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I have known for quite a long time that my left foot (I play right-handed) twists during my swing, so that my toes end up pointing more or less towards the target. This happens less on chips and pitch shots.

I am fairly sure this is, at best, not great! However I am not sure:

1 - what causes this?
2 - what is the result of this?
3 - what can I do to correct it if it is a fatal flaw?

FWIW my handicap is an improving 19, I reckon I am playing to around 16 at the moment. I am averagely long off the tee (ie not very), and I hit my 7 iron just over 140 yards.

I'm certainly no expert JJ but it sounds to me the problem is in your weight shift at impact. If your left foot is pointed towards the target at finish then your weight is probably still on your right foot.

BTW, there's nothing wrong with a 140+ 7 iron.

Your foot twist may be a symptom of other swing issues. Since you did not provide any description regarding what is happening to your shots as a result of your foot twist I will venture to guess you may not be shifting your weight properly onto your left side as you carry out your swing through contact with the ball and at finish consequently allowing the left foot enough freedom to twist as you describe. The result can be ugly including reverse pivoting which may cause fat or chunk shots, topping the ball, aggravated slice, loss of accuracy and distance, and other nasty ills.

I remember Jim Flick described the weight shift as having about 60% of your body weight on your right side at the top of your backswing and 80 to 100% on your left side at completion. For me, I like to think of the weight shift onto my right side as more of a brace during the backswing rather than a swaying motion. Another good swing thought is try to have your right knee point to your target line at the completion of your swing (made possible with the proper weight shift) which takes care of a lot of ills with what to do with the lower body through the swing and helps keep the club in the proper plane at contact.

Good luck
nh43211

I would say that there is a certain amount of sway in the backswing, but I do get a lot of weight onto the right side. I don't hit topped shots, there is the odd fat contact and a very rare shank (don't think this is a footwork problem for me). On a normal (ie decent) swing I will end up with all my weight on my front foot and in an upright position.

I think the foot twist has more to do with a "cheat" to clear my hips and allow my body to open up on the downswing. I am beginning to feel that the foot twist is costing me power. I am at the point where my short game is reasonably tidy and I am confident from 7 iron in that I will be in good shape. I want to extend the range from which I am confident I will score, which means I need the power off the tee and another 10 yards or so on each iron.

I was doing the same thing earlier this year and if your problem is the same as mine you probably hit the ball pretty high for the most part with some thin or bladed shots mixed in. If this is the case your hitting the ball with your weight almost centered in your stance. Your hands are even with the ball when you make contact and a little behind the ball when you hit it thin, too high, or fat.

To correct this try and hit a few balls leaving your weight on your front foot throughout your swing. Don't worry about making a full backswing with this drill, just take it back as far as you feel comfortable. This should make sure your foot stays still, and make your hands stay ahead of the ball when you make contact. When you go back to your reg. swing you should be able to replicate that feeling. Let us know if this helps .

I do hit the ball very high for the most part, but make few thin contacts (mostly on tricky pitch shots). I was monitoring myself on the course last night and I am beginning to suspect that I have not fully fixed my balance issue. My left foot is much more stable with a restricted backswing.

Yeah make sure your feet are shoulder length apart.


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