Extension of right leg on backswing

Thank you

@rich.millette I am going to take a shot at answering your question without video. Think about the throwing motion. As your arm goes back to throw, your lower body strides toward the target. This same motion happens in the golf swing. If your lower body isn’t engaged and moving toward the target as your arms go up then you don’t have a solid platform from which you will be able to whip the club through the swing. So, in essence you are right, if the right hip doesn’t swivel back and your tailbone doesn’t move to the lead side, then your center of mass isn’t stable on the lead foot and now it’s a race to get left on downswing (which means arms have to slow down) and everything is out of sorts because your mind won’t let your swing throw you out of balance and fall forward. Millions of years of evolution has seen to it that your brain coordinates the body toward self preservation. It’s imperative that by the time your club reaches the top of the backswing, your lower body has moved the weight completely into the lead side (say 90%). This move allows the arms to swing down and through and as the arms swing in front of you that the weight of the arms swinging pull the rest of your weight to the lead side. In reality, your lead side has to push away from where the club is swinging. So, club swinging down and out, lead side pushes up and back. Wonder why the reverse pivot happens? Body is stopping you from falling on face as the arms and clubs swing down and out. If hips are not to the lead side, the body pushing away from momentum of club causes the beautiful little backup move of hips moving open and back onto the trail leg…hackers paradise. If you have moved laterally to the lead side, then the front leg can post up and push away from the force of the arms/club…and stacks beautifully on lead side. There was a point where I had hurt my right knee. I basically played golf by going out putting all weight on lead side. Right leg was basically just hanging there. Rotate hips and body open on backswing and rotate through to finish. I probably hit the ball every bit as far on one foot (on a flat lie). Problem is, in golf you often have a stance that makes the one leg drill impractical to play. But on a flat lie or at the range, give it a try. All weight on front leg. Backswing just let hips freewheel open and downswing make sure your shoulder freewheels around…super power with no effort. Just get out of the way of your arms swinging back and let them go. On one leg, you can’t open your hips too wide on backswing because the end range of motion from your knee and hip Will create limits. But you do need to make sure weight doesn’t drift to back leg as the arms try to pull you back during backswing.

Post some video Rich. There are a bunch of people on this forum who are happy to provide some help.

Hi Rich - It's nearly impossible to determine the specific issue without actually seeing your swing. Assuming you have mastered the foundational elements, including having your feet and knees flared out 10-20 degrees and the weight favoring your lead leg (55% for short & mid irons, 60% for longer clubs), then you should be in good position to allow that trail knee to straighten and facilitate a resistance-free, body-friendly 45-degree hip turn.

You may wish to consider the "Elkington setup" where he preset his hips and straightened his trail leg in his setup when he was learning S&T and even played tour events doing that. I speak about it in this lesson designed for those with limited mobility but really applicable to anyone who is challenged with ingraining the proper leg action in the backswing. Also, the 90% Weight Forward/Arms Straight Drill should help you with this.

TS