Having a correct knee bend at address and during the swing will help left handed golfers not only increase power but also aid consistency.
During set up, players need to feel athletic and ‘ready’ for the shot to come. There are too many players who simply bend the knees so they almost relax into a sitting position. This over bending allied with a poor spine angle can lead to significant restrictions to body movement in the back swing and through swing. There are a number of different factors which contribute to how much knee bend (or flex) should be applied.
The first thing to take into consideration is your overall height and the length of club being used. Taller players normally require more knee flex than shorter players. The length of club is also a factor. Shorter golfers using a full length driver often don’t need much more than a hint of knee flex to soften the joints and allow a full turn back and through.
Another factor in assessing how much knee bend should be applied relates to the type of lie. If the ball lies below the feet, players will often have to increase the amount of knee flex at address. Conversely, if the ball lies above the feet, left handed golfers may have to decrease the amount of knee flex to stand taller. Knee flex may also have to change if the ball is on a downhill or uphill lie. A downhill lie will place more weight and therefore flex on to the right knee whilst an uphill lie will place more weight and flex on to the left knee.
Finding the Correct Knee Flex
On a normal shot off a relatively flat lie, there are certain thoughts and feelings left handed golfers can use to ensure the correct knee bend at address and during the swing.
One way to achieve correct knee bend is to think about other similar sporting positions. People who have played soccer and kept goal can imagine waiting to receive a penalty shot, those who have played tennis can imagine waiting to receive a serve, the alert feeling just before someone throws you a ball; all of these feelings put you into a decent golf posture. The tennis example, for instance, ensures players tilt forward from the hips and flex the knees without bending them too much. It also puts a player’s weight on to the balls of the feet and not the heels. All these examples are athletic and that’s how left handed players should feel over the ball, athletic and ready.
Knee bend depends on a number of factors including height, club used and lie. However, left handed golfers should ensure no matter the circumstance, the knee flex they use ensures an athletic and ready feeling. Without this, both the back swing and through swing rotation can be effected.
