Right Knee Power Key

 BY TOM WATSON 06-01-2009

Point it to the ball coming down.

+ Putting: Reading the greens

+ Play a hybrid from the rough

+ Play it more up than you think

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Most golfers suffer from a poor weight transfer on the downswing. The average right-hander stays on the right foot too long, causing the right shoulder to move outwards. The result is poor contact and a loss of distance and accuracy.

Your first goal should be to complete the backswing. Then you should start down with a slide-turn of your hips as your weight moves to your left foot. You might feel that your right side is taking over and throwing the club at the ball. That’s okay as long as your weight is shifting towards the target and your left side is leading. I hit the heck out of the ball with my right hand.

Use this image to check your weight transfer: Your right knee should point at or slightly in front of the ball at impact (above). That shows you’ve made a good shift. Here’s the sequence: Left knee points behind the ball at the top; right knee points towards it at impact.

Kenny Perry credits the rhythm in his swing for his excellent driving and great play this year. He tries to keep his swing speed the same from hole to hole. I remember when Kenny took part in a clinic I did and said he developed his consistent rhythm and balance by hitting thousands of practice balls with his feet together. That’s a good drill for anyone wanting to learn to swing in control.


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