Breakthrough Key-Downward Foot Pressure

After almost two years in the school I have seen major improvements but I'm still very inconsistent. I had a major "a-ha" moment that I wanted to share with the rest of you. In a V1 lesson with Tom over a year ago he showed me that my right leg was kicking in and I was getting outside of the "knee-line" which was causing short arms, slices, and lots of things called bad. In the school there is great content but all I was really focused on was weight forward/shoulder down/arms in/swing in a circle which are all critical. However, I was not spending any time at all on one of the most important components of the swing: having a stable foundation.

In the Stack and Tilt book it says "Downward pressure stabilizes the body, creating resistance again the ground. This position is a common differentiator between good and poor players; if you don't have a firm connection with the ground, your hips will tend to slid away from the target on the backswing." This was exactly what was happening to me. I was doing everything by the book but I was still swaying due to a loose foundation.

I also read an article about Justin Rose (another S&T guy) who said:

" #1: Address – Feel Heavy Over The Ball

I like to feel like there’s a little pressure in my left foot – maybe 55% of my weight – when I set up with an iron. I also like to feel like I’m very heavy through my feet and trying to grip the ground with my toes. This helps me to stay more centred over the ball and keep my head still as I turn. If my weight is 50-50 and I feel light through my feet then I can sway off the ball a little bit, which reduces my power and consistency."

For the last 30 days one of my main thoughts at address is to feel like my feet are pressing into the ground like I have swords in them (odd but works for me.) While I'm still 55% on my left foot my trail also has pressure as well. This has made a dramatic difference in consistentcy for me. I have only lost 1 golf ball in the last month which for me is unthinkable. When I find myself struggling now my first go to thought is stable foundation. Just thought I would share with the group. Happy Swinging!

Matt