One of the problems you find in the modern golf swing methodology is that whole “straightening the left leg” concept, of course, ostensibly for generating leverage and thus speed and power in the impact phase.

This is leading to a generation of golfers who will suffer from knee ailments as they inflict incremental damage on that leading knee with the hyper-extension you see in many power swingers.

My point – incremental damage is exactly that.

You won’t snap your ACL or MCL (both are ligaments that secure the knee joint) on one swing, or likely even after a thousand swings.  You’re just damaging the joint area over time with that move, and by the time you realize this isn’t the greatest thing to do in swinging a golf club, it’s too late.

This:

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… is the stuff of nightmares.

I view the knees as the body’s shock absorbers, for running, walking, and swinging.

Leading Leg Is Never Straightened During The Swing

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You’ll never see a hyper-extended knee in walking or running, and you only extend the leg to straight in a jump as you leave the ground in a vertical motion – so you’re not extending that knee while still support weight with it, nor is the straightening of the knee joint a violent hyper-extension in a jumping motion.

The leading leg will straighten in a proper down swing pivot, but that is only because it flexes as you “swing the gate,” and you shouldn’t rely on the hyper-extension to try to get more power out of your swing.

You can do that with proper mechanical action and leverage, eliminating the need to do something this damaging to your body.

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I swing relatively hard and I can generate a decent club speed and drive the ball a good distance, and hit my irons a good distance as well, but you’ll never see that hyper-extended knee in any of my swings, no matter how hard I swing.

Mike Dunaway

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I never noticed this in my own swing until I saw it in Mike Dunaway’s – I noticed that he never fully straightened his leading leg even through impact, years back, and when I checked my own swing, I noticed the same.

If you find yourself hyperextending your leading leg in your golf swing, then you’re doing something wrong, mechanically.

Just as you wouldn’t step off of the last stair and land on a completely straight leg (unless you’re trying to hurt yourself), there is no reason for a hyperextended leading leg in a mechanically-sound golf swing.

If you find yourself doing something like this, check your swing – it is likely because you’re anchoring yourself in place with your trailing foot and trying to spin in place to complete the swing.

If you allow your weight to transfer fully to the leading foot and release the trailing foot when you have to (you should know when, because it a natural motion when transferring weight), and I would bet it goes away.