Instruction
The Lower Body: Focus on three areas for a better backswing
Your lower body action is important for many reasons within the golf swing. It can influence things like power, attack angle, balance and swing plane, to name a few.
What most people do not know is that there are three areas of in the lower body that you should be mindful of in order for you to gain the maximum efficiency on the backswing. In this article, I would like to explain these areas and why they are so important.
If you look at your lower body and its parts, you can split it up into a few components for the rear leg only:
- Foot Action
- Knee Action
- Hip Action
It’s vital for you to control each of these components in order to store the most potential energy and use it in your downswing. Losing control of one of these actions will cause you to have a “power leak” in your backswing, which will result in your lower body not work correctly during the downswing. Thus if you are having trouble with your forward swing, I bet you can link it back to your lower body actions to the top!
The Setup
In the photo above, you can see that the right foot, right knee and right hip are all lined up and ready for the backswing to begin. It’s these components that will govern the amount of backswing hip rotation you have and where your weight goes on your right foot to the top. It will also provide a stable platform for your pivot to work from during the transition. If you have a tendency to set up incorrectly — getting these “dots” out of line — you are only asking for trouble.
The Top (GOOD)
As you get to the top, the body should be “on the dots” once again, within reason, and at this point we are striving to achieve foundational stability. It’s NOT about immobilizing the lower body, because as you can see I am still twisting and turning, displacing weight to the top. These foundational points allow me to load up on the inside of the rear foot and be poised and ready to explode forward with the lower body leading and powering the pivot train through the ball.
The Top (BAD)
Anytime you slide off these dots, you will tend to see a “bowing” of the right side of your body at the top. This causes the weight to move to the outside of your right foot at the top and reduces the amount of torso lean over your right leg at the top as seen earlier. This will reduce width at the top as well.
As we know, whenever you slide on the backswing it is much tougher to use the lower body to begin the downswing and thus the shoulders and arms take over and an over-the-top path tends to happen. If you are having trouble starting your downswing from the ground up, I’d venture to say that your lower body work is sloppy to the top.
How can you work on your lower body issues and control your lower body more effectively to the top? Use my simple foot-in drill with practice swings and you will feel how to better control the lower body during your backswing. From there, try to find the same feeling with your normal right foot position in your full swing.
First, Turn in Your Right Foot at Address
Then, Take Your Swing to the Top
You will feel pressure on the inside portion of your right side when you do this drill correctly. This is the feeling you will look for when you return back to normal swings to the top.
A word of caution: I would not hit balls with this drill, as it tends to put too much pressure on your right knee, but it’s a great drill for you to work on in slow motion during your backswing.
If you can achieve this feeling to the top of your swing, you will be loaded and ready to hit the ball longer than ever before!
The LPGA Tour is kicking off its 2026 season this week at Lake Nona Golf and Country Club in Orlando, and the pros are dealing with something most Florida golfers rarely face: freezing temperatures.
“It’s colder here than in the UK at the minute, which is a first,” said England’s Charley Hull during Wednesday’s media day at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions.
Even Lydia Ko, who lives at Lake Nona, seemed surprised by the cold snap. “We’re pretty much getting to below zero in celsius here, which maybe in other parts of the country they would be thankful, but when you’re in Florida it is a little bit of a surprise,” she said.
If the world’s best players are adjusting their games for cold weather, recreational golfers should, too. Here’s how to play smart when the mercury drops.
Understand What Cold Does to Your Game
Before you change anything, you need to know what you’re fighting against. Cold air is denser than warm air, which means your ball won’t fly as far. Period.
Hull noticed this immediately during practice rounds at Lake Nona. She mentioned hitting a gap wedge into the 18th hole during a previous win but needing a 4-iron during Tuesday’s practice round. That’s a difference of four or five clubs for the same shot.
Action item: Expect to lose 5-10 yards on every club in your bag when temperatures dip below 50 degrees. Plan accordingly and don’t be stubborn about club selection.
Layer Up Without Restricting Your Swing
Hull admitted she wore three pairs of pants during practice. While that might be extreme for most of us, staying warm is critical to playing well in cold conditions.
Your muscles need warmth to function properly. When you’re cold, your body tightens up and your swing gets shorter and faster. Neither of those things help you hit good golf shots.
Action item: Wear multiple thin layers instead of one bulky jacket. Look for golf-specific cold weather gear that stretches with your swing. Keep hand warmers in your pockets between shots. And don’t forget a good hat because you lose significant body heat through your head.
Take More Club Than You Think You Need
This is where ego gets in the way of good scores. When it’s cold, the ball doesn’t compress as well off the clubface. Combined with denser air, you’re looking at serious distance loss.
