Create More Speed and Power by Flexing Your Knee
By Ryan Gager
Weight-shift, turning, bending, and rotation are just a few key terms you always hear when it comes to increasing clubhead speed. But really, how your knees flex and extend is the key to all of those terms, and is what truly unlocks maximum clubhead speed so you can start getting the distance you want and expect out of your clubs. In this edition of Fix My Fault, professional golfer Hannah Gregg demonstrates how to do this with the help of GOLFTEC’s Brad Skupaka.
The Impact on Hip Turn and Shoulder Turn
As Brad explains, many of the common faults of amateur golfers occur because they don’t create enough hip turn and shoulder turn. However, we have to dig a little bit deeper to find the root cause, which is knee flex.
The amount you flex your trail knee has a direct effect on how much hip and shoulder turn you can generate. In Hannah’s swing on the left, her trail knee remains flexed 16 degrees throughout her backswing. When your knee maintains that flex, it makes it difficult to turn your hips and when your hips don’t turn enough, your shoulders won’t turn enough either.
Conversely, by straightening her trail knee in the backswing, Hannah is able to turn her hips to 31 degrees and her shoulders at 80 degrees. This position has her primed for a more powerful swing.
The Drill to Improve Knee Flex
This two step drill to improve knee flex is pretty simple, however, like with any drill take a few practice swings to get used to the new motions before introducing a ball.
- When you take the club back really focus on flexing your lead knee. Notice how Hannah has made an exaggerated motion demonstrating this.
- As you flex you lead knee more when you take the club back, it will automatically help straighten your trail leg. When you push your trail foot into the ground will help straighten your trail knee more, and also help push the club back so you can make a bigger hip and shoulder turn.
To make the biggest turn you can, feel like you are pointing your belt buckle straight back behind you on the backswing. All that’s left is to fire through and launch the ball down the fairway.
To see where your knee flex, hip turn and shoulder turn numbers are at, come in to GOLFTEC and see your swing on our OptiMotion technology. Working with a local GOLFTEC Coach will have you flexing better, and hitting longer, more consistent drives. We also can test your current driver and make sure it’s right for you, so you aren’t leaving any additional yards on the table.
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