Virginia Golfer July/August 2025 | Page 36

Instruction

What Are Ground Forces?

And how to create them in the golf swing by JOSH APPLE, Director of Player Development, The Piedmont Club

Top of backswing
THE PHRASE“ GROUND FORCES” has become increasingly popular in the golf community over the past few years. But many golfers don’ t understand what this term actually means or how to properly use the ground in their swing.
One of the biggest differentiators between elite ball strikers and everyone else is the ability to use the ground to generate more speed and power. When watching tour professionals like Scottie Scheffler or Justin Thomas, it is easy to see how much they use the ground and their feet throughout their swing— yet most amateur golfers tend to swing like their feet are stuck in the mud.
On the lesson tee, I frequently see swings dominated by the upper body, which can cost golfers a significant amount of distance.
There are several forces at play in the golf swing, but here we’ ll focus on three key forces generated by the feet and lower body during the downswing. The first is lateral— a movement toward the target. Next comes rotational force, or torque, which follows the lateral shift. Finally, there’ s the vertical force, which involves pushing up from the ground, almost like a jump.
I. LATERAL FORCE � Lateral force occurs when the golfer moves toward the target, like a baseball pitcher stepping toward home plate before releasing the ball. This step into the ground generates ground reaction forces that push back into the athlete, helping create more power. Many instructors today use force plates like the Swing Catalyst or Smart- 2Move to measure force patterns during the swing.
The more lateral force produced by the lead foot stepping into the ground, the better. But in addition to achieving the most force possible, the sequence must begin with the lateral push preceding the other two forces.
In transition, the golfer should push aggressively off the trail foot and onto the lead foot. It is perfectly acceptable for the trail foot to come off the ground early in the downswing, as long as the motion is toward the target and not toward the ball. If the trail foot moves toward the ball
instead, early extension and heel misses are likely. The trail knee will move toward the target as well, nearly touching the lead knee.( Again, picture throwing a ball with the trail foot driving off the ground the lead foot pressing into the ground.)
This press into the ground by the lead foot helps bring the club down. When the transition is initiated by the upper body instead, you will likely see an over-thetop move. The lateral force helps bring the club down on plane, with the trail shoulder dropping rather than pushing toward the ball. Golfers who rely too much on the upper body often have inconsistent contact points and out-to-in swing paths. Starting the downswing with lateral force into the ground not only builds power but also promotes more consistent contact and ball direction.
II. ROTATIONAL FORCE Rotational force, or torque, follows the lateral step into the ground and comes from
the lower body rotating toward the target. The lateral push initiates a downward movement, and then the rotational force brings the body even lower. If you’ ve ever noticed a tour professional appear to sink lower to the ground during their downswing, you’ re not imagining it. Staying level without any up or down movement can limit power and consistency at impact.
During the rotational force, the lower body will open to the target sooner than the upper body, as if you’ re trying to get your
JOSH APPLE
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