This is part 3 of a 3-part series on building a powerful and consistent golf swing
Part 1 – How To Load The Club During The Backswing
Part 2 – Foot Pressure In The Golf Swing & How To Feel It
Part 3 – [You Are Here] Golf Swing Side Tilting & Extending | Weight Distribution Data
I’ve always thought the older guys had the swing figured out more than we do today.
I have dozens of classic books from guys like Ben Hogan, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Percy Boomer, John Jacobs and the list goes on and on.
The topic of weight distribution and foot pressure at different points in the swing is important to understand because many of the top Pros produce similar patterns.
If we can understand and learn these patterns, we can emulate them ourselves and in-turn improve our golf swings.
Let’s start by talking about the difference between pressure and weight.
Pressure
Basically this is what we want to feel under our feet during the swing.
The top Pros LOAD AND EXPLODE. They load the majority of pressure into their trail foot halfway back.
Then the majority of pressure under their lead foot halfway down.
Unfortunately what many amateurs do to copy this move is sway their body (head/hips) over their trail foot during the backswing. This makes it very difficult to get the hips forward at impact.
So there’s an issue for most golfers in understanding weight distribution and pressure distribution.
Weight
Weight refers to the mass of the body moving in the swing.
If you move your head or hips towards over your trail foot on your backswing, you’ve shifted your weight. You can see this when recording your swing using something like the V1 golf app.
Just draw a line next to your lead ear and trail hip. During your backswing, try and stay within these lines.
This is essentially a centered backswing.
But how do we achieve this functionally?
Well besides from the spine turning/rotating we also want some tilting/side bending (towards the target) and some extending from its original forward flex.
The spine moves 3-dimensionally throughout the swing. It Tilts, Turns & Extends during the backswing and this happens simultaneously.
This keeps the head relatively stable and you’ll have pivoted around two central points – Center of shoulders & Center of hips.
The Pouncing Cat
Ben Hogan at The Top
Ben Hogan about to make his downswing.
His hips have moved more towards his lead foot, before the club has started its journey down. His mass (weight) has moved forward at the top of his swing.
How he gets there with regard to the pressure under his feet is another subject. But given all the data we have from modern golf pros I would guess he loaded the majority of his pressure under his trail foot during the backswing and starts to transfer this pressure to his lead foot at the top.
This leads us to some information from Mike Bennett and Andy Plummer which received some scrutiny.
Although they don’t really cover the pressure topic, as they thought it would simply confuse golfers (I agree..)
In their DVD (stack and tilt 2.0) they describe having the weight (mass) slightly forward at setup and gradually moving the weight (mass) forward throughout the swing.
Take a look at Troy Mattesson below. Who talks about hitting a draw with ease and still hits the ball 300 yards.
PGA Tour Player Troy Mattesson’ foot pressure at the top. Troy Mattesson is coached by Mike Bennett and Andy Plummer – Data from Stack and Tilt
This is because there has still been a pressure shift early on in his backswing.
Looking at the images above, I think this is spot on!
The weight (mass) model should be similar to the following:
Setup (P1): 55% over lead foot
Top of Backswing (P4): 60% over lead foot
Left arm Parallel on Downswing (P5): 70% over lead foot
Shaft Parallel on Downswing (p6): 80% over lead foot
Impact (p7): 90% over lead foot
This is done by controlling the hips moving laterally during the swing. The head should stay pretty stable.
Once you combine this weight (mass) model with the pressure patterns (the feel under our feet) of the worlds best players. We can start to understand how to produce power and be consistent.
Here’s Sean O Hair talking about how he moves his hips foward during his backswing by creating space between a stick in the ground and his trail pocket.
Although he nailed the description of the backswing, he described the downswing incorrectly. The hips move gradually closer/over the lead foot. They don’t just rotate.
Look how Ben Hogans hips gradually move closer to the tree in background below. A little more at the top and even move at impact.
If you look even closer
you can see how he is loading pressure under his trail foot (image 2) but by the top of his backswing (image 3) he has clearly shifted his hips (weight/mass) forward in preparation to start down.
Then image 3 shows a huge increase in pressure under the lead foot.
This is also conducive with the data Boditrak sports has gathered from all the Tour Pros they have analyzed.
Early in the downswing is when the most amount of pressure is exerted into the ground through the lead foot.
Side Tilting & Extending
The images above show the relative amount of turn of the shoulders and hips at each of these progressive stages of the backswing – Ben Hogan ‘The Modern Fundamentals of Golf’
His trail leg has straightened (just a little) even though there is still some flex at the top. This allows him to turn his trail hip and tailbone closer to the target. If he fully straightened his trail leg – he’d achieve more hip and shoulder turn and greater rotation for more stored power. A good example of this would be someone like Bubba Watson straightening his trail leg.
But never the less his trail hip is higher than his left. And in doing so he has allowed his upper body to tilt toward the target and extend the trail side of his body – which in-turn compresses the left side of his body. Which in-turn also keeps the head nice and steady.
