Over the last two weeks we have seen two PGA Tour Pros that have practice golf swings in which they have their right leg and right foot well behind their left leg. Sam Ryder and Billy Horschel both practice with their trail leg “inside” their lead leg in their practice swings and practice setup. So, why are they doing this?
To explain why they are doing this, watch Scottie Scheffler’s full swing. Scheffler drops his right leg, or trail leg, inside his lead leg during his swing. This looks very unusual but it is something all PGA Tour Pros do, it just isn’t as noticeable. Many people that are athletic or played spots in which they used their legs as children want to push off or drive with their right leg or trail leg. When you are running track, you get down in the blocks and you push off with your legs. You should not do this at all in the golf swing.
Remember, there are multiple planes in the golf swing; more than just the swing plane. There is the knee plane as well. One of the quickest ways to determine a great golf swing is to look at the golfer’s knees throughout the swing. If the golfer drives forward with the trail leg they are going to have to be extremely talented to not slice the ball. They are starting behind the eight ball because their right knee is driving which causes the hips to turn and the shoulders are going to turn. This is the tried and true method to come over the top.
You may say that Justin Thomas and other golfers drive with that trail leg. First of all, they are extremely talented. Second of all, every single one of them stop their right knee and turn with their torso before the club gets to the ball. Amateurs continue to drive with the trail leg and trail knee and end up not rotating their upper body around their lower body at all.
In essence, what Sam Ryder and Billy Horschel are doing is trying to get the feel for the trail leg and trail knee falling in behind the lead leg to keep the knee plane at the target and not to the left of the target. If you want to see one of the best, watch the knee plane and legwork of Jim Furyk. There is a reason Furyk is the only PGA Tour Pro to shoot 58 and has other rounds under 60. If your knee plane is at the target (the trail leg falling in behind the lead leg) and you actually have a shoulder turn, you are going to be a pretty darn good golfer.
