I didn’t think it could get any worse, what with golfers not knowing to properly release the trailing foot when the hip turn exceeds the ability to keep it anchored.
It was bad enough that the pundits and analysts couldn’t explain this swing flaw, then it got worse when they began to praise it as providing “vertical lift” by “using the ground” and all of that nonsense.
There was no way it could get worse, I thought, when golfer who should know better, and instructors who should know better, began to actively teach this swing flaw, but no, we weren’t at bottom yet.
I want to ask you please, please, please – do not try anything like this:
Have a look where the red arrow is pointing – this swinger is anchoring her trailing foot deliberately so that she can snap that leading foot and leg back using this training device.
It is now not a swing flaw but a deliberate swing travesty. Because, look at what’s going on with her leading leg – she’s hyperextending that leading knee with every snap, and how long do you think that joint is going to hold up to this stress?
Look at what it’s already doing:
You probably already have lots of male golfers who have their leading knee bandaged because of this Flying Foot epidemic, but they wear long pants so you can’t see it.
This, my friends (teaching this move and inventing a machine for it), is absolute malpractice and borderline criminal.
The Flying Foot is a swing flaw, it’s a compensation for keeping the trailing foot anchored when the hip turn requires a release, either with the way Ben Hogan did it:
… or a step-around that way Mike Dunaway did it:
Tiger Woods destroyed his left knee doing that leading knee-snap that he had, where he actually said it was a hyper-extension of the leading leg through impact, and he was doing it at an early age, requiring his first surgery while still in college.
He moved on to destroying his back once that job was accomplished and there is absolutely no need to swing this way, people.
Golf as a sport and a teaching industry have regressed horribly to the point that they are now crippling future generations who will regret the day they ever picked up a golf club.
And it’s all so needless.
WAX Golf 
This swing “instruction” has nothing to do with creating a mechanically correct, kinesthically acceptable golf swing. It has EVERYTHING to do with imitating pros making millions of dollars for the short period they last in the ranks before injury turns them into…something else… Why is it the pro instruction ranks are so short on commmon sense?
There are only two reasons I can think of, Peter. Either a woeful lack of knowledge of biomechanics, or a deliberate attempt to fleece the unsuspecting. Which one it is, anyone can take their pick.
I’d go with fleecing the unsuspecting being the main thing. It’s increased due to simulators. A lot of coaches don’t even have to go outside to teach people now and see how they do for real as they can just have them hit the same ball into a screen that is only 6 feet in front of them. If you find a passionate and genuine coach,who loves golf and all it’s history, promote them as much as possible to those you know. Shysters are taking advantage of people and it’s not right.
I really don’t know what the actual reason is, to be honest.
I used to suspect the more sinister aspect but to see pros paying big money for swing coaching and being taught this, I wonder about the competency of the instructors.
hmm..mass conformity?
The golf world does tend to have a hive mind mentality. I have seen it over the years whenever something new came along and everyone else jumped on it. They then move on to something else. I wonder whatever happened to Stack & Tilt, which was the rage around 2007. Now, you never hear about it.
The Flying Foot will destroy bodies for a while, until everyone moves on to the next idiotic trend.
“requiring his first surgery while still in college.” Was not aware of that…makes his dedication to golf and his achievements look even more amazing,but says something about his lack of common sense when it came to swinging.
I have said over the years that Tiger Woods was willing to do anything under the sun to win in golf – except learning a mechanically-sound golf swing. That, apparently, has always been a mile too far for him and others. Mystifying.
It’s very mystifying. But, it’s hard to imagine what it must be like to play as good and as young as he did, and think about changing your swing to that of others. Esepcially as he had a club in hand from the womb. (almost literally lol)
Hogan and Dunaway are the best examples.Natural and smooth release.No unnatural “lag”. Just “escape force”.
As for the the flying foot trainer,I pray for your back if you try that during a round when it’s been raining on clay soil. And if any coach you know advocates for that,run from them, and warn those who will listen.
I don’t think even Homer Simpson has enough D’oh’s in him for modern golf swing theories that abound the internet.