Stay Within the Lines
By Dr. T. J. Tomasi, Keiser University College of Golf Senior Faculty and Director of Research
The key to this piece of instruction is simple: Keep your legs underneath you while you swing. As a reference point, visualize an imaginary line from the outside of each shoulder to the ground at address. When your knees get overactive, they buckle outside these shoulder lines, setting both your body and your golf club at odd, powerless angles.
If you let your back knee jut outside your shoulder line at the top of your backswing, you ruin your coil by removing most of the opposition created when you turn the top of your body against the bottom. Golfers who do this decrease their leverage so dramatically that, at impact, they’re forced to lunge with their body and hack at the ball with their hands. When your front knee collapses and moves outside the front shoulder line through the hitting area, you create a soft front side which leads to a weak power position.
For a power-packed, well-balanced swing, keep your knees inside your shoulder lines during your entire swing.
At the top of the swing, the correct placement for the knees is almost directly under the shoulders, staying within your imaginary shoulder lines.
During the downswing, the back knee chases the front one, almost catching up at impact because the front leg has straightened to form a wall to hit over (just like a home run hitter in baseball). At the finish, the knees are again under the shoulders.
If you’d like to study with Dr. Tomasi and other PGA Master Professionals, contact The College of Golf today.
