Today's question comes from David, in Washington, who writes:
"Surge,
I watched The Surge Show where you and DJ talked about turning the forward foot out to help the turn and finish. But you did not discuss any adjustments that may be required for alignment. When I stand on a tile floor with my toes on my parallel line, all is clear. But when I pivot my foot forward on my heel, my heel moves backward, about 3/4 of an inch or so. Do I need to bring my toes forward to the toe line again, or keep my heels on the original parallel line, or line up first and then pivot? It seems that keeping my heels on the original parallel line is correct because that keeps my body lined up, but I would like to confirm it."
David, this is a very good question and the answer is...it depends. If you are flaring your feet from the minimum 30 degrees we recommend out to about 45 degrees, then by all means keep your toes on the original toe line. However, if you need to flare your feet more than that, perhaps to ease the stress on a sore hip or left knee joint, then you will need to make a slight adjustment so that you can maintain dynamic balance all the way through your swing. You'll need to move your forward heel back a bit--no more than an inch--so that your heel is centered under your hip again. So your diagnosis was spot on! For anyone interested, the details are in the video.
As I have said for years, the Peak Performance Golf Swing is built on a set of parameters that allow each of us to find what works best for our particular physical situation. As long as we stay within "spec" so to speak, we can stay true to the underlying principles of physics and physiology that the swing is built upon.
Keep it vertical!
The Surge
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