Trail Foot Twist

[KD1]

I've always understood that for a right handed golfer that the right foot should apply a clockwise twisting force in the downswing.

 

In this video from Paddy around the 13min mark he says it's the opposite. What gives?

 

 

[RayPlan]

I hadn't heard the clockwise twist thing, but I have to say that his explanation (counter-clockwise, stamp out the cigarette) feels very intuitive for promoting rotation. 

[Valtiel]

2 hours ago, KD1 said:

I've always understood that for a right handed golfer that the right foot should apply a clockwise twisting force in the downswing.

With the overwhelming number of average golfers staying on their back legs too long/late in the backswing, thinking about applying *any* force in the downswing with that trail leg is usually a bad idea. Force = pressure = not getting to the front side which is what most people struggle with. 

If you're referring to the 13:30 section in the video re: where you think Padraig is disagreeing with what you thought...i'd argue that what he's doing there is describing how *certain* elite players make moves work that otherwise cause problems with average ones. What he's describing there is not a "this is a fundamental way you should do things", just a "here is how these guys get away with this". It's not something that someone trying to learn a correct pressure shifting sequence should be thinking or worrying about, because that player often doesn't even have a concept of how/when to get into their front side (what Padraig helpfully spends most of the video talking about prior) and thus spending any amount of time thinking about force generated by the back leg isn't wise IMO. Also i'd argue that what he's describing is far more of a "transition" move, not a downswing move. 

Edited January 23 by Valtiel

[txbadger]

10 minutes ago, Valtiel said:

With the overwhelming number of average golfers staying on their back legs too long/late in the backswing, thinking about applying *any* force in the downswing with that trail leg is usually a bad idea. Force = pressure = not getting to the front side which is what most people struggle with

agree with this 100%.   Big fan of Paddy videos so when I saw that one posted last year, I spent some time trying to integrate that cigarette stomping move thinking it would help with speed/getting back to lead side... it really just did the opposite for me and delayed the pressure to the lead side.    YMMV but it was a move I soon discarded.  

[Valtiel]

35 minutes ago, txbadger said:

agree with this 100%.   Big fan of Paddy videos so when I saw that one posted last year, I spent some time trying to integrate that cigarette stomping move thinking it would help with speed/getting back to lead side... it really just did the opposite for me and delayed the pressure to the lead side.    YMMV but it was a move I soon discarded.  

Yup, and IMO this overall move as Paddy describes involves a few key matchups, as seen with the guy's he's describing (Min Woo and JT). 

1) A strong, wide base
2) Very literal lateral movement (facilitated by #1)
3) A really good understanding of how to use your trail leg to help the lead leg

The average am struggling with pressure shifting sequence overall has none of those, especially #3. They usually don't even really know how to use their lead leg, let alone how to use the trail leg to "help" it, so that goes back to what I said about just getting stuck. I'd also add that every notable player that I can find utilizing this overall pattern off the tee has virtually always had below average driving accuracy. In a lot of ways it's a setup that trades accuracy for power *if* you can even do it right, otherwise it just screws up your sequence and thus both. 

[golferdude54]

Mickey Wright had this drill where she’d put a golf ball under the outstep of her right foot to keep pressure on her instep in the backswing.
 

But personally I tried it and a whole golf ball is too high and it also slips out as well. So I cut a golf ball in half with a PVC cutter and it worked way better. 
 

Hogan would slide his right foot towards the target, his heel never broke the plane of his outstep at address. So a bottle of water just outside the heel of the outstep of the back foot would work as well.

 

Combine both drills and it’s the best footwork drill of all time.