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 through impact.
Here's the key: when you shift with a flexed knee, your forward foot should roll slightly to the outside edge. The inside of your shoe will come off the ground, and
your weight moves from the toe area back toward the ankle. Watch any Champions Tour event and you'll see this in the senior players who learned the vertical swing.
Why This Matters
When you maintain knee flex and roll your foot to the outside edge, you stay behind the ball naturally, your arms can straighten through impact, clubhead speed
increases, and contact becomes more solid and consistent.
Practice Drills
Get into your golf posture and practice driving your weight to the outside edge of your forward foot. While waiting in line anywhere, stand and roll your foot over
to stretch the muscles. Walk around on the outside edge of your forward foot to prepare the ankle and leg muscles.
If you've been playing flat-footed, these stretches are essential to prepare your muscles and connective tissues for the new movement pattern.
Keeping your forward knee flexed must go hand-in-hand with rolling your foot to the outside edge. Master this combination, and you'll stay behind the ball
naturally, make more solid contact, and hit straighter, longer shots.