At the tender age of 70, I was trying this very move out in my backyard net in order to facilitate a better backswing turn, and was getting superb contact and great strikes. Decided to look on RUclips and low and behind found Dan's video and confirmation that this does indeed help in the backswing. Like everything else in golf I found many other opinions that were contrarian , but the proof for me was in the pudding. IT WORKS! Thanks from a Nova Scotia subscriber. Cheers.
Dan. I'm 57 and I'm very flexible. I was coached by Dennis Sheehy back in the early 90s. I did the full Leadbetter torque based swing. I got down to single figures, had a textbook swing but then gave up for 10 years for family/business reasons. When I came back game had gone. After 6 years of lessons with my coach Chris Bonner of Greenwich driving range who has been excellent, only now by using this move have I started to regain the lost club head speed and hit the ball decently with my irons. I also have improved my strike by fanning the face open on the backswing and and steepening the shaft on the downswing with a handsy release. I may never get back to 100mph plus with the driver but it shows that all the standard ideas on RUclips and in the magazines don't necessarily apply to me as an individual. Thank God we are now moving back to what works not what looks pretty. Of your body wants you to swing like Freddie Couples not Jon Rahm or DJ then let it. Thanks for this video.
This has changed my strike massively. I'm 50+ now and just can't rotate like I once could. Struggled to hit divots as invariably picked the ball clean so that really resonated with me. So tried this a month ago and saw jumps in both ball height and speed. If you are getting to that age, I would definitely try this, felt weird at first but after a few sessions now is much more powerful, yet stable than collapsing that lead leg. Also, with the turn you can really feel the stretch in the trail side. This video really was gold. TY
I started doing this by myslef, I did it one time accidently and realised how helpful it was. I just looked it up to see if others do it to, and to my surprise they do
Great tip Dan, but as an older viewer can I add something to the advice? In my experience, it is important that the lead heel is actually lifted by the hips turning fully in the backswing. Otherwise, it is still possible for the senior golfer to get a "fake" turn (I know because that is what I sometimes do). But if I "let" my left heel be pulled up by my hips turning fully into my right heel then I know that I am "locked & loaded in the backswing" to then slam my left heel back down to initiate my downswing.
I have been trying this recently before I today I viewed your video which confirms that I am on track. The benefit for me is that it is (A) transforming my transition, (B) making it dynamic and (C) really for first time getting a consistent forward and downward pressure into my lead lead leg / foot. The all important outcome is that it is getting my low point futher forward resulting in better compression of the ball.
Matthew Wolff, Bubba Watson are other examples. I've been starting to do this on most of my shots and it really helps me get to my front side at impact, as well as lengthens my backswing a touch which is what I always struggled with. Its also a sort of cue to transition into the downswing as you stomp the heel
Excellent Monsieur !! A great 👍 easy rotation , no stress 😎 in the lower back, good rythm 🎸 and consistency for longer shots. The best way for average players who don’t spend their whole time stretching !!
This helps so much for transition too...its amazing...as soon as that heel hits I just go hard...theres more to it of course but it has helped me a lot
Hi Dan I found this tip was very easy to implement,I realised I was hitting of my back foot and tried your tip,first time I tried it ,first drive solid right down the middle,can't thank you enough. I'm 80 next June and if I play to my age you will be the first to know. Now about putting lol Best Regards Monty
Dan, I have been incorporating this move gradually into my swing and I find that it does improve my ball striking. It seems to me when I do this, I feel that I have more time to get to the ball on my downswing, makes room for my club to go through and helps to keep my head behind the ball. Does this make sense to you?
Even some of the young and best players implement this in their swing. For example, Justin Thomas when he really wants to rip his driver. Many of the long drive guys do it as well. Great video and great tip to unlock power in the golf swing.
Perfectly describes what I've been doing with my leg action. Many thanks ! In addition , the older advice used to be to turn the knee in behind the ball , which you have demonstrated is counterproductive !
Moving the left knee toward the golf ball is not exactly how Nicklaus, etc., lifted their left heel. They rolled the left foot and knee toward the right, didn't they?
If you do this got to do it right. It causes early extension in my opinion. Atleast for me. I didn’t know how to do it and return it and continue to get the ground. I’d slam the heel back and when I did I’d have my lead leg locked out way too early. You have to have an element of knee bend when you do this or it’s going to cause more problems
So working the left foot more up will keep you centered? Cause that would be my concern when doing this, that it would be easy to start swaying instead of turning when raising the left heel?
Working the left foot up will allow you to turn properly if you lack in flexibility. You’re aiming to turn your right hip back nice and deep so your weight moves over the inside of your right heel. Whilst doing that, you don’t want your left knee to buckle in towards the right. As long as that left knee stays over your left toes, you can’t sway over to the right even with the heel coming off the ground. If you let the heel come up, it allows the hips that little bit extra freedom to turn deep.
