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: 8 November 2011
Today's daily is a bit different. Rather than answer a question from the blog, I am going to indulge myself a bit with a personal after-action report from a Pro-Pro tournament I played a few weeks... Read More
Authored by: Don Trahan
Posted on: 7 November 2011
As you may know, my vision for swingsurgeon.com is to make it the best place in the world for golfers who want to significantly improve their golf game and shoot lower scores. You'll also know that... Read More
Authored by: Don Trahan
Posted on: 6 November 2011
Comments: 79
A few days ago, I posted a tip on the importance of visualization and feel when you are getting ready to hit a particular shot. [Visualization And Feel Vs. Mechanics And Fundamentals] I was pleased... Read More
Authored by: Don Trahan
Posted on: 5 November 2011
Comments: 29
Jerry Lester left a question on the blog a while back that I would like to address in today's daily tip. Jerry is no golf newbie. He's had a rotational swing for years and is having difficulty with... Read More
Authored by: Don Trahan
Posted on: 4 November 2011
Today's video is on a topic that seems to come up once every year or two. Bill Fraser wrote to tell me that he is adopting DJ's new stance where the forward foot is flared much more than the 30... Read More
Authored by: Don Trahan
Posted on: 3 November 2011
Comments: 63
Earlier this year, frequent contributor Steve Smith made a very interesting comment. "I've had a weird thing happen the last couple of days during my round. Both times I played really good rounds... Read More
Authored by: Don Trahan
Posted on: 2 November 2011
Comments: 64
Today's daily is different than any daily I've done before. It will allow me to reach you on a much better level. It's truly interactive! Just what am I talking about? Well, Keith Kent recently... Read More
Authored by: Don Trahan
Posted on: 1 November 2011
Today, we are going to have a "playing" lesson on the shortest, yet most important, course you play. That's the one that can be found in the few inches between your ears. Your mental game. A few... Read More
Authored by: Don Trahan
Posted on: 30 October 2011
Comments: 62
Today's tip comes from a question sent to me by Hap Simpson, a 91 years-young Surgite from Prince William County, Virginia, who is still working on perfecting his game. How great is that?!! Hap... Read More
Authored by: Don Trahan
Posted on: 29 October 2011
Comments: 40
If you have spent any time on this blog, you will have noticed that a time-honored tradition is for players to post "after-action" reports of their round that day. They almost always draw responses... Read More