The pros at Lake Nona are dealing with a course that measures 6,642 yards but plays much longer this week. If they’re adjusting, you should too.
Action item: Take at least one extra club on every approach shot. In temperatures below 40 degrees, consider taking two extra clubs. It’s better to fly the ball to the back of the green than to come up short in a bunker.
Adjust Your Expectations on the Greens
Cold weather affects putting in ways most golfers don’t consider. The ball is harder and doesn’t roll as smoothly. Your hands are cold, making it harder to feel the putter. And if there’s any moisture on the greens, they’ll be slower than normal.
Ko mentioned that she still sometimes reads the greens wrong at Lake Nona despite being a member for years. Cold weather makes that challenge even tougher.
Action item: Hit putts more firmly than usual. The ball needs extra speed to hold its line on cold greens. Take a few extra practice strokes to get a feel for the speed before you putt.
Embrace the Mental Challenge
Hull said something interesting about cold weather golf: “I like the mental toughness of it.”
That’s the right attitude. Everyone on the course is dealing with the same conditions. The player who stays patient and doesn’t get frustrated by the extra difficulty will come out ahead.
Action item: Lower your expectations by a few strokes. If you normally shoot 85, accept that 90 might be a good score in 40-degree weather. Focus on solid contact and smart decisions rather than perfect shots.
Warm Up Longer and Smarter
This might be the most important tip of all. Cold muscles are tight muscles, and tight muscles get injured easily.
World No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul revealed she’s been protecting a wrist injury that bothered her late last season. Cold weather makes those kinds of injuries more likely if you don’t prepare properly.
Action item: Spend at least 20 minutes warming up before your round. Start with stretching, then hit easy wedge shots before working up to your driver. Keep moving between shots on the course to maintain body heat and flexibility.
The pros at Lake Nona this week will adapt and compete at the highest level despite the cold. You can do the same at your local course by following these tips and keeping a positive attitude.
PGA Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer. You can check out his writing work and learn more about him by visiting BEAGOLFER.golf and OneMoreRollGolf.com. Also, check out “Playing Through” now on R.org, RG.org’s partner site, each Monday.
Editor’s note: Brendon shares his nearly 30 years of experience in the game with GolfWRX readers through his ongoing tip series. He looks forward to providing valuable insights and advice to help golfers improve their game. Stay tuned for more tips!
Brooks Koepka is back on the PGA Tour, and whether you love him or hate him, the guy knows how to win when it matters. After his LIV Golf stint, the five-time major champion returns this week at the Farmers Insurance Open.
What makes Koepka fascinating? He doesn’t fit the mold. His swing isn’t textbook. He doesn’t obsess over mechanics. Yet he’s won three PGA Championships and two U.S. Opens, regularly making it look easier than guys with prettier swings.
So, what can average golfers learn from someone who treats the game so differently? Quite a bit.
Stop Overthinking Every Shot
Koepka describes his approach as “reactionary” rather than mechanical. While most tour pros grind over swing thoughts, Brooks sees the target and hits it. No mental checklist.
This might be the most valuable lesson for weekend golfers who’ve watched too many YouTube swing videos.
How to actually do this:
On the range, hit five balls where you stare at the target for three seconds prior to addressing the ball. Don’t think about grip or stance. Just burn that target into your brain. You’ll be shocked at how pure you hit it when your brain focuses on where the ball is going instead of how you’re swinging.
Next time you play, give yourself a rule: Once you pull the club, you’ve got 15 seconds to hit. Koepka is one of the fastest players on tour because he doesn’t give his brain time to sabotage him.
If you feel tension in your hands at address, you’re trying to control too much. Koepka’s grip pressure is famously light. Loosen up until the club almost feels like it might slip, then add just enough pressure to hold on. That’s your swing thought: soft hands, see the target.
This approach works better under pressure. When you’re standing over that shot with water left and OB right, the last thing you need is a mental checklist. See it, feel it, hit it.
Play to Your Strengths (Even If They’re Not Pretty)
Koepka uses a strong grip that wouldn’t pass muster in some teaching circles. But he’s built his game around what works for him, elite driving distance and recovery skills. He doesn’t try to be someone he’s not.
Here’s how to build your game like Brooks:
Look at your last five rounds and figure out where you’re actually gaining strokes. Bombing it off the tee, but can’t hit greens? Lean into it. Play courses where distance matters more than precision. On tight holes, grip down on your 3-wood instead of trying to thread a driver through a keyhole you’ll miss seven times out of ten.