At first golf lesson 10 years ago, the pro laughed at me for lifting my heel. The very first thing he told me to do was keep my heel planted. Never had to worry about hip turn, transition or power when I lifted my heel. Worst advice I ever got! Dan, thanks for showing that all the golfers, before the modern age, were not wrong!
Richard Charles I’m practising the heel lift now no matter what my golf friends say. I’ve got 20-25 more yards and much straighter when driving. Not so hard for your left knee and back. Gives you a more natural follow through too.
Same here. I was younger and played baseball. My grandparents wanted me to learn golf so they got me lessons.The "Top Rated" golf instructor chuckled and told me to keep baseball out of golf. Now that I have started playing again, I am a heel lifter and i am proud. Play better golf then the people who tell me I am doing it wrong
@devin & @ Richard : golf swing is a natural motion. A good pro must be linked to your OWN feeling. You’re both so right to do what is better for you and let other people with their believes!!
I naturally do this. Probably stems from my baseball days. I've had people tell me not to do it in my golf swing, but keeping my heel down feels stiff and unnatural.
I've found that lifting the left heel ensures that my weight is transferred to my right side in the back swing. Planting my left heel gets my weight moving to the left side. If I don't, I tend to keep too much weight on the left side in an effort to stay centered, but then I fall back to the right side...the old reverse pivot. Look at videos of a young Nicklaus and the great Mickey Wright. Their left heel goes up so much that they are on their left toe! If it was good enough for two of the all-time greats, then...
Dan, could you have a look at the video on my channel and advise if this is something I would benefit trying. My swing is only half but I have a full turn
Why do all the long drive hitters collapse their lead leg then? ...and get peter finch doing more of this please, his backswing is painfully compact and manufactured, he could be hitting 330 with the right coach.
At the tender age of 70, I was trying this very move out in my backyard net in order to facilitate a better backswing turn, and was getting superb contact and great strikes. Decided to look on RUclips and low and behind found Dan's video and confirmation that this does indeed help in the backswing. Like everything else in golf I found many other opinions that were contrarian , but the proof for me was in the pudding. IT WORKS! Thanks from a Nova Scotia subscriber. Cheers.
Dan. I'm 57 and I'm very flexible. I was coached by Dennis Sheehy back in the early 90s. I did the full Leadbetter torque based swing. I got down to single figures, had a textbook swing but then gave up for 10 years for family/business reasons. When I came back game had gone. After 6 years of lessons with my coach Chris Bonner of Greenwich driving range who has been excellent, only now by using this move have I started to regain the lost club head speed and hit the ball decently with my irons. I also have improved my strike by fanning the face open on the backswing and and steepening the shaft on the downswing with a handsy release. I may never get back to 100mph plus with the driver but it shows that all the standard ideas on RUclips and in the magazines don't necessarily apply to me as an individual. Thank God we are now moving back to what works not what looks pretty. Of your body wants you to swing like Freddie Couples not Jon Rahm or DJ then let it. Thanks for this video.
This has changed my strike massively. I'm 50+ now and just can't rotate like I once could. Struggled to hit divots as invariably picked the ball clean so that really resonated with me. So tried this a month ago and saw jumps in both ball height and speed. If you are getting to that age, I would definitely try this, felt weird at first but after a few sessions now is much more powerful, yet stable than collapsing that lead leg. Also, with the turn you can really feel the stretch in the trail side. This video really was gold. TY
I started doing this by myslef, I did it one time accidently and realised how helpful it was. I just looked it up to see if others do it to, and to my surprise they do
This massively improved my consistency and I’m only 33 and athletic. I Recommend for anyone to try it
Great tip Dan, but as an older viewer can I add something to the advice?
In my experience, it is important that the lead heel is actually lifted by the hips turning fully in the backswing. Otherwise, it is still possible for the senior golfer to get a "fake" turn (I know because that is what I sometimes do).
But if I "let" my left heel be pulled up by my hips turning fully into my right heel then I know that I am "locked & loaded in the backswing" to then slam my left heel back down to initiate my downswing.
100% 👌🏻
@@DanWhittakerGolf 👍
I have been trying this recently before I today I viewed your video which confirms that I am on track. The benefit for me is that it is (A) transforming my transition, (B) making it dynamic and (C) really for first time getting a consistent forward and downward pressure into my lead lead leg / foot. The all important outcome is that it is getting my low point futher forward resulting in better compression of the ball.
Matthew Wolff, Bubba Watson are other examples. I've been starting to do this on most of my shots and it really helps me get to my front side at impact, as well as lengthens my backswing a touch which is what I always struggled with. Its also a sort of cue to transition into the downswing as you stomp the heel
It helps me with my transition 👍🏻
Excellent Monsieur !! A great 👍 easy rotation , no stress 😎 in the lower back, good rythm 🎸 and consistency for longer shots. The best way for average players who don’t spend their whole time stretching !!
