Why Flaring Your Feet at Address Makes Golf Easier

[Hammer 4]

I've noticed I tend to stand very square to the ball and as I have a bad back I struggle to get a full shoulder turn. Perhaps flaring my feet more will give me a little extra flexibility.

I also have a bad back. For me, and you might try this, is not only to flare your feet, but to bow your legs, sorta like you are riding a horse, this give you some "cushion" it helps me to have a bigger hip, and shoulder turn, while putting the least amount of strain on my back. I would also recommend that you go slow at first, make some 1/2, 3/4 swings slow, as you get use to the feeling, you can speed it up.

[mvmac]

I've noticed I tend to stand very square to the ball and as I have a bad back I struggle to get a full shoulder turn. Perhaps flaring my feet more will give me a little extra flexibility.

Yep absolutely, I talk about that in the OP.

For the back also make sure you're not doing anything weird with the posture.

[golfbarefoot]

This is interesting to me.  I must admit, this one is easily overlooked... but a very nice tip you have here.  Thanks

[Dean Greene]

Flairing the front foot and rear foot out is ok. However at the impact position your left leg is not in Neutral Joint Alignment and could blow out your knee over time. Our knees is not made to go side to side, it go's up and down. Your position at impact in your old swing is much better. Hitting into a firm left side, left leg is straight.  Just an observation.

[Phil McGleno]

Flairing the front foot and rear foot out is ok. However at the impact position your left leg is not in Neutral Joint Alignment and could blow out your knee over time. Our knees is not made to go side to side, it go's up and down. Your position at impact in your old swing is much better. Hitting into a firm left side, left leg is straight.  Just an observation.

Took me a little time to find this but here: [quote name="iacas" url="/t/72411/protecting-that-left-knee/18#post_949027"]When we visited Dr. Kwon (a biomechanist near Dallas, TX) he was just in the early stages of doing a trial on whether flaring the feet helps or hurts golfers. Flaring the foot helps reduce rotational torque on the knee, particularly in the follow-through, yet a lot of PGA Tour players play with very square toes. I theorized, and Dr. Kwon liked this possibility, that players square their lead foot in to help slow their rotation during the downswing, then allow it to spin out (some even on their heels a little - as I said it's not always a swing flaw) to reduce pressure from the torque. In other words, they're trying to get the "best of both worlds:" the reduced downswing turning from having it squared in, but then releasing it and letting it turn out so as not to shred their knee during the follow-through.[/quote] Biomechanically I agree you are better off with a flared left foot. PGA Tour pros and good players will have a square foot often so that they do not over-rotate on the downswing (hips too open) yet to relieve STRESS on their knee they will unweight their left foot and let it spin out AFTER impact. The knee can still move up and down.

[mvmac]

Flairing the front foot and rear foot out is ok. However at the impact position your left leg is not in Neutral Joint Alignment and could blow out your knee over time.

As @Phil McGleno pointed out, the lead foot being flared out helps relieve stress on the knee. You typically see good players at A6 (shaft parallel to the ground on the downswing) with their left knee flexed outside their left ankle.

Your position at impact in your old swing is much better. Hitting into a firm left side, left leg is straight.  Just an observation.

Who are you referring to? To the first post in the thread? It's not a before and after, the left pic is an example of what poor players typically do.

[dkolo]

As @Phil McGleno pointed out, the lead foot being flared out helps relieve stress on the knee. You typically see good players at A6 (shaft parallel to the ground on the downswing) with their left knee flexed outside their left ankle.

Who are you referring to? To the first post in the thread? It's not a before and after, the left pic is an example of what poor players typically do.

For what it's worth, I tweaked my back knee just before New Year's and I've been working on a little more flare out to alleviate stress on that knee. It's helped so far, but it takes some getting used to. I'll see if I stick with it once (hopefully not "if") everything is feeling good in my knee.