Koepka knows he can scramble, so he’s not afraid to miss greens. If you’re deadly from 50 to 75 yards, start leaving yourself those distances on the par 5’s instead of going for them in two every time.
Know when to take your medicine. Koepka in the trees at the PGA? He’s punching out to 100 yards, not trying to bend a 6-iron around three oaks. You’re in the rough with a flyer lie and water short? Hit your 8-iron to the middle and move on. That’s not playing scared, that’s playing smart.
Save Your Best for When It Counts
Here’s a wild stat: Koepka’s putting average in majors is often more than a full stroke better per round than in regular events. He elevates when pressure is highest.
How does an amateur tap into that gear? It’s not about trying harder, it’s about caring differently.
Here’s what actually works:
Decide which rounds matter to you. Club championship? Member-guest? That annual trip with college buddies? Circle those dates and treat them differently. Koepka doesn’t care much about regular tour events, but majors? That’s when he locks in.
Two weeks before your big round, change your practice. Stop beating balls mindlessly. Play nine holes in which every shot has consequences. Miss the fairway? Hit from the rough on the next hole too. Three-putt? Twenty push-ups. Koepka’s practice intensity ramps up before majors because he’s rehearsing pressure, not just swings.
Develop a between-shot routine that resets your brain. Koepka is famous for his blank expression after bad shots. Try this: After any shot, take three deep breaths while walking, then find something specific to notice, a tree, a cloud, someone’s shirt. That’s your reset button. By the time you reach your ball, the last shot is gone.
The Bottom Line
Brooks Koepka’s return reminds us there’s no single path to success in golf. His “substance over style” approach proves that results matter more than looking good.
You don’t need a perfect swing; you need a reliable one that holds up under pressure. You don’t need to hit every shot in the book; you need the shots you can count on. And you don’t need to play great every time; you need to play great when it matters.
Welcome back, Brooks. Thanks for the reminder that golf is ultimately about getting the ball in the hole, not winning style points.
PGA Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer. You can check out his writing work and learn more about him by visiting BEAGOLFER.golf and OneMoreRollGolf.com. Also, check out “Playing Through” now on R.org, RG.org’s partner site, each Monday.
Editor’s note: Brendon shares his nearly 30 years of experience in the game with GolfWRX readers through his ongoing tip series. He looks forward to providing valuable insights and advice to help golfers improve their game. Stay tuned for more tips!
Blades Brown made a big impression last week in the California desert, and not just because he’s only 18. He put up numbers that would catch any weekend golfer’s attention. Most of us won’t hit 317-yard drives or find 86% of our greens in regulation, but there’s a lot to learn from how Brown managed his game at The American Express.
Here are three practical lessons from his performance that you can use on your own course this weekend.
Step 1: Give Priority to Accuracy Over Distance Off The Tee
Brown’s driving stats are impressive. He averaged almost 318 yards off the tee, ranking 12th in the field. More importantly, he hit 76.79% of his fairways, tying for fourth place in the tournament.
Think about that ratio for a second. Brown could have swung harder, chased more distance and tried to overpower the course. Instead, he played smart golf and kept his ball in play.
Your Action Item: Next time you’re on the tee box, ask yourself a simple question before pulling the driver. Do you need maximum distance here, or do you need to be in the fairway? If there’s trouble lurking or the hole doesn’t demand every yard you can muster, take something off your swing. Grip down an inch. Make a three-quarter swing. Do whatever it takes to find the short grass. Brown’s approach illustrates that fairways lead to greens, and greens lead to birdies. He made 22 of them last week, along with an eagle.
The math is simple. When you’re hitting three out of every four fairways like Brown did, you’re giving yourself legitimate looks at the green with your approach shots. That’s when scoring happens.
Step 2: Commit To Hitting More Greens
This is where Brown really separated himself. He hit 62 of 72 greens in regulation, an 86.11% clip that tied for first in the entire field. Read that again. An 18-year-old kid tied for the lead in one of the most important ball-striking statistics in professional golf.
How did he do it? By keeping his ball in the fairway (see Step 1) and giving himself clean looks with mid-irons and wedges.
Your Action Item: Start tracking your greens in regulation. You don’t need a fancy app or a statistics degree. Just mark down whether you hit the green in the regulation number of strokes. Par 3s in one shot. Par 4s in two shots. Par 5s in three shots.
Once you know your baseline, set a goal to improve it by 10%. If you’re currently hitting five greens per round, aim for six. The beauty of this approach is that it forces you to think strategically about club selection and shot shape. Brown’s strokes gained approach number was positive (0.179), meaning he was better than the field average. You don’t need to be perfect. You just need to be on the dance floor more often.