This helps so much for transition too...its amazing...as soon as that heel hits I just go hard...theres more to it of course but it has helped me a lot
Hi Dan I found this tip was very easy to implement,I realised I was hitting of my back foot and tried your tip,first time I tried it ,first drive solid right down the middle,can't thank you enough.
I'm 80 next June and if I play to my age you will be the first to know.
Now about putting lol
Best Regards Monty
Dan, I have been incorporating this move gradually into my swing and I find that it does improve my ball striking. It seems to me when I do this, I feel that I have more time to get to the ball on my downswing, makes room for my club to go through and helps to keep my head behind the ball. Does this make sense to you?
Even some of the young and best players implement this in their swing. For example, Justin Thomas when he really wants to rip his driver. Many of the long drive guys do it as well. Great video and great tip to unlock power in the golf swing.
Look at Wolff.
@@dougiemontana4815 Absolutely!
This helps with backswing and rythim I think more than anything
Perfectly describes what I've been doing with my leg action. Many thanks ! In addition , the older advice used to be to turn the knee in behind the ball , which you have demonstrated is counterproductive !
Moving the left knee toward the golf ball is not exactly how Nicklaus, etc., lifted their left heel. They rolled the left foot and knee toward the right, didn't they?
If you do this got to do it right. It causes early extension in my opinion. Atleast for me. I didn’t know how to do it and return it and continue to get the ground. I’d slam the heel back and when I did I’d have my lead leg locked out way too early. You have to have an element of knee bend when you do this or it’s going to cause more problems
Fantastic video Dan great tip cheers Peter
So working the left foot more up will keep you centered? Cause that would be my concern when doing this, that it would be easy to start swaying instead of turning when raising the left heel?
Working the left foot up will allow you to turn properly if you lack in flexibility.
You’re aiming to turn your right hip back nice and deep so your weight moves over the inside of your right heel. Whilst doing that, you don’t want your left knee to buckle in towards the right. As long as that left knee stays over your left toes, you can’t sway over to the right even with the heel coming off the ground. If you let the heel come up, it allows the hips that little bit extra freedom to turn deep.
At first golf lesson 10 years ago, the pro laughed at me for lifting my heel. The very first thing he told me to do was keep my heel planted. Never had to worry about hip turn, transition or power when I lifted my heel. Worst advice I ever got! Dan, thanks for showing that all the golfers, before the modern age, were not wrong!
Richard Charles I’m practising the heel lift now no matter what my golf friends say. I’ve got 20-25 more yards and much straighter when driving. Not so hard for your left knee and back. Gives you a more natural follow through too.
@@Kiwigucci Not easy to get the feeling of lifting the heal back. What was natural is now hard to re-ingrain.
Same here. I was younger and played baseball. My grandparents wanted me to learn golf so they got me lessons.The "Top Rated" golf instructor chuckled and told me to keep baseball out of golf. Now that I have started playing again, I am a heel lifter and i am proud. Play better golf then the people who tell me I am doing it wrong
@devin & @ Richard : golf swing is a natural motion. A good pro must be linked to your OWN feeling. You’re both so right to do what is better for you and let other people with their believes!!
Heel lifters UNITE. 💪
I naturally do this. Probably stems from my baseball days. I've had people tell me not to do it in my golf swing, but keeping my heel down feels stiff and unnatural.
It.also makes your swing feel way less tense
Used to lift my heel, then stopped,now back to it. Hitting better and with much more pop due to a more complete turn
I’ve noticed instead of a left heel lift I seem to turn my left (lead) foot on it’s ball towards the direction that the ball is going
you just have to watch the long drive guys to see the lifting of the left heel ... did I mention bryson who does long drive too?
I've found that lifting the left heel ensures that my weight is transferred to my right side in the back swing. Planting my left heel gets my weight moving to the left side. If I don't, I tend to keep too much weight on the left side in an effort to stay centered, but then I fall back to the right side...the old reverse pivot. Look at videos of a young Nicklaus and the great Mickey Wright. Their left heel goes up so much that they are on their left toe! If it was good enough for two of the all-time greats, then...
I do with driver not irons
I do this with my woods.
When the left heel goes up -- the weight goes into the right heel.
It increased my swingspeed with my 7 iron with about 5mph
That shirt looks fresh out the packet Dan!
Dan, could you have a look at the video on my channel and advise if this is something I would benefit trying. My swing is only half but I have a full turn
I have this habit from stepping into baseball swings
Why do all the long drive hitters collapse their lead leg then? ...and get peter finch doing more of this please, his backswing is painfully compact and manufactured, he could be hitting 330 with the right coach.
Thanks going to try this...I’m a faker