Move the front knee laterally towards the target to start the downswing ala Trevino and Moe and Knudson and maintain that knee flex instead of straightening it, the shaft will maintain and hold its flex as a result, you can’t flip it from that position.
If you go to your local sporting goods/fitness store, they sell these resistance band loops that you can put around your knees and ideally, find the heaviest one because it won’t snap from a wide stance and knee separation. It’s the best drill I’ve found on separating the knees from each other to start the downswing and maintaining that separation.
If you’re talking about inward feet pressure against each other, it’s possible to move the feet right and still move the legs wrong. Otherwise those players I listed earlier who move their feet like Moe would’ve been considered all-time ballstrikers but they’re not.
Trust me, I move my feet just like Moe’s back foot and Knudson’s front foot and I still don’t hit it as well as them because I’m currently moving my legs wrong. I’m not keeping the flex in my knees through the shot like Moe, the whole “ground force reaction” jumping craze where the knees straighten at impact in modern instruction has been infectious.
Hogan never straightened his right knee and Moe didn’t do it with his left. I think they both were inspired by Byron Nelson’s swing, Hogan noting how much he flexes his RIGHT knee through impact and doesn’t straighten it; Moe in his first Masters in the 50s noting his LEFT knee staying flexed in his follow through, too. Just speculation, though.
Did you ever consider that the reason you cannot work your legs like them, is because you dont use equipment like them? Or do you play super heavy, flat, stiff classic gear?
I play Arias zero offset irons with the 4-iron set at D4.5 and progressing up through the set to D9 for SW to MOI match, this turned out to be too light so I will go a full letter heavier and see if it helps. But I do play flat and zero offset clubs.
About shaft flex, this is the only part of modern club-fitting I agree with, fitting shaft flex based on clubhead speed and overall tempo. Although even if I play S flex based on my speed and tempo, the amount of weight I have to add to my clubs will probably make them play too soft.
Nicklaus preferred S flex in his prime, as long as he was, but I don’t think he added any extra headweight. His 1-iron was reported at D3, but he probably would’ve gone up to X flex at E3.
I’m completely on your side when it comes to playing old school equipment and learning from the old school greats, no need to keep debating when we should be digging it out of the dirt, you know?
Would you care to elaborate on this a little bit if possible please? Thanks either way. Are you saying that you want inward ground pressure where your feet are both pressuring inwardly towards each other but then your knees are trying to do the opposite by going outward away from each other and separate as much as possible? I’m a little bit confused because you’re talking about separating the knees but then also saying that you and the players with similar footwork to Moe and Hogan aren’t striking it as well with them because they’re straightening the knees at impact. So is it both straightening and not separating that is the problem? It seems like they’re two different issues. Thanks.
The pushing up from the ground is NOT what Hogan, Moe or Knudson did.
Moe and Knudson finished with a lot of flexation still in the left knee.
Hogan’s left knee straightened from P4 into finish because his torso rotation was so aggressive that the left
hip pulled the left knee straight.
You CAN squeeze the feet together like a carpet bubble and keep the knees more or less separated than pinched in.
You also CAN move laterally while doing this. Pushing off the right foot to move weight laterally is correct, not jumping up onto your toes like people are trying to do these days. Sure, you can get power that way, but it’s going to steepen the shaft and create lowpoint control issues… and it’s a move away from flat lie angles also. It’s not what the master strikers did.
If the sequence was left foot, left knee, left hip, torso rotation, left shoulder into the arms and club, then you would see Knudson and Moe finish with straight left knees. They didn’t do this, and for good reason as I just explained.
I’ve changed my stance a bit on what I posted in the past about footwork and knee movement. I believe it’s ok to let the left foot swivel through impact BUT the left heel must be planted and should never rise above the ground and certainly not jump to a different spot from where it was at address.
Nicklaus swiveled his left foot with driver but he always kept his left heel planted in the same spot, especially with metal spikes embedded in the ground. It’s how he was able to add more power while still being accurate.
About knee movement, the transition should absolutely have knees separate a bit ala Snead/Trevino with hip abduction/external hip rotation with knee flexion. But the left knee can straighten from that point as long as the footwork is correct.
I wouldn’t recommend completely quiet footwork and continuously bent knees like Moe’s to compete professionally nowadays unless one was as tall and big as George Bayer at 6’5 & 230 pounds. Even Hogan had to straighten his left knee and raise his right heel at impact compared to Moe, but his left heel always stayed planted.
Wow. Amazing review and book. I feel so many things you and George talk about. Yesterday I scored well. Tried something different pre round for a little over an hour.
Warmed up pitching 30-70 yards, chipping then putting decade speed drill just before teeing off. This stuff is really key to scoring. My ballstriking can improve a lot yet scores not. Unless you are Knudson hitting it 15-20 feet every hole.
I brought my bag to short game area in the cart. Luckily was pretty isolated. There happens to be long grass where I could do mod 1 and at the same time trim down the rough. It was nice to do module work at the course. Finally went to range for about 10 mins then 10 mins putting. I took 10 divots with 5 iron some better than others. Then was going to hit 1 persimmon drive. Saves money on range balls! Hooked the first one so did two more ok. It was very freeing to not grind before the round. I still hooked one left off the first tee😀 but after that hit it well and scored great. Keep drilling. I’m finding mod 4 key to hitting balls.
I just made it thru this whole post. What people don’t talk about is how hogans left heel lands closer to the target on downswing. I believe the corkscrew move gets u in this position and helps stay closed longer.
Keep drilling! Btw hit 12 greens today and 11 fairways.