The hips DO NOT turn level – this is bad information..
The right knee DOES NOT stay flexed – this is bad information..
Sean Foley showing a side tilting toward the target on the backswing and then starting the downswing with a “push down” under the lead foot. Sean Foley thanks Mike Bennett and Andy Plummer (S&T) for all he’s learned from them at the start of his DVD “The Next Generation”. – Pic from Golf Digest
Misinformation
I often have ‘The Golf Channel’ on at home with the volume low, while I make dinner etc. A very well known teacher who hosts numerous shows on that channel came on with a little 20 second burst of information.
He said “Your weight should be going in the direction of your swing“..
Wrong – Your Pressure should be going in the direction of your swing..
My friend Kevin came to visit me over the weekend from Chicago and he started laughing when I raised my voice to this guy on the TV.
To make my point I gave him a lesson and pretty much instructed him to start with his weight (mass) slightly forward and gradually move more weight forward during the swing.
He naturally pushed down under his trail foot but he also swayed toward the target in the process.
By taking the sway (away) from his move, and actually keeping his mass (weight) slightly forward he struck the ball much better.
He said after our round of golf “That was the best I’ve ever hit it“. He simply started with a little weight (mass) forward and moved it even more forward throughout the swing.
Please feel free to share this post with your golfing friends, and leave a comment below if you have any questions.
This is part 3 of a 3-part series on building a powerful and consistent golf swing
Part 1 – How To Load The Club During The Backswing
Part 2 – Foot Pressure In The Golf Swing & How To Feel It
Part 3 – [You Are Here] Golf Swing Side Tilting & Extending | Weight Distribution Data
Excellent. I lift my front heel on back swing to make a bigger turn on back swing =feel. I don’t turn my shoulders and hips in back swing enough and tend to swing all arms=real.
Never thought by placing more weight on front foot during back swing would ever allow a big enough turn. Going to have to if that is real for me.
Thanks Mike. Try allowing your head to move toward the target on the backswing. This will give you the feel of side tilting. But obviously, when you’re hitting a ball keep your head nice and steady.
I really enjoy your articles James I have been playing 30yrs but only took lessons about 5yrs ago, after a couple I improved drastically and seriously studied all types of instruction practicing on the range using what suited me and made sense. Unfortunately living in Canada the season is short but I really connect with your concept and hope to take some to the course and the range in a few months.
Thanks Andrew. If you can’t get out much, try practicing at home in slow motion. Check this blog out https://www.jamesparkergolf.com/ben-hogan-deep-practice-myelination/ this will help the ‘burning in’ process of your new movement patterns, so when you get out to the course you can put it on autopilot. You can also send me your swing from indoors if you’d like me analyze it and help you out. You can join my online academy here https://www.jamesparkergolf.com/memberships/
Also check this blog out https://www.jamesparkergolf.com/can-learn-modern-golf-swing-training-club/
I ended the Michigan season using your style and watching Shawn Clemente as well. Much of my weight is on front foot.I went from shooting 92 to 82. I was really surprised at accuracy of shots, no fading or pulling, at least not nearly as much as before. Going to Florida next month and cannot wait to us more. Question , I wonder if when I swing I focus on striking the inside of ball,lower left, if I would find better ball striking? Thank you soooo much!!
Hi Jim, it’s like Mike and Andy say in their book “The Stack and Tilt Swing” – “If everyone was taught to keep their weight forward and swing their hands inward – we’d have a generation of golfers who draw the ball and not slice it” Such good advice!
As for your question – absolutely, you should be striking the inside quadrant of the ball. Think of striking the ball at 4 o clock on a clock face. The desired shot pattern should be a push-draw eliminating the left side of the course. Of-course this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t play fades when called for, but a push and a draw in my mind are the two acceptable shot patterns you should be after.
Thank you for your willingness to share information and insights. I have enjoyed all of your articles and encourage you to continue. I believe that your approach is right on. Much appreciated.
Thanks Jim.
I believe that to hit a powerful golf shot the weight or mass of the body must be moving toward the target at impact. The problem with keeping the weight on the left or forward foot is that then
the weight is already on the left side and there is little opportunity to move the mass thru the impact position when the ball is struck. In fact with the weight already forward there will be a tendency to
push off the left ( forward) foot and move the weight backward. I think if you look carefully at good
golfers in slo mo you will see that at impact on full shots the weight is actually evenly balanced between both feet but the weight is MOVING toward the target so that after the impact the weight
continues to move and the golfer then, having hit the ball which impedes the weight transfer somewhat ( notice Rory’s hip backward move at impact) , this impedance in released and the golfers weight then moves on the the left foot completely. To a nice balanced finish.
Timing the weight movement at impact is one of the keys to good golf ball striking. And not easy to do. (Golf is difficult.) You cannot achieve it by prematurely getting the weight on the left ( forward side) and keeping it there for the entire swing. ( Unless you are hitting a shot without full powersuch as a pitch shot or “half shot”.