When you hit more greens, you eliminate the need for heroic short game shots. Brown only had to scramble 10 times all week, and he got up and down 70% of the time. That’s solid, but the real story is that he rarely put himself in scrambling situations to begin with.
Step 3: Minimize Mistakes And Stay Patient
Here’s the stat that jumps off the page: Brown made only three bogeys all week. Three. In four rounds of professional golf against the best players in the world.
He also made just one double bogey. That kind of clean card doesn’t happen by accident. It happens when you play within yourself, avoid the big miss and trust that pars are never bad scores.
Your Action Item: Before your next round, decide that you’re going to play boring golf. No hero shots over water. No driver on tight holes just because you can. No aggressive pins when there’s a safe side of the green.
Brown’s performance shows us that consistency beats flash every single time. He didn’t lead the field in any single strokes gained category, but he was solid across the board. That’s how you post numbers and cash checks.
Give these three steps a try. Your scorecard will thank you.
PGA Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer. You can check out his writing work and learn more about him by visiting BEAGOLFER.golf and OneMoreRollGolf.com. Also, check out “The Starter” now on R.org, RG.org’s partner site, each Monday.
Editor’s note: Brendon shares his nearly 30 years of experience in the game with GolfWRX readers through his ongoing tip series. He looks forward to providing valuable insights and advice to help golfers improve their game. Stay tuned for more tips!
RBC Heritage Tour Report: More minis, course-specific setups, Spider & GTS launches
Justin Rose WITB 2026 (April): Full WITB breakdown with new McLaren irons
Best fairway woods of 2026: The most versatile fairway woods + the most forgiving fairway woods
Gary Woodland’s winning WITB: 2026 Texas Children’s Houston Open
What’s the story behind Webb Simpson’s custom-stamped irons?
Cadillac Championship Tour Report: Spieth’s sizable changes, McLaren Golf launches, and more
The 24 players who can win the Masters
Rory McIlroy’s winning WITB: 2026 Masters
Kristoffer Reitan’s winning WITB: 2026 Truist Championship
J.J. Spaun’s winning WITB: 2026 Valero Texas Open
Alex Fitzpatrick WITB 2026 (May)
Driver: Ping G440 LST (9 degrees) Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X 3-wood: TaylorMade Qi4D (15 degrees) Shaft: Fujikura Ventus...
Kristoffer Reitan’s winning WITB: 2026 Truist Championship
Driver: Ping G440 Max (9 degrees) Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K White 60 TX 3-wood: Ping G440 Max (15 degrees) Shaft:...
WITB Time Machine: Rory McIlroy’s winning WITB, 2021 Truist Championship
Rory McIlroy’s victory at the 2021 Wells Fargo Championship 2021 (now the Truist Championship) marked a significant return to form,...
Collin Morikawa WITB 2026 (May)
Driver: TaylorMade Qi4D LS (8 degrees) Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 60 TX 3-wood: TaylorMade SIM Tour (14 degrees) Shaft:...
-
Equipment2 weeks agoJustin Rose WITB 2026 (April): Full WITB breakdown with new McLaren irons
-
Equipment1 week agoWhat’s the story behind Webb Simpson’s custom-stamped irons?
-
Equipment2 weeks agoCadillac Championship Tour Report: Spieth’s sizable changes, McLaren Golf launches, and more
-
Whats in the Bag3 days ago
Kristoffer Reitan’s winning WITB: 2026 Truist Championship
-
Whats in the Bag1 week agoCameron Young’s winning WITB: 2026 Cadillac Championship
-
Whats in the Bag3 weeks agoNelly Korda WITB 2026 (April)
-
Equipment2 weeks agoJustin Rose on the switch to McLaren Golf, learnings from previous equipment moves
-
Tour Photo Galleries2 weeks agoPhotos from the 2026 Cadillac Championship
LY
Mar 6, 2015 at 1:39 pm
Many,many years ago I heard Ken Venturi giving a golf lesson and he said that one of the most important swing thoughts for most amateurs was to maintain the flex in the right knee. He said you will see a lot of amateurs straightening out their right knee on the takeaway which changes their spine angle, and causes their head to move up. (if you are a right handed player). He said that if you could maintain the same flex in the right knee throughout your backswing you had a better chance of making solid contact. This is the only swing thought that I use. When someone at my club wants me to look at their swing, the first thing I look at is the right knee. And about 98% of the time they either straighten the right knee or it moves way off the ball to the point that the inside part of their right foot is coming up slightly off of the ground. Naturally when I mention this to them they immediately start hitting the ball better and I look like I really know what I’m talking about!
