Who Is He?

Jack Nicklaus is arguably the best golfer that has ever played the game. 'The Golden Bear' sets the standards and the records for all other modern golfers to try and achieve.

Tiger Woods has made no secret of his desire to try and match or beat Jack Nicklaus' record of 18 major championships. Only time will tell if this will ever be broken by Woods or anybody else.

What He Does

Although Nicklaus' records may never be bettered, his swing certainly has been. From a relatively hunched and slumped address position, Nicklaus had a very wide and high position at the top of his swing, which also incorporated a very bent left arm and a very aggressive leg action and left heel lift.

During the downswing phase, the excessive knee and foot action continued as Nicklaus drove his left knee well in front of his left little toe and rolled all of his body weight onto the outside of his left foot during the follow through phase. This could be deemed to be unbalanced and very inconsistent.

What Can You Learn?

There are not many attributes to Jack Nicklaus' golf swing that you should be encouraged to copy. One area where Nicklaus generated his prodigious power from was by having a very aggressive and fast transition between his backswing and downswing, which incorporated a huge weight shift from rear foot to front foot. This, in turn, created his very dynamic leg action. If you can stabilise your leg action, but still feel that you have a dynamic shift like Jack Nicklaus, you too could create a powerful, solid impact movement.

What Should You Avoid?

Having the ability to consistently balance in the through swing and hold a posed finish position until the golf ball lands should give a golfer a great feeling of control and consistency. Nicklaus rolled onto the outside of his left foot too often and was often guilty of losing balance after he hit a golf ball. Try to encourage your body weight to stay balanced on your front foot and hold this position until the golf ball lands on the green.