In my last post, I advocated getting your dominant hand more involved in your golf swing. I stand by that advice. But, that involvement has to come at the right time. If you fire your dominant hand (right hand for righties, left for lefties) from the top of your backswing, you’ll most likely end up with a very steep, outside to inside swing path and disappointing results.
So, how can you get the proper swing path? Don’t think about it. Try this instead. (As usual, for simplicity, I’ll refer to right-handed players. Left-handers, do the reverse.) Keep your right heel on the ground until impact! When you fire from the top, the tendency is for your right heel to come up. When this happens, your right hip moves toward the target line cutting off room for your arms to swing in to out. As a result, you have to straighten up out of your posture to get the clubface to the ball, i.e., the dreaded “early extension.” By keeping your right heel down, your swing will stay on a shallower plane, your right hip will not move toward the target line, and your arms will have room to swing freely from in to out. All those good things will happen with only one thought, “keep your right heel down.”
You may have heard of a training aid called the Down Under Board. If not, google it. I’m not suggesting you buy one. Do so if you like, or cut a piece of half-inch plywood for the same effect. Cut the board to the width of your stance (or buy the Down Under Board). Place the board on the ground between your feet. As you swing, feel your feet squeezing the board. This squeezing feeling will activate the muscles of your inner thighs, as Hogan advised in his Five Lessons book. It is almost impossible for your right heel to come off the ground while you maintain the pressure of your feet pressing in on the board. The Down Under Board is adjustable, but at $70 or so, I think trying a piece of plywood might be the way to go for most.
The next time you practice or play, focus on keeping your right heel down as long as you can. The change will feel odd at first, so be patient. A positive result will come!
Most importantly, have fun out there.
Doug