Ava Romero
Me and My Golf is a golf training platform founded by golfers Piers Ward, Andy Proudman, and Neil Dawson. The platform offers guided practice plans, live practice tools, and video tutorials to help golfers improve their flexibility, mobility, and mindset. One aspect of the golf swing that Me and My Golf aims to improve is the use of the legs, which is often overlooked by amateur golfers. Proper use of the legs can generate more power and control in the swing, as the legs are the primary movers, with the arms and torso following. Drills and exercises that focus on the lower body, such as squats and hip rotations, can help golfers improve their swing and overall performance.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Founders | PGA coaches Piers Ward and Andy Proudman, along with Neil Dawson |
| Rating | 4.8 out of 5 |
| Courses | Pure Your Irons Blueprint, Break 90 in weeks, etc. |
| Benefits | Simple instruction, drills, guided practice plans, live practice tool, mobility and recovery routines, etc. |
| Use of legs in golf swing | Legs are the primary movers, with the arms and torso following. |
| The legs should be in the proper position to unleash power and create a fluid, natural, relaxed, and easy-to-control swing. | |
| The movement of the hips and waist is important, with the hips twisting and sliding forward during the downswing. | |
| The left leg for a right-handed player is the lead leg, pushing up to create club head speed. | |
| Squatting and pushing the legs into the ground can help with stability and timing. |
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What You'll Learn
Hip rotation and weight transfer
The legs are the primary movers in a golf swing, with the arms and torso following. The hips and waist are the first things to start the downswing after the backswing. The goal is to turn your hips back to their original position and slide them towards your target. This, combined with the twisting of your hips, creates more power than your arms could alone.
To improve your hip rotation, get into your address position without a club and make a mock backswing. Let your arms flow freely to the top while rotating your hips and shoulders. Now, drive your left hip rotationally. Don't just slide—get your hips square to the ball by the time your left arm is parallel to the ground. Keep the width in your stance, too. Simply sliding your hips negates needed rotation.
The amount of weight shift and its timing with regard to active trunk rotation are critical in optimising club head velocity. Studies have shown that skilled golfers initiate the downswing motion from the pelvic segment, with a sequential activation of the leg and hip muscles followed by the upper body muscles. This creates a rapid weight transfer from the trail foot to the lead foot.
To improve your weight transfer, try the following drill: get into a squatting position and do a couple of pumps to make sure you're getting the right movement. Then, pull forward. Don't feel like you have to hit it solid because it is difficult to do so without a full swing. Be patient with yourself and the drill—it might take a few swings or even a couple of weeks to get it right.
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Leg and hip movement
The legs are the primary movers in a golf swing, and the arms and torso follow. Incorrect use of the legs and bad footwork could be what's holding back your golf swing.
To start your downswing, your hips and waist should be the first things to move, followed by your arms. Your goal is to turn your hips back to their original position and slide them slightly forward towards your target. This, combined with the twisting of your hips, creates more power than your arms could alone.
To practice using your legs, focus on hip rotation and weight transfer. When you are at the top of your backswing, drive your right hip forward, transferring your weight to the ball of your left foot, and pivot your body around the left leg. You can also try tugging on your belt loops: on the backswing, tug on a belt loop on your right hip, and then to fire through, tug on a belt loop on your left hip.
You can also try a squat move. As you set up, your knee should come forward and out so that you are almost squatting, as if you are sitting down. You should feel your feet pushing into the ground, giving you stability.
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Footwork and leg positioning
To begin understanding footwork and leg positioning, it is essential to focus on the movement of the hips and waist. As the swing starts, the arms move first, but during the downswing, the hips and waist take precedence, returning to their original position while also sliding slightly forward towards the target. This hip and waist movement creates more power and distance than arm movement alone.
For right-handed golfers, the left leg is the lead leg. During the downswing, the right hip is driven forward, transferring the weight to the ball of the left foot while pivoting around the left leg. This weight transfer is a crucial aspect of footwork and leg positioning, as it helps generate power and coil or torque between the upper and lower body.
