Tom Motley
Elvis Presley was (and still is) a music and style icon, with admirers and impersonators around the world.
As one of the most recognisable celebrity names in history, most people will be able to recall his expressive dance moves - but how many of you have let them slip into your golf swing?
In this article, Golf Monthly Top 50 Coach Coach and PGA professional Tom Motley shares how destructive 'Elvis leg', one of the biggest swing faults, can be to your success on the golf course.
Thankfully, he also shares two quick fixes that can help any amateur golfer get out of jail(house rock)... sorry, I had to!
It's Time 'Elvis Leg' Left The Building
Tom Motley has been a PGA professional since 2005. He offers a high level of coaching, utilising the best possible coaching technology eg Swing Catalyst with pressure plates, TrackMan 4 along with a vast array of training aids. Tom continually develops his skills through spending time with some of the best coaches across the globe.
When something is ‘out’ in the golf swing, the body has a way of trying to adapt and doing the best job it can to hit the ball - and 'Elvis leg' is one of those examples!
If you’re really narrow, the legs can kick in and you’ll start extending up to try and find some space. There’s just no room here.
This is a classic poor impact position among those who have a penchant for early extension. The ‘Elvis leg’ is where players are basically trying to get out of their own way.
Recognise the 'Elvis leg' in your golf swing? This can be fixed using any of the three fixes below
Quick Fix 1
To develop that feeling of shifting pressure laterally (from trail foot to lead foot) rather than up to the toes, stand on an alignment stick and hit balls at 60%. Stand so the arch of each foot sits ‘over’ the alignment stick.
Quick Fix 2
Put a club under your trail heel as here (or a tennis ball cut in half). This is an awareness drill, and one that is going to help you to improve your ball-striking.
Take a nice, smooth backswing, allowing the pressure to move into your right heel. I want you to feel like the right heel doesn’t lift until around impact.
In this image, the club under my trail foot is just beginning to fall to the ground, which means you’ve maintained good stability and released that trail foot correctly.
The club under my trail foot is just starting to fall as I reach impact
This drill will feel a little strange at first, but it’s a really effective way of stabilising your lower half. It will feel quite restrictive, but it’s an extreme drill that will teach you how to create a stable, well-balanced lower half and improve ground control.
You can see that the club has released through impact and fallen to the ground. Also, note how my arms have fully extended through impact and on into the follow-through.
The club under my trail foot has now hit the ground as I follow-through past impact
What are the 5 most common swing faults?
According to Golf Monthly Top 50 Coach Alex Elliott, most amateur golfers have one of these swing faults...
1. Poor takeaway with driver
2. Open clubface at impact with driver
3. Using a driver swing with an iron
4. Having a cupped lead wrist at the top of the backswing
5. Poor setup for hitting pitch shots
If you can relate to anything on this list and want a fix, check out Alex's expert tips for solving the most common amateur swing faults by clicking the link above.
There is also a handy video embedded at the top of this article if you would prefer a visual guide.
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