Legs Do The Work

by Lawrence Hamilton
(Van Nuys, Ca.)

Let's look at how the legs function in the golf swing. You start the downswing with a lateral slide.

This slide will continue until the hips can no longer continue to slide forward and then 'must' begin to turn.

The key to this forward slide/turn is that the head must remain behind the ball.

When the hips have reached their maximum distince, they then will begin to turn.

But, in order for the hips to slide forward, we must 'push' into the ground with the right 'instep'.

As we push down into the ground we are allowing the legs to generate the 'motion' of the rhythm and timing, and taking the arms and hands out of the recipe.

The arms will follow the motion of the body. The hands follow the arms, and the clubhead will follow the hands.

This leg action dictates whether we will hit consistant or sporadic shots.

Sure, we have all hit good shots with poor swings (and only God knows how), but if you look at the Pro's on Tour, you don't see many who don't have good lower body leg action.

Just look at Fred Couples beautiful rhythm. There is not a golfer on the tour who slides 'laterally' forward more than he does.

For a simple lesson (and after all is said and done), we can see how a pitcher throws the fastball.

It is only possible after he 'loads' the right foot into the mound, coils, 'pushes' into the ground with the right instep, laterally slides forward and rotates the body, which unleashes the right side/arm as the body continues the rotation onto the left side.

Lets look at the hitter. He also 'sets' the weight on the right instep, pushes off the right instep, laterally slides keeping the head behind impact, and allows the continued rotation of the body to carry the arms and ultimately the bat.

So, the basic lesson here is to allow the legwork to dictate the swing. We can 'hit' the ball many different ways.

We can even 'bunt', but a professional, efficient and powerful motion through the ball is one where we begin from the ground up, with a 'delayed' release of the arms and hands.

This delayed action is referred to as 'conservation of angular momentum', and most amatuers don't have a clear understanding of this concept (including the editor of this website).

So, to better understand this 'legwork' coupled with 'the conservation of angular momentum', let's study Ben Hogan.

Professionals have been teaching his swing for the last fifty years. He has a significant lateral slide!

In his book, 'The Modern Fundamental of Golf'(pg. 90), he states, "To begin the downswing, TURN YOUR HIPS BACK TO THE LEFT.

THERE MUST BE ENOUGH LATERAL MOTION FORWARD TO TRANSFER THE WEIGHT TO THE LEFT FOOT".

He emphasizes the turning of the hips, but in observing his swing in slow motion, we see a significant 'lateral' slide.

We can further reference the delayed action of the right arm/elbow (pg 98).

"The elbow "leads" the arm-it is the part of the arm nearest the target as he begins to make the throw.

The forearm and hand catch up with the elbow, and the player's arm is extended relatively straight when he releases the ball."

So, the golf swing initiates from the ground up, 'legwork'!

All Class A Professionals will teach this 'fundamental' motion.

The harder part of the swing is the 'taking-out' of the swing, the 'instinct' of trying to hit the ball with the hands.

Once we can understand the 'delayed' hand action (the conservation of angular momentum), are we on the path to reaching our 'maximum' potential.

I would highly recommend Ben Hogan's book, "The Modern Fundamentals of Golf" (hopefully the editor of this web page has read it).

You can also go to Brian Manzella(GSED)web page for an excellent analysis of Ben Hogan's swing.

Hopefully, the editor of this website has seen it!!!

Bla, bla, and more bla dee bla.

If you had read this website particularly the homepage, you would have realised that the main theme is rather different from your message.

The body just doesn't understand words.

You can't tell your hips to slide as far as possible towards the target, and when they can slide no further, start to turn.

Oh yeah and as they are doing this tell the head that it has to stay behind the ball. Oh yeah, and tell the hands that they are to do nothing.

Not the message I am trying to get across. Go to this page...

Link to Modern Coaching page

or my page on Kelley's Golfing Machine...

Homer Kelley

and you will get a gist of what I am trying to preach. In fact, I can remember being just like you.

As Timothy Gallwey, "The Inner Game of Golf", writes,

"Golf teaching professionals certainly know a lot about the golf swing, it's a pity most of them don't know how to teach it."

I do exclude some of my colleagues from this list although they have to remind themselves sometimes not to slip back into their old ways.

Lawrence read a few more of my pages before you start throwing stones at my website. I am trying to help promote an non-directional coaching process.

Like Gallwey, Shoemaker, MacHatton, Schaeffer, McKinney and many more.

And please stop showing me that you ate a golf instruction encyclopedia and for God's sake stop spitting the words out at me repeatedly.

Keep
It
Simple
Sir Lawrence