Knee flex is essential in the golf swing. With the right amount, you can increase your ground forces and add power to your swing. But, like anything in life, too much of a good thing can have a negative impact. In this case, too much knee flex limits your rotation in the downswing and often forces you to early extend or stand up out of your posture at impact, robbing you of power and even creating contact issues.
So how do you know how much knee flex to have? With this simple chair drill from Chris Como, a GOLF Top 100 Teacher, you can be sure you have the right amount of knee flex to produce a powerful swing.
Pull up a chair to better understand what your hips and knees should be doing in your golf swing.
Como’s chair drill
Setup to the chair, seat facing you, like you would for a pivot drill. Keep your knees close to the edge of the seat, no more than an inch away. Then, with your arms across your chest, turn back and through, avoiding the chair with your knees.
This instant feedback teaches you the proper amount of knee flex to have in your swing. With just enough, you’ll miss the chair. But, with too much, your knees will collapse in, towards the ball and clip the chair on the way through.
Three-time major champion says this is ‘essential’ for solid contact
Once you’ve got the hang of that, Como says to try the next progression of his drill to get a bit more dynamic.
Start by giving yourself more space, this time setting up to the chair with your knees about four to five inches away from the seat. Rotate back and then, as you start down, Como says to feel your knees get closer to the chair. As you turn through impact, feel yourself stand up and your knees move away from the chair.
“That’s going to help you get that flex in the knees that you see a lot of great players have,” Como says.
He explains that it will also help you learn to straighten both legs through the shot while your upper body stays down, which he says is essential to creating a compressing body motion where your chest is over the ball.
According to Como, you’ll know you’ve nailed it if your legs finish close together, almost touching, in your follow through.
