posted by golfobsession

just got pointed to this.  very interesting.

Is the straigtening the left leg part of the stack and tilt swing or something seperate.

Part of the S&T pattern is for the trail knee to lose flex and the left to gain flex on the backswing.  But like I said no S&T golfers have been featured in the thread or video

[Taylor Johnson]

This is a great thread, I think this is going to change my swing for the better. As with many things in golf, I really wish I had found this site sooner.

I think this will cure my head tipping forward and dipping down in my backswing which I've been fighting for a while, even when I tell myself to keep it still. I had been trying to maintain way too much flex in the right knee in the backswing. I think this will also increase my shoulder turn. Excited to try it out.

mvmac, your son's swing is real impressive! I'm excited to dig deeper into this site, I like what I'm reading.

[MbolicGolf]

Last night I had a lesson with a really good young teacher and he told me my problem was that I straigtend my back leg and that was what was messing me up, he took a picture of me at the top of my swing and I'll post it when I get home. So I tried to prevent keep the back leg from straitening and it fixed my driver swiing a bit but then it just put everything else off kilter. He also said I shoudl quiet my lowe body. Thoughts? Advice? Thanks.

[iacas]

Originally Posted by MbolicGolf

Last night I had a lesson with a really good young teacher and he told me my problem was that I straigtend my back leg and that was what was messing me up, he took a picture of me at the top of my swing and I'll post it when I get home. So I tried to prevent keep the back leg from straitening and it fixed my driver swiing a bit but then it just put everything else off kilter. He also said I shoudl quiet my lowe body. Thoughts? Advice? Thanks.

It's going to be tough to say without anything more than that, but the trail leg should decrease flex throughout the backswing to allow the trail hip to rotate back and up. Same is true of every club, and more important with the driver. Bubba Watson's hip turn is huge, and his knee straightens quite a bit.

[canadianpro]

The move , which I am sure has been mentioned in this thread is that the right leg "straightens" ....not "stiffens"

There still is some flex left in the right leg before pressure is exerted on the right foot....then, in my opinion the right foot banks as the knee regains some flex and then the right leg straightens as the hips slide and turn....

[MiniBlueDragon]

I'd love to hear peoples' thoughts/feelings regarding the re-flexion of the rear knee at the start of the downswing. I tend to straighten the rear leg a fair amount (as I should) but then at the top for some reason I give the leg an extra 'kick' straight and it seems to pretty much remain straight for the majority of the downswing, only re-flexing toward impact.

Need to figure out a way to prompt myself into re-flexing it I believe.

[MbolicGolf]

Originally Posted by iacas

It's going to be tough to say without anything more than that, but the trail leg should decrease flex throughout the backswing to allow the trail hip to rotate back and up. Same is true of every club, and more important with the driver. Bubba Watson's hip turn is huge, and his knee straightens quite a bit.

Check out this picture and let me know what you see if you would be so kind Erik.

Originally Posted by canadianpro

The move , which I am sure has been mentioned in this thread is that the right leg "straightens" ....not "stiffens"

There still is some flex left in the right leg before pressure is exerted on the right foot....then, in my opinion the right foot banks as the knee regains some flex and then the right leg straightens as the hips slide and turn....

That might be what I'm doing.

[Matt Mangold]

I'd love to be able to keep my rear leg straight more on the downswing.  I'd like to see a picture or video of you to see just how straight it is.  Be careful of trying to flex it too much on the downswing or your upper center will tip back and you could hit fat shots.

[MbolicGolf]

I will when it gets warm enough to go outside. Need more light.

[iacas]

Originally Posted by MiniBlueDragon

I'd love to hear peoples' thoughts/feelings regarding the re-flexion of the rear knee at the start of the downswing.

The short answer? It regains address flexion around A6, then extends from there. It shouldn't ever cross through "the wall" established at A1.

[mvmac]

Originally Posted by MiniBlueDragon

I'd love to hear peoples' thoughts/feelings regarding the re-flexion of the rear knee at the start of the downswing. I tend to straighten the rear leg a fair amount (as I should) but then at the top for some reason I give the leg an extra 'kick' straight and it seems to pretty much remain straight for the majority of the downswing, only re-flexing toward impact.

Need to figure out a way to prompt myself into re-flexing it I believe.

Swing looks really good btw. Not to get too far off topic but here's what I see, using Hunter Mahan

Originally Posted by iacas

The short answer? It regains address flexion around A6, then extends from there. It shouldn't ever cross through "the wall" established at A1.

Originally Posted by MbolicGolf

Check out this picture and let me know what you see if you would be so kind Erik.

That might be what I'm doing.

Looks good to me, could even turn the right hip a little deeper

[MiniBlueDragon]

Thanks guys. :)

[mvmac]

I've gotten into this a little on this thread and on another thread about flaring the feet in the set-up.  Important to not only flare the feet (turn them out) but also have the knees turned out as well.  I'll re-post that info here about how the body works and how it makes sense to turn the feet out, especially the rear foot, rather than perpendicular to the stance line.

The hip is a ball and socket joint. The thigh bone (femur) ends with a rounded projection or ball (femoral head), which fits into the socket (acetabulum) of the pelvic girdle.

The hips go from flexion to extension.  Flexion of the hip occurs when the angle between the torso and thigh is decreased. When this angle is increased extension occurs.  Ok so what does all that mean?  We play golf on an inclined plane and to get the hips to accomodate for that, the trail knee has to lose, release flexion.  Check out Rory and Sam Snead, their trail hips are higher than the left at the top of their back swings, it will be the opposite on the followthrough.  Flaring the feet our helps the trail knee lose flexion.

The toothpicks and clay was an example Dana Dahlquist gave me (below)  If we try to turn the hips level, staying in address flexion, that's when we're working against how our bodies we designed to move.

[Bullitt5339]

You wouldn't believe how much this tip has helped my irons in the past week.  I always felt like I was trying to fight my legs and hips in the backswing, because I was always taught to keep the knees flexed.  By allowing my right leg to extend on the backswing, it not only feels more natural, it has allowed me (as a guy with serious back problems) to not feel as much discomfort in my back and hips after a round of golf.