Thanks for the comment William.
But your comment is way off on a couple of points..
1. At impact Pros on tour average between 80-95% off their weight on their front foot. Not evenly balanced as you say!
2. The idea that the right foot or right side doesn’t do anything is also false. Of-course it does, a great deal. There’s a tremendous amount of pressure under the right foot as the right leg pushes against the ground. But in the model I teach I want a little more weight under the forward foot at the top.
3. The weight will never move backwards at impact if the hips are moving in a linear fashion – laterally towards the target. And the center of the shoulders has remained stable (stable head).
4. You are describing a golf swing that is solely based on achieving power as it’s primary objective. This isn’t how you should teach people how to play golf! the objective to control the ball first by controlling the low point, then add power.. And there’s lot’s of reasons why good players achieve power – not just shifting their weight. Angular momentum, tilting, turning and extending.. etc
Stick around and read some more stuff – you’ll find out why..
This is tricky.There is a difference between the mass of the body moving right and the pressure on the right foot increasing during the backswing. If I stand balanced between both legs and I am told to
shift my weight to the left,my body will move left but the pressure will rise on the right briefly
to move the mass of the body to the left. From a standpoint of “feel’, i think it is best not to try to
shift the weight to right on the backswing, Stay balanced and then drive left during the transition.
Very educated comment William, thank you. I’ve spent a while now trying to explain the difference between ‘feel’ and ‘reel’. There’s no doubt that ALL the pros gradually start to move their weight left (forward) during the transition. The simply reality is that most golfers when they load up on their right side don’t move enough weight forward by the time they get to impact. Pros average between 80-95% weight forward at impact. To be honest, I’m done explaining this subject now – start with a little weight forward and gradually increase it during the swing is the bottom line. This goes hand in hand with how the pelvis and spine MUST tilt, turn and extend during the backswing to stay centered. We don’t need a weight transfer to generate power – this is myth.
You post some great stuff William, if you haven’t already done so – please come and join my academy as a free member by clicking the m’ship page above.
If you look at Keegan Bradley, he shifts his weight to the right from an evenly balanced address
exactly as the backswing begins and then when the club has only moved 2-3 feet away from the ball ball he starts to shift is weight back to the left and keeps it moving left through the hit.
If you look at Bubba, he shifts his weight a little as his backswing begins and starts to shift it back only at the very end of his backswing. He can afford to wait till the end mainly because
his backswing is so long ( he is very flexible). While the weight moves target wise during the
backswing ( early or late), the hip rotation does not start until the downswing actually starts.
This is an important concept and an important distinction. Dont confuse the two.
Further more:
1. The hip lateral movement may FEEL like pressure is building on the left foot but the
force that creates this pressure comes from the right leg and and hip. So dont let force plates
fool you into thinking that they represent muscle action. When someone is smashed in the face
in boxing,a force is felt by the opponant on his face.But the force was created in the muscles in the shoulder not the muscles in the hand where the force it felt.
2. It is very important to start the weight movement to the target BEFORE the downswing
actually begins (and looking at only still pics can confuse this issue; you must look at the moving image to define exactly what is backswing and downswing positions).
When the downswing actually begins, the left arm and the club move briefly backwards, away from the target. This is a force vector that prevents many golfers from getting the weight to
move target wise during the downswing. I
Hence, with the downswing
swinging the club head back from its end backswing position, you must
anticipate this and over come it by starting the weight to move forward before the downswing begins.Otherwise you will not be able to get your weight to transfer thru to the impact position.
The idea is not to move a lot of weight forward but just enough to get it moving forward. It is more about the timing of the move than the extent of it.
This action is harder to do with iron shots than with he driver because the iron shot
swing is shorter and you have less time to complete it.
Are you a pro William?
Still trying to learn to get as good shots aas these.
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James,
It seems like from Williams comment if you agree is that when you put extra weight on your left inside toe (lead foot) at the start of your down swing
that your momentum ( up through your feet) will turn your upper body slightly tighter to the right ? This seems to make sense and if done right it seems that it will help increase lag and put you into a better slot position starting the downswing?
Thanks,
Walt
Sure. The drill is imagining you’re crushing a can under your front foot.
I think I should of said at the finish of your back swing you put the extra weight pressure on your lead foot to start the down swing?
Thanks,
Walt
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Thank you. I’ll post some more stuff soon.
Great pointers! I am recently new to the game and gave this a try with my irons. Right off the bat I could feel myself driving through the ball and was gaining consistant yardage. I am slightly pulling the ball so will still have to work on that. Great write up!
Good man! Thanks
Great article. Every word is correct.
I love this article & in my opinion is the most essential understanding of the Golf swing.
When the pressure starts to move into the lead foot even starting before club finishes the backswing does this pressure into the lead foot move into the ball or heal of the foot or is it into an evenly distributed pressure on the whole of the foot?