If there’s one thing every golfer can agree on, it’s that they’d do well to add more power to their swing. We all want to hit more bombs, and advanced analytics show that power often leads to lower scores, too. What’s not to like?
The trouble is, your everyday player hasn’t the slightest clue how to go about chasing that distance. Sure, swinging harder will help some, but there are ways to go about it that don’t involve swinging out of your shoes.
For help with adding power in an efficient manner, GOLF Top 100 Teacher Jon Tattersall posted a great video on social media that explains the relationship between how you use your feet and generating power. Check it out below.
Tattersall explains that Jack Nicklaus once told him that he felt his ankles roll back and through during the swing. Tattersall didn’t understand it much at the time, but with modern technology, such as force plates, he’s come to realize that Nicklaus’ ankle-rolling feeling is one that can generate immense power in the swing.
When players use “frontal-plane torque” (focusing on shifting laterally instead of focusing so much on turning), every player increases their ground-reaction force and clubhead speed.
“They weren’t thinking about twisting and turning very much,” Tattersall says. “You use frontal plane, and the good news was you got the horizontal plane as a bonus. So think in terms of side-to-side a little bit and roll your ankles. It worked for Jack Nicklaus, it’ll work for you as well.”
Zephyr Melton
Golf.com Editor
Zephyr Melton is an assistant editor for GOLF.com where he spends his days blogging, producing and editing. Prior to joining the team at GOLF, he attended the University of Texas followed by stops with the Texas Golf Association, Team USA, the Green Bay Packers and the PGA Tour. He assists on all things instruction and covers amateur and women’s golf. He can be reached at zephyr_melton@golf.com.
