Your Knees - Less is More!
Your knees help to provide fluidity and power in your swing. But be careful! Many duffers flex the knees too much, resulting in a swing that is very hard to control.
Rotation, Weight Transfer, and Power
K. J. Choi has a wonderfully consistent swing. Watch the video below, and pay attention to how he systematically uses his knees to allow his hips to turn to the right on the upswing, and to the left toward the target on the follow through.
Step Two - Flex Your Knees
The Role of the Knees Varies in Tall Golfers, but Not As Much As You Might Think
The Wind Up
Winding up your torso is a critical part of generating the rotation you need for power. As a beginning golfer, we suggest you try not to turn your hips quite as much as Mr. Choi on your upswing. Keep your left knee still and focus on turning your shoulders as much as you can without tension. As you gain more confidence and consistency in your swing, you can add more hip and shoulder rotation.
Starting the Downswing
As you start your downswing, start turning the hips and sink into your stance. This will cause both knees to bend. Every golfer we’ve studied has a moment in their swing when their stance is square - both feet planted, both knees slightly bent, hips square, shoulders turning toward square, and weight evenly distributed between the feet.
Push Off for Power
Bent knees allow you to push off with the left leg for power at the release and follow through.
The Right Knee Tends to Stay Bent
If you were to push off with both legs, your hips would not turn. Instead, your whole body would rise. You’ve probably seen brand new golfers do this and completely miss the ball! The right knee tends to stay bent so that the right leg does not push off. Instead, the whole leg turns over to allow the hips to turn fully toward the target.
Experiment With Your Own Swing
Watch your role model’s swing, concentrate on the knees, visualize yourself doing it the same way, and try different amounts of knee bend throughout your swing. This will give you a good feel for the role your own knees play in allowing rotation and weight transfer, and in creating power.
Go to the next page for Step Three in this revolutionary method for building your perfect golf swing!
Dustin Johnson Tee Shot
You might think a golfer as tall as Dustin Johnson, who is 6-feet 4-inches tall, would use his knees very differently than someone like K. J. Choi, at 5-feet 8-inches. But if you watch the video at left, you’ll see that Johnson follows essentially the same pattern that we describe on this page. The right knee bends to aid in the hip turn. Both knees bend to bring the hips square as the downswing begins. The left leg pushes off for power at release and during the follow through. Johnson remains in balance throughout the swing, and has “stupid long” drives and long irons.
Golf Swing Components: Feet | Knees | Hips | Torso | Shoulders | Arms | Wrists | Hands | Head | Swing Plane
Golf Swing | Golf Clubs | Golf Balls | Golf Courses
Hosted by Network Services Group, LLC
