Left Heel Up...to be or not to be?

Throughout the years there have been many thoughts about the backswing in golf. A properly executed backswing puts your body in a position to return to the ball on the downswing with power and precision.

But not everyone's backswing is the same. Mainly because everyone's body is not the same.

Some people have compared the backswing to pulling back on a slingshot. The further you pull back - the more tension you create. The more tension you create the farther your projectile will go, when released. So many believed that the farther you swing the club back in the backswing, the farther the ball will go when the downswing is released.

Not always.

Others will say that the backswing is like winding up a top. The more you wind the top, the faster it will spin and comparatively the more you wind up the backswing the faster your body will spin through the impact zone. Right?

Not exactly.

Why? When you wind up the top too much the spring mechanism can break down. When you wind up too much or too far in your backswing something has to give... your arms separate, or your weight gets to far on the right foot.

Ben Hogan addressed the arms dilemma on the backswing in his "Five Lessons Book". He said, "You are heading for disaster if you thrust your arms up. Poor golfers make this error at any and all stages of the backswing, but it occurs most commonly when they are nearing the top of the backswing. When their hands are about shoulder high, they suddenly lift their arms almost vertically towards the sky." (trying to extend their backswing) This creates a disconnect between the arms and the shoulders, then consequently the core of their body. We like to call this "backswing breakdown". When you lift the arms you are disassociating them with the shoulders, losing all the wind up that you created to that point, making the arms the leader on the downswing and the rest of the body trailing behind all the way to the finish. Powerless.

So what's my point?

My point is...if you can not wind up without breaking down on the backswing, it's ok to lift your left heel off the ground on the backswing. Just to a point where your hands are shoulder high and the arms are still being guided by the shoulders. You must feel the backswing tension. If you don't, there has been a breakdown somewhere and all the energy you are suppose to be winding up will never materialize on the downswing.

Just remember this (especially you seniors), a shorter backswing with proper execution is far better than a long backswing with no power.