Thursday, April 26, 2007

Snead's Knee Bow

Sam Snead began his downswing with a "bowing of his left knee." His left knee would kind of roll to the left, which would bring his weight to his left side and drop his club into a powerful and proper inside position.

Just before you reach the top of your swing, feel your left knee roll to the left (as if it were separating from your right knee). This lower-body weight transfer will create an incredible lag of the club on the way down; meaning you will be in a position where you can wait until the last moment to release the club through impact, which will result in a tremendous amount of clubhead speed.

One of the most important aspects of this move is how it actually starts before you finish your backswing. Your left knee should work to the left slightly prior to your downswing. This creates that "snap-like" action, or lag that was alluded to.

An easy way to feel this left-knee bow is to hold a range basket or a beach ball between your knees. Then, just before your downswing, try to make that object fall to the ground. Separate your left knee to the point where the object falls. This will drop your arms, shoulders, and club into a powerful inside position.