Tip Tuesday: How Proper Legwork Helps Extension in Your Swing

In the latest tip of his swing extension series, Ted Frick of the Classic Swing Golf School at Legends Golf Resort in Myrtle Beach, S.C. shows us the basic “do’s” and “don’ts” of legwork in the golf swing – and how they can both support and hinder proper extension in the golf swing.

Ted Frick:
All right so, this might sound crazy, but stability, and the functionality of proper leg work helps arm extension in the swing. Or it can deter from the enjoyment because I’m going to show you what to do, and what not to do.

In your backstroke, and we talked about the importance in the first clip in the wall touch, when that left shoulder’s going down and that right hip’s going around, because I’ve got to get my shoulders moving at right angles to the spine, I can’t go this way. It is so important that that right knee accepts the energy by staying fixed and flexed. There can be gentle extension. But, I tell you, if I see that the leg moving into this type of extension, I promise you the triangle will break down when that right leg is moved into this type of a post.

The same time, the opposite of that would be, as the golf club’s moving back, trying to create width, if the right knee starts moving outside that right heel or ankle, and when that right knee is moving outside that ankle, the upper body moves into a swaying position. And, again, you will lose the structure of your triangle. You’ll lose the width of your arc. So, the greatest support that that right knee could do is be an anchor and stay fixed and flexed in that backstroke.

And you work on that as you’re working on your pivot. Rotate that left shoulder down, that right hip around, over a fixed flex right knee. Well, here comes the lead side because we know our body’s pressure is moving into that lead side. And the greatest support that that left leg could do is move into an extended position. Like we’d like to call it a divergent force. As that right shoulder’s moving down into impact that left leg is shooting up. And when that left leg is shooting up and straightening, it encourages the left hip to rotate. I know this sounds like a lot, but it’s how it’s supposed to work. Because when that left leg is straightening, encouraging the left hip to rotate, that’s going to enable us to get to this extension to the golf ball.

So, if the left knee stays soft coming through the shot, then what happens here is the left hip really slides. So, you’re not going to get this trunk rotation through the ball. And when you don’t have the trunk rotation through the ball, again, you’re running out of right arm. And that gives you this look at post impact, cause and effect.

So, again, then I’ll just hit a drive here. So, I’m going to anchor my right knee, keep it fixed, and flexed in that backstroke as I stay wide and high with those arms. Coming through the golf ball, I’m going to be rotating around a firm left side, like posting up to a nice finish.

All right, first swing of the day. So, here we go. Arms nice and soft. I’m setting up my driver. But this is about how the legs support the arms for extension in the golf swing.

All right, work on your leg action. It’s going to help for weight transfer. Hope you’re enjoying this!