A drill for golfers with a backswing that is too steep!
Growing up in a small, rural town, I didn’t have access to a lot of instruction. Nor was it easily available. Sites like GolfWRX weren’t around at the time. Being fascinated with the golf swing at an early age, I had to rely on trial and error with my own swing, an old-school camera and the once-a-month Golf Digest issue.
Every month, I would scan that Golf Digest for tips from the best golfers and golf instructors in the world. The names changed, but the same old instruction was often given in the write ups. I would constantly try to mirror the images of what I saw, following the tips to gain more power and to be more consistent.
Then there was our PGA Teaching Professional at our local golf course. The 10th hole at our local muni had a creek running across the fairway, a good 230 yards out. Usually with a few spectators on hand, Tad would tee up a ball, place a towel on the ground and proceed to hit a driver from his knees, clearing the creek with ease. At first sight, it was simply hard to believe. Many bets were won with that swing.
Already being a student of the swing, this left me confused.
How could he create so much speed and power from that position? Everything I read told me that power came from a “big shoulder turn” on the backswing and “firing my hips” on the downswing.
At the time, I thought my local PGA pro had mastered a trick-shot. Now I realize that a ball off your knees, or just swinging from your knees, is the best drill for your golf swing and can instantly change your game.
Here’s why.
When you swing the club from your knees, it forces you to turn your upper body in the proper direction and maintain your spine angle. The best way to make contact is to fold up your right arm, which will pull your body into the proper coil position behind the ball. Simply folding up your right arm will pull your shoulders around, so a conscious, big shoulder turn is not necessary.
To a player who doesn’t turn in the proper direction, swinging from your knees will feel more around or level with the shoulders at first. “Tilters” as I call them, or players whose spines tend to move toward the target on their backswing. They will not be able to make contact doing this drill. When they attempt this swing they will hit well behind the ball, and will have to adjust.
Swinging from your knees is also a great drill to produce speed, especially arm speed. Being down in this position will stabilize your body, getting rid of extra moving parts. Now you can generate shaft speed with your arms.
Source: Kelvin Kelley Golf Wrx
Pictures: Golf Wrx
Thanks for reading – Will hitting a ball off your knees improve your golf swing?
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