For golfers of all degrees of skill and experience

One very important part of the swing that is often overlooked by players who are striving to become better golfers is correct footwork. There is a temptation in golf, as in nearly every sport, to grow careless about your footwork when your hands are working well. Professionals soon learn, however, that if they allow their footwork to grow sloppy, their whole game will deteriorate. I know from my own experience, and from conversations with my fellow pros, that the days when it is easiest to play good golf shots are invariably those days when the feet are really doing their job.

What does their job consist of? Well, your footwork determines how well you pivot. In turn, the correctness of your pivot largely determines whether or not you will be in the right position to hit the ball to the best of your ability. There are two check points to establish clearly in regard to the role the feet play. First, at the top of your backswing, your left heel is raised off the ground and your weight transferred to your right side. Second, at the completion of your swing, the positions are reversed. The right heel is raised and the weight has been fully transferred to the left side.

from ED FURGOL, pro at the Westwood Country Club, Clayton, Mo.

TWO PHOTOS

ILLUSTRATION

Correct position, top of backswing

ILLUSTRATION

Correct position, completion of swing

ILLUSTRATION

NEXT WEEK'S GUEST PRO: JOHN BATTINI ON PLANNING THE ROUND