Additionally, the legs can provide stability during the swing. One technique is to push the feet into the ground, creating a stable base over the ball. This technique helps prevent jumping up, which can disrupt the fluidity of the swing.
Drills and exercises can help improve footwork and leg positioning. For example, half-shot drills can be performed to focus on the leg movement, where the golfer squats and does a few pumps before pulling forward. While these drills may be challenging, patience and persistence are key to improving footwork and leg positioning over time.
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Drills for leg usage
While the golf swing is often thought of as an upper-body movement, the legs are the primary movers and a source of great power and control. The correct use of the legs during the swing will allow you to create a fluid, natural, relaxed, and easy-to-control movement.
The One-Leg Swing Drill
This drill is an excellent way to enhance your balance and power, improve stability and strength, and develop core muscles. It involves performing a full swing while standing on one leg (the right leg for right-handed golfers and the left for left-handed golfers) and raising the opposite foot slightly off the ground. This drill forces the golfer to engage core muscles, stabilize using the leg muscles, and synchronize the movement of the upper body with the lower body.
Leg Swing Drill
This drill will strengthen your rotary muscles and give you the correct feeling of releasing your back thigh through the ball. Start by using a club like a cane for balance and do three sets of 10 leg swings. Then, place the club on the ground and, when you can do it without losing your balance, add a 7-iron for a few swings, and then hit some balls.
Half Shots
This drill involves coming into your setup and doing a couple of pumps before pulling forward. This drill is challenging, and you might not hit a solid shot at first. Don't be hard on yourself, and remember that drills are meant to improve your game over time.
Tempo and Rhythm Drills
These drills emphasize the sequential movement of the legs throughout the swing, promoting fluidity and synchronization between the lower body and upper body. Practice the turn and weight transfer from back to front without a club to focus on the specific sequence.
Lunges, Squats, and Single-Leg Balance Exercises
Uni-lateral leg exercises will improve your body control and help you achieve fluidity throughout the lower body sequence.
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Leg-focused training plans
While the golf swing is often thought of as an upper-body motion, the legs are actually the primary movers, with the arms and torso following. By focusing on your legs, you can unlock power, control, and fluidity in your swing.
Phase 1: Building Basic Strength and Muscle
Start with basic leg exercises to build strength and muscle endurance. This can include squats, lunges, and calf raises. For example, try single-leg squats to improve stability and coordination. Focus on proper form and technique to build a strong foundation.
Phase 2: Power Development
Once you have built a solid strength base, progress to exercises that focus on power development. This can include more dynamic movements such as squat jumps, box jumps, or using a Bosu ball to enhance balance and strengthen stabilizing muscles.
Phase 3: Golf-Specific Movement Patterns
In this phase, you will apply your improved leg strength and power to golf-specific movements. Practice drills such as the ones described by Paige:
> "I always feel like I've had a very athletic swing... I really use my legs throughout the entire swing... I turn back, and the first thing I think of is this knee kind of coming forward and out so I have almost like a squat. It's almost like you're sitting down and I feel my feet pushing into the ground. I feel really stable over the ball."
Phase 4: Fine-Tuning and Maintenance
In this final phase, continue to refine your leg usage during the golf swing. Focus on the subtle movements of your hips and waist, ensuring they are in the proper position throughout your swing. This will help you unleash power and create a fluid and natural swing.
Remember, proper warm-up and cool-down routines are crucial before and after each training session. Additionally, periodization training, which involves dividing your training plan into distinct phases, can help you structure your workouts and maximize gains in strength and endurance.
By following this leg-focused training plan, you can improve your golf swing, unlock power, and take your game to the next level.
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Frequently asked questions
Me and My Golf is a platform founded by golfers, for golfers. It provides simple, step-by-step plans to fix every area of your game, with coaching plans that show you what to practise to improve your game.
One tip is to focus on hip rotation and weight transfer. When you're at the top of your backswing, drive your right hip forward, transferring your weight to the ball of your left foot, and pivoting your body around the left leg. Another tip is to squat and push your legs into the ground to feel more stable.
A common issue is that golfers don't use their legs enough during their swing, relying too much on their upper body. Another issue could be that golfers are using their legs, but not effectively.
