Proper arm extension, weight shift and the correct coiling of your body is the best way to help you hit the ball longer and more consistent. By getting the weight to the middle of the right foot at the completion of your backswing you are in a powerful position at the top.

The best way to do this is by starting with a stance that is the correct width.

I wish I could take credit for knowing the fundamentals of the golf swing, but I had some great teachers (Craig Williamson, Arch Watkins, Johnny Bulla, Ed Oldfield) thru the years.

Ed Oldfield encouraged me to get the inside of my heels to equal the outside of my shoulders so I could transfer my weight to my right side on the backswing and to the left side on the forward swing and have a power and with great balance.

Ben Hogan recommended having the width of the stance above for a 5 iron-slightly wider for the longer clubs and slightly narrower for shorter clubs.

Put pressure on the inside of your right foot and right knee before you began your backswing so that it is difficult to sway or even worse-to reverse weight shift (keeping your weight on your front foot).

On the backswing, stretch back and turn your body-you want it to coil.  The golf swing is not lifting the club up and bending your left arm-it is not a twist or sliding of the hips. It is a coil. On a full swing, you want your weight to be 70% or more on the middle of your right foot at the completion of my backswing.

*****Try To keep the right knee flexed the same amount throughout the swing! You don’t want to get the weight on the outside of the right foot on your backswing nor do you want to straighten your right leg causing a reverse weight shift and loss of power.

Ben Hogan used a great illustration of taking a medicine ball and trying to throw it down the fairway. If you were going to throw the ball as far as you could you would brace your right foot and keep the knee flexed so you could drive off it to obtain maximum power.

Note:  In the weeks before the PGA Tour School, I worked for at least 2 weeks on one thought-I tried to keep my right knee flexed at the same flex (not straightening or locking my right knee nor letting it sway to the right). It worked pretty good I finished first in the Regional stage (beating Tom Kite by a shot) and 3rd in the Finals of the PGA Tour School.

If you tend to get quick, a slower tempo on the backswing will give you a better chance of getting in the correct position at the top and a slower move from the top of the backswing starting down will actually give you more power and speed at impact and into your finish.

Summary

1) Stance-shoulder width apart
2) Pressure on inside of right foot and knee at the top
3) COIL-Stretch and turn on backswing
4) RIGHT KNEE REMAINS FLEXED AT SAME ANGLE THROUGHOUT BACKSWING
Practice this and you will hit more solid, accurate shots that end up down the middle of the fairway and on the green.

As always, we hope this tip will help you play better golf and enjoy the game more. See a PGA professional or come and see us at the Purtzer Golf Academy if need help with your game (602) 314-5950.

Swing smooth and hit it long and straight!