belt buckle to point at the target. For the golfers who struggle to separate the lower and upper body, this motion will be very challenging. Both of the knees will appear to bend, almost in a squat position, leading to the drop of the body. The trail knee will maintain the bend through impact, whereas the lead knee will straighten during the motion of the vertical force.
Outside of the distance gains from the proper use of forces, you can also expect more consistent club face strikes as well as a better swing path for improved ball direction.
legs while maintaining a low spine angle may not be realistic for all golfers.
SUMMARIZING GROUND FORCES Once the golfer has laterally pushed into the ground in transition causing a ground reaction force, rotated the lower body into a slight squat and exploded off the ground through the feet while maintaining the upper body posture, maximum power and club head speed can be achieved. Outside of the distance gains from the proper use of forces, you can also expect more consistent
I. Lateral force II. Rotational force III. Vertical force
1. Club across your chest drill
III. VERTICAL FORCE � After the body has moved downward toward the ground from the first two forces, it is time to get back up. Vertical force follows the rotational force and is the jump off the ground right before impact. The vertical force in the swing of Justin Thomas is obvious, as he literally jumps off the ground right before the strike.
During the vertical jump, the lead leg will rapidly extend, appearing to snap straight. This extreme force on the lead leg is difficult for many golfers, especially those with hip or knee issues on their lead side. The term“ posting” is often used for straightening the lead leg. With the trail knee driving toward the target and the lead knee snapping straight, the two knees should nearly touch.
When the vertical force is applied and the legs essentially jump off the ground, the upper body should not get any higher. The upper body has worked down with the legs through the first two forces, but the vertical force propels the legs up without sending the torso away from the ground. All of that said, the ability to jump with the club face strikes and a better swing path for improved ball direction.
Simply working on the swing will not allow you to master these three forces, as you will also need the strength and agility to execute them with precision. Regardless of age or athleticism, I recommend working on improving your range of motion, flexibility, explosiveness, balance, overall rotation and the ability to separate body segments. Proper use of the ground is as much an athletic skill as it is a golf skill. vsga. org J ULY / A UGUST2025 | V IRGINIA G OLFER
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