The Downsides Of A Golf Down Swing Squat (Video) - by Pete Styles
The Downsides Of A Golf Down Swing Squat (Video) - by Pete Styles

So if this down swing squat is such a magical movement and it works so well for McIlroy, why are we not doing it all the time? Why are we not encouraging every golfer to do it? Why is it not your second lesson on the golf course? Now you’ve got the grip right, now you need to bend your knees like this. Well the reality is this is not a perfect motion. And the problem here is twofold really; firstly, it’s a very different swing between your long irons or your long woods, and your short irons. It’s two very different motions. We wouldn’t have any dropping really in the short clubs; yeah we’ve got loads of dropping in the longer clubs. So that can cause you quite a few issues that we have to some point have a transition really between the long swing and the short swing. So it’s like an extra set of motions that you wouldn’t normally have had to learn.

The only difference here really, is just the inconsistency; just so many extra moving parts. We’d often teach a golfer to try and keep as many bits of your body still, and the major focus there for most people as I’m sure you’re aware of. You’ve read the books or the manuals; it’s like keeping your head still. So we always tell golfers, “Keep your head still, turn this way, turn that way, and then look up and see where the ball’s gone.” And golf is a very conscious of moving too much, particularly moving in a vertical direction here. So changing spine angle and changing head position is often frowned upon for a beginner. And then suddenly as they get to a more advanced stage we now start saying, “Oh no, that’s okay; that’s fine because that’s what the world’s best golfers do.” So in a way we want to sort of keep the game simple for the less experienced golfers, the higher handicapped golfers who just need to focus on striking the ball. But for the really good players who already strike the ball really nicely but want to start trying to generate a little bit more power, a little bit more efficiency, and learning from the world’s best. Then that’s when we can start to incorporate this down swing squat, but then lifts up through the golf ball. So it’s by no means a perfect movement, there’s lots of reasons why you shouldn’t do this but there are a few reasons why you should. And if you’re an experienced golfer, you want a bit more power, you can copy McIlroy’s down swing squat. 2016-07-26

So if this down swing squat is such a magical movement and it works so well for McIlroy, why are we not doing it all the time? Why are we not encouraging every golfer to do it? Why is it not your second lesson on the golf course? Now you’ve got the grip right, now you need to bend your knees like this. Well the reality is this is not a perfect motion. And the problem here is twofold really; firstly, it’s a very different swing between your long irons or your long woods, and your short irons. It’s two very different motions. We wouldn’t have any dropping really in the short clubs; yeah we’ve got loads of dropping in the longer clubs. So that can cause you quite a few issues that we have to some point have a transition really between the long swing and the short swing. So it’s like an extra set of motions that you wouldn’t normally have had to learn.

The only difference here really, is just the inconsistency; just so many extra moving parts. We’d often teach a golfer to try and keep as many bits of your body still, and the major focus there for most people as I’m sure you’re aware of. You’ve read the books or the manuals; it’s like keeping your head still. So we always tell golfers, “Keep your head still, turn this way, turn that way, and then look up and see where the ball’s gone.” And golf is a very conscious of moving too much, particularly moving in a vertical direction here. So changing spine angle and changing head position is often frowned upon for a beginner. And then suddenly as they get to a more advanced stage we now start saying, “Oh no, that’s okay; that’s fine because that’s what the world’s best golfers do.”

So in a way we want to sort of keep the game simple for the less experienced golfers, the higher handicapped golfers who just need to focus on striking the ball. But for the really good players who already strike the ball really nicely but want to start trying to generate a little bit more power, a little bit more efficiency, and learning from the world’s best. Then that’s when we can start to incorporate this down swing squat, but then lifts up through the golf ball. So it’s by no means a perfect movement, there’s lots of reasons why you shouldn’t do this but there are a few reasons why you should. And if you’re an experienced golfer, you want a bit more power, you can copy McIlroy’s down swing squat.