Adding this chair drill to your practice routine can help you ensure you have the right amount of knee flex in your golf swing, ultimately leading to more power and better contact with the ball. Not only does it provide instant feedback on your knee flex, but it also helps you understand the proper hip and knee movements in your swing. This drill, created by Chris Como, a renowned golf instructor, is a simple yet effective way to improve your swing mechanics.
The first step in the chair drill is to set up facing the chair with your knees close to the edge of the seat. With your arms crossed over your chest, rotate back and through, making sure to avoid hitting the chair with your knees. This helps you determine the correct amount of knee flex needed in your swing. If you have too much knee flex, your knees will collapse in towards the ball and clip the chair on the way through, indicating an early extension issue.
Once you have mastered the basic chair drill, you can progress to a more dynamic version. In this variation, you set up with more space between your knees and the chair, allowing for a greater range of motion. As you rotate back and start down, focus on getting your knees closer to the chair. Then, as you turn through impact, feel yourself standing up and moving your knees away from the chair. This movement helps you create the necessary knee flex seen in elite players’ swings and teaches you to straighten both legs while keeping your upper body down through the shot.
According to Como, mastering this drill will result in your legs finishing close together in the follow-through, almost touching. This position indicates that you have successfully maintained the correct knee flex throughout the swing and created a compressing body motion with your chest over the ball. By incorporating this drill into your practice routine, you can improve your swing consistency, power, and overall performance on the golf course. Plus, it’s a simple exercise that can be done at home or on the driving range, making it a convenient tool for golfers of all skill levels.
