Left Foot

[progolf4life]

When I swing my golf club my left foot opens to almost pointing at the target when I swing agressive and on a less agressive swing it still moves just not that much. Can someone tell me why this is happening and how to fix it. Also, does this move cost me distance (i'm going to fix it either way just wanted to know).

[zebrasinamerica]

I have always been told that you dont want your front (left) foot to be perpindicular to your target line and have always been taught to set up with my left foot in a comfortable position to help promote a more powerful swing. If this is accurate or not is not known by me but it sure has helped me in my game, it keeps me more stable on my follow through and gives me a lot more confidence over the ball when I'm comfortable with my stance.

As far as your foot moving more on hard swings than on easy swings, if I took a guess I would say it's mainly because you're rotating your body around your left leg and that momentum with your body weight makes the grass give more on harder swings than easier swings.

Zebra

[progolf4life]

That makes sense that i'm turning around my leg and I don't start with my foot perpendicular. So how do I stop from doing that?

[zebrasinamerica]

stop from doing what?

[300Yards]

I have never seen a person whos foot doesn't move a little..even mine does, and I'm a 2 handicapper!!!

[zebrasinamerica]

Handicap has nothing to do with that, it's the wonderful world of SOFTSPIKES that aid this phenomenon. Boo on softspikes for not holding worth a durn lol

Zebra

[progolf4life]

My foot moves a lot though.

[zebrasinamerica]

As does mine my man as does mine, I'm willing to bet a lot of it has to do with the flexibility you happen to have in your ankle. You can always search for stretches to increase your flexibility in your ankles I suppose.

Zebra

[straightshooter]

Originally Posted by progolf4life

When I swing my golf club my left foot opens to almost pointing at the target when I swing agressive and on a less agressive swing it still moves just not that much. Can someone tell me why this is happening and how to fix it. Also, does this move cost me distance (i'm going to fix it either way just wanted to know).

Perhaps a boxing analogy will help you. Think of the golf-swing as an uppercut, not as a body blow. Try and make these boxing moves, and see if this makes sense to you. If it does, apply it to your swing.

[300Yards]

Originally Posted by zebrasinamerica

As does mine my man as does mine, I'm willing to bet a lot of it has to do with the flexibility you happen to have in your ankle. You can always search for stretches to increase your flexibility in your ankles I suppose.

Zebra

Well now, that makes sense, because my left ankle isn't very flexible, because I broke it a few years back. I can't really say that the foot moving slightly, affects anything.

[Fourputt]

Originally Posted by progolf4life

When I swing my golf club my left foot opens to almost pointing at the target when I swing agressive and on a less agressive swing it still moves just not that much. Can someone tell me why this is happening and how to fix it. Also, does this move cost me distance (i'm going to fix it either way just wanted to know).

Sounds to me like you have something of a reverse pivot happening here. If you were making a proper weight shift with a smooth transition at the top, your left foot should replant where it was at address as you start your downswing. Then the normal shift of weight over to the left side should keep it planted with no more than a roll toward the outside of the foot on the follow through. The only way it can move significantly is if your swing is exceptionally violent, or your weight is shifting to the right side, allowing the left foot to slip or rotate. In either case the problem isn't "soft spikes" as suggested. I don't wear any kind of spikes and I virtually never slip. .

IMO, there is something going on with your swing here and a visit to your PGA Pro could probably do more for you than any advice you get here. Without seeing your swing, all anyone can do is speculate, and that isn't likely to produce any good results.