[Tref]

I have been suffering with bad wedge play for ages and hitting shanks and fat shots......today I tried just flaring my right foot and my wedge shots have been great right on the button....so I tried it on the drives (which I have no problem with normally and hit quiet long) and the length of my drives increased over 20+ yards to pushing the 300 mark ( this in winter with very wet fairways). I came on here to see if there was an article about this right foot flare....to say I'm happy with the explanation I have found and the way it had helped me today...just words doesn't do justice. :-D

[mvmac]

I have been suffering with bad wedge play for ages and hitting shanks and fat shots......today I tried just flaring my right foot and my wedge shots have been great right on the button....so I tried it on the drives (which I have no problem with normally and hit quiet long) and the length of my drives increased over 20+ yards to pushing the 300 mark ( this in winter with very wet fairways). I came on here to see if there was an article about this right foot flare....to say I'm happy with the explanation I have found and the way it had helped me today...just words doesn't do justice.

Good things can happen when golfers are open minded

[Tref]

I agree.... open minds are the only type that learn....what I didn't say was I shot 78....42-36 and won the comp.....as one can see I used the flare on the back nine.....try it folks you will get a more through the ball feeling!

[Lihu]

I agree.... open minds are the only type that learn....what I didn't say was I shot 78....42-36 and won the comp.....as one can see I used the flare on the back nine.....try it folks you will get a more through the ball feeling!

Sure, if I didn't it would put excessive strain on my ankles.

And good job winning the comp.

[Crim]

I've added a bit of flare since I first read this thread, and I love it. However last week I saw a picture that Golf Digest put out and I noticed that when setting up for a draw, they lose the flare on the back foot that they have when they are working the fade stance. Personally, I still have a bit of trouble with my draw consistency on the longer clubs and and I tested out the less flare on the back foot in a draw stance. It seemed to help out a little bit, is this just a band-aid? Does it matter? I'm sure you can hit a draw just as well with plenty of back foot flare, but this did seem to work for me.

[iacas]

I've added a bit of flare since I first read this thread, and I love it. However last week I saw a picture that Golf Digest put out and I noticed that when setting up for a draw, they lose the flare on the back foot that they have when they are working the fade stance. Personally, I still have a bit of trouble with my draw consistency on the longer clubs and and I tested out the less flare on the back foot in a draw stance. It seemed to help out a little bit, is this just a band-aid? Does it matter? I'm sure you can hit a draw just as well with plenty of back foot flare, but this did seem to work for me.

The amount of flare there is almost irrelevant. I could make a case that restricting hip turn back (with less flare) makes it less likely to draw the ball, too.

The "pull your foot back" (regardless of flare) simply tends to align your path more right-ward or OUTward. That's how that works. The picture doesn't really have anything to do with foot flare.

[Crim]

The amount of flare there is almost irrelevant. I could make a case that restricting hip turn back (with less flare) makes it less likely to draw the ball, too.

The "pull your foot back" (regardless of flare) simply tends to align your path more right-ward or OUTward. That's how that works. The picture doesn't really have anything to do with foot flare.

Well I've always pulled my foot just slightly back to align myself up more right-ward for draws, but I wasn't sure if flare had anything to do with it. I guess it doesn't...maybe I was just hitting the ball especially well that day, i dunno.

[PhraseUniverse]

Nice tip. I will give this a try tonight.

[pumaAttack]

I have to disagree with this whole notion.  I think the front foot should be flared but not the back foot.

http://www.mytpi.com/articles/swing/the_position_of_the_right_foot

I looked at videos of Rory, Tiger, Adam Scott, Rickie Fowler, and Jordan Spieth.  None of them had their back foot flared.

[No Mulligans]

I have to disagree with this whole notion.  I think the front foot should be flared but not the back foot.

http://www.mytpi.com/articles/swing/the_position_of_the_right_foot

I looked at videos of Rory, Tiger, Adam Scott, Rickie Fowler, and Jordan Spieth.  None of them had their back foot flared.

However you can find plenty of players that do flare their back foot... including Hogan.

The first quote in the article you referenced is from Hogan who said " The right foot is at a right angle to the line of flight…", but here is Hogan at address with his back foot flared.

[iacas]

I have to disagree with this whole notion.  I think the front foot should be flared but not the back foot.

http://www.mytpi.com/articles/swing/the_position_of_the_right_foot

I disagree. Flaring the foot makes it easier to turn the hip in the backswing. It also makes it easier to stop the right knee from kicking in toward the ball in the downswing. Not a huge fan of this (square feet can lead to swaying, yes):

I looked at videos of Rory, Tiger, Adam Scott, Rickie Fowler, and Jordan Spieth.  None of them had their back foot flared.

Really? First two Tiger videos I loaded up. And one I shot personally.