This was a great article and I will be forwarding this to a few of my high handicap friends.
Shaun
Mar 4, 2015 at 7:07 pm
I have a bad swaying problem and my instructor told me you want to have the feel of turning and looking over your right shoulder at something behind you so I could feel the turn in my torso and hip. It’s helped a great bit and I’m looking forward to trying this as well. Anything to help get rid of this darn swaying. Thanks for the tip Tom.
Barry S.
Mar 4, 2015 at 8:08 pm
Shaun, I hope you don’t mind me putting something out there for your consideration. Without seeing you swing I would take an educated guess and say the reason you have a bad swaying problem is because you are taking the club back wide along the target line. Watch Sam Snead’s takeaway. He didn’t take the club wide he took it around or what people incorrectly call inside. Would like to add more but I haven’t figured out how to make paragraphs here so let’s just leave it at that.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYbiwWi_9k0&feature=youtu.be
Shaun
Mar 4, 2015 at 9:45 pm
Nail on the head Barry! I don’t mind the input and thanks for it. I’ll have to work on the inside take away and see if that helps me out. I get thru the ball great according to the instructor but I’m losing power & torque from my swaying causing an overlong backswing and reverse pivot. If you anybody else has input I more than welcome it. Thanks again
Jeremy
Mar 4, 2015 at 12:59 am
I think a backwards sway—as opposed to a proper hip turn—also puts a lot of strain on your hip, hamstrings, and glute in the back leg. That’s what I’ve been finding after trying to return to full strength after knee surgery. Everything, including my lower back, feels better when I keep my spine straighter and really rotate at the hips instead of swaying my weight backwards.
Speedy
Mar 3, 2015 at 10:12 pm
As the old instruction said, swing around the fence post.
theo
Mar 4, 2015 at 10:52 am
Good visual.
tom stickney
Mar 3, 2015 at 4:47 pm
Philip– Use your mirror and watch yourself swing to the top…that’s the best drill of all
tom stickney
Mar 3, 2015 at 4:46 pm
Mike– check to see if your rear knee is straightening…sounds like a reverse hip shift to me
Mike
Mar 3, 2015 at 4:08 pm
Tom – My foot and knee stay on the dots but my hip moves toward the target. The opposite of your example. Any ideas?
Philip
Mar 3, 2015 at 3:37 pm
Tom, thank you very much for the information and your time to prepare it.
I have done similar drills to this one, just to help my body understand the “feel” I am looking for and then allow my body to take control now that it can feel what I am targeting. I now am able to do what you describe in the above video (although I did the “bad” for WAY too long) because I learned to feel it and trust my body to repeat it.
This winter I was finally able to see the golf swing as a swing and not a method to hit a golf ball. I improved my swing greatly with drills like above and also just making swings in slow motion (with a mirror sometimes) so that I could connect the dots between set-up and the swing. I’ve never learned so much, so fast, with so little effort.
I am interested in any other drills you have that do not involve hitting a golf ball and focus on paying attention and discovering golf “feels”.
tom stickney
Mar 3, 2015 at 3:14 pm
James– 1) that’s an ok way to do it, if you have the flexibility to do so. 2) Moves into your left toe then into your heel for most people during the downswing. No problem sir
james
Mar 3, 2015 at 3:20 pm
interesting! Thanks.
tom stickney
Mar 3, 2015 at 3:12 pm
Barry– understanding the areas of concern will help those whom are having issues with their backswing. Of course you don’t think about all of these when you swing but it’s nice to understand how it’s all put together
tom stickney
Mar 3, 2015 at 3:11 pm
Barry– there are many ways to describe the backswing motion- the one you describe was popularized by Jim McLean.
Barry S.
Mar 3, 2015 at 2:58 pm
The BS pivot is a shift and a turn. You step onto your right foot similar to taking a step when walking followed closely by a turn.
Are you worried about Foot Action, Knee Action and Hip Action or their alignments when you walk? I hope not or it will take you forever just to cross the street.
james
Mar 3, 2015 at 2:30 pm
Tom: thanks for the article, as it deals with somethings i have been wondering about. Two question:
1. I find that weight being placed at the inside of my rear foot restricts my hip turn. I’m okay with that but lately I’ve been hearing lot of pros talk about not restricting the hip. Any comment on this?
2. Where should the weight be during the downswing and the follow through in regards to the feet? I am currently finding most of the weight being placed at the heel of my lead foot (and causing ankle pain, hence my curiosity) during the transition and finish.
Thank you for your time in regards to these questions in advance.