Daily Video Blog

Forward Foot Movement
Forward Foot Movement
Authored by: Brady
Posted on: 7 March 2026

One of the most misunderstood aspects of the golf swing is the movement of the forward knee and foot during transition. This lesson from the late Don Trahan reveals
why so many golfers struggle with consistency and power.

The Common Mistake

If you've been taught the modern rotational swing, you're likely keeping your forward foot flat and your forward knee straight during the downswing. Try walking
with your feet flat and knees locked—within a few steps, you'll feel lower back stress. Your knees and ankles are flex joints designed for dynamic motion, not to be
locked rigid.

The Peak Performance Solution

In the Peak Performance Golf Swing, we use "the bump" or lateral left shift to start the forward upswing. Your belt buckle moves laterally about an inch while your
knees stay level. As you shift, your forward knee maintains its flex, creating a bow in your body that keeps your head still and gives you room to straighten your
arms... Read More

Authored by: Don Trahan
Posted on: 9 September 2011
Comments: 100
Today I want to begin by talking about an initiative co-sponsored by the PGA of America and the USGA called "Tee It Forward" and then I will tie it all together with some comments recently made by... Read More
Authored by: Don Trahan
Posted on: 8 September 2011
Today's tip stems from comments made recently by two Surgites, Randy Freisinger and Joe Scocco (a.k.a. Randy Freisi and Joe S.) during a discussion of The Proper Amount of Turn (07/30/11). "... Read More
Authored by: Don Trahan
Posted on: 6 September 2011
Comments: 65
Today's tip continues a discussion we've been having about forward shaft lean (FSL). As I said recently, you have to have a degree of FSL in order to hit a good shot. However, too much FSL can... Read More
Authored by: Don Trahan
Posted on: 5 September 2011
Today's tip stems from a comment RustyKiwi made a few weeks ago. Rusty suffers from near constant back pain due to years of physical abuse and he wrote to thank me for giving him the ability to... Read More
Authored by: Don Trahan
Posted on: 4 September 2011
Comments: 47
Authored by: Don Trahan
Posted on: 3 September 2011
As we head into the Labor Day Weekend here in the States, I want to take time to talk about an important subject. Recently, George Yeung posted a question on the blog asking what he could do to... Read More
Authored by: Don Trahan
Posted on: 2 September 2011
Comments: 20
Today's video stems from a question we got on the blog a few weeks ago from Merv MH, who just turned 88 years-young. Merv says that a shorter backswing game is all he can do at his age and that he... Read More
Authored by: Don Trahan
Posted on: 1 September 2011
Comments: 42
I recently gave a lesson to one of my students from the Spartanburg area who has been with me for the last fifteen years or so. He's a good player--his handicap floats between a six and a seven.... Read More
Authored by: Don Trahan
Posted on: 31 August 2011
Three-Day Golf School in the Northeast! September 9th-11th in Townsend, DE More than 28 hours of hands-on instruction from the Surge and Dave Seeman We cover Long Game, Short Game and... Read More
Authored by: Don Trahan
Posted on: 30 August 2011
Today's tip is based on some observations made by CharlieY, a frequent visitor to this site. In a comment he posted on the blog, Charlie wrote "I saw/heard something new to me at 1:53 on today's... Read More