This is part 2 of a 3-part series on building a powerful and consistent golf swing:

Part 1 – How To Load The Club During The Backswing
Part 2 – [You Are Here] Foot Pressure In The Golf Swing & How To Feel It
Part 3 – Golf Swing Side Tilting & Extending | Weight & Pressure Data

One of the big topics in the world of golf at the moment is the discussion on how much pressure each foot should generate into the ground at a given point in the swing.

Fortunately, like pretty much everything else in golf nowadays there’s a way of quantifying the data. This is awesome for golf teachers around the world because it takes a lot of the guesswork out it.

Let’s Start With The Basics

As I described in part 1 of this series, there is a difference between weight shift and pressure shift.

“We See Shift In Weight, We Feel Shift In Pressure”

Where Do We Want To Be at Impact?

Let’s start by talking about the mass (weight).

We want the majority of the weight over the forward foot at impact. This combined with the correct angles in the wrists coming down produce a downward blow onto the ball.

If the weight (mass) is towards the rear foot at impact the low point of the swing arc tends to fall behind the ball instead of past it.

We always want the low point past the ball (about 4 inches according to Bobby Clampett) so that the club strikes the ball with a downward blow.

This produces the compression on the ball which produces spin and viola..

“Tour Pro’s have around 80-95% of their weight over their front foot at impact”

Obviously different swings produce different results but an absolute definite is that the majority of their weight is forward by the time they get back to impact.

Some of them start with the weight 50-50. Some of them start with the weight 60-40 on the left side. Some of them start with the weight 40-60 on the right side, the point is they all get back to impact with their weight on the forward foot.

The problem we have as golf teachers is that there are many amateur golfers out there who don’t get their weight forward at impact. They don’t slide their hips enough on the downswing.

Many of these amateurs also sway to the right during the backswing, moving either their head, hips or right knee laterally away from the target.

This swaying with the body shifts the center of mass (the weight).

With the emergence of technology such as the ‘Boditrak Pressure Mat’ we can detect exactly where the pressure is shifting under the feet and use this info in diagnosing problems.

Here’s my take on it..

There aren’t many Pro’s on tour who are actually shifting their weight going back. Most make a centered backswing.

Meaning, they keep their mass (weight) centered.

What they are actually doing is shifting the pressure.

And for many of them, that pressure is moving from their trail foot to their lead foot before the club starts its downswing.

I’ll say that again..

The pressure starts to move into their lead foot before the backswing is completed.

COP (Center Of Pressure) Peak Velocity

Peak Velocity generally occurs at around P5 in the downswing (lead arm parallel with ground or shaft vertical) when pressure is transferred quickly to the lead foot. 

Here’s a pressure model to follow:

From Setup to club vertical on backswing: Increase pressure under your trail foot.

From club vertical to the top: As the backswing is ending, start to shift the pressure back towards the lead foot to prepare to help drive the lead side upwards through impact.

From the top to club vertical on downswing: As the club starts down the pressure into the lead foot reaches its maximum amount. i.e crush a coke can under your lead foot.. At This point the longest hitters can generate a force two times their body weight into the ground.

That’s 400lb’s of force being applied to the ground (assuming a static weight of 200lb).

This is why so many Long Drive Champions and the longest hitters on tour jump of the ground through impact!

Notice when the shaft is vertical on the downswing the vertical force has peaked.

In a nutshell..

“Settle into the lead foot at the top to prepare for the start of the downswing”

Here’s Andy and Piers from Me and My Golf Who do a great job explaining it.

Of course everyone is different. And everyone has their own patterns they have grooved over time and I won’t ask everyone to do the same thing to start hitting the ball better.

However, it’s interesting to note some of the tendencies that are consistent among the majority of elite players.

Initiating the downswing with the lower body is probably not a new concept for most golfers, but being able to see when/how players load and transfer pressure might be.

Drill

Instead of trying to load into the right thigh going back – as per old fashioned teaching, with a flexed right leg. Try and think about the pressure under the feet instead, it’s a lot easier to understand.

As soon as you start moving the club in the backswing allow the pressure to build up under your trail foot.

Understanding that the best players straighten their trail leg a little also helps you understand that your trail knee is in fact moving back over your heel. So the pressure between your heel and toes should have a slight bias towards the heel also.

As long as your right foot is turned out about 20 degrees or so, that will enable your right hip to move back behind you and in an upwards direction. Which in turn enables your tailbone to move forward (closer to the target).

This then facilitates the extension needed in the spine.

I found a great video from the guys at Medicus golf who explain the pressure under the feet. It includes one of my favorite swings to watch and learn from, Grant Waite. A true artist if there ever was one. Stick around and watch it. It’s worth a few minutes of your time.

To dive deeper into this subject I highly recommend taking a look at the blog at: Boditrakperformance.com

If you have any questions or comments please feel free to leave them below.

This was part 2 of a 3-part series on building a powerful and consistent golf swing:

Part 1 – How To Load The Club During The Backswing
Part 2 – [You Are Here] Foot Pressure In The Golf Swing & How To Feel It
Part 3 – Golf Swing Side Tilting & Extending | Weight & Pressure Data