subject: Golf Tip:Maintain The Bend [print this page] Golf Tip:Maintain The Bend Golf Tip:Maintain The Bend
There are many important facets to a good golf swing, but maintaining the bend in the right knee is one that simply can't be overlooked. When a student comes to me with a common complaint, I always take a close look at his or her body angles, and make certain that their posture and knee position are constant throughout the swing(Ping Rapture V2 Fairway Wood).
Typically, golfers who straighten the right knee suffer from a sliding or swaying of the hips in the backswing. If the student is having problems with posture or knee position, it's not worth spending a lot of time working on other aspects of the swing. Solid results just can't be achieved without correcting these problems first.
Of course, these problems, along with the reverse pivot, are extremely common faults for recreational golfers, so it's no surprise that a straightening of the right knee is also very common. The only way to prevent right-knee straightening is to keep the lower body centered and acting as a base of support. This way, the upper body will have the freedom to get behind the ball without affecting the angle or bend of the right leg.
It's important to understand that trying to restrict the movement of the right leg while making your regular backswing won't remedy the problem. The ideal situation is one in which the swing works without mechanics that affect the bend of the right knee.
First, assume your address position, and have your friend stand behind you, placing the head of one club against your left shoulder and the head of the other club against your left hip. Then, take a backswing. If your hip moves off the Ping Rapture Hybrid, then you've swayed, and your right leg and knee have straightened to some degree.
Instead, you want the left shoulder to move off the Ping Rapture Iron Set to the inside of the right foot, and the left hip to rotate while staying in contact with the club. This will ensure that you've maintained your original spine angle throughout the backswing, while also helping retain the original angle of the right knee.
Continue practicing this drill until the proper position feels natural. It might take some time, but if you can learn to maintain your right-knee flex and spine angle throughout the swing, you'll be well on your way to developing a more solid, consistent golf game.
The key to achieving this effortless backswing is keeping the spine angle you establish at address a constant. The spine angle and right-knee bend are closely related, and it's necessary to maintain both angles for a solid golf swing.
