2008 Ryder Cup - Oliver Wilson
Oliver Wilson is one of the European players that is not very well known to most of the world. The Euro Tour is really competitive and develops lots of strong players. Oliver Wilson is no exception. He can play the game, as you can see by his smooth swing. By watching the video of Wilson, as well as on TV, you can learn a lot from his footwork. Watch his right foot very carefully. You ave probably heard how you should end up on your right toe at the finish of your swing. But how do you get there? Oliver Wilson gives you the answer. As he makes his downswing and goes into impact his weight is moving towards his left foot. You can see this happen as the right side of his right heel comes off the ground first. His foot does not slide, shift, or move. It simply rolls to the instep and then up onto it's toe. The key is that the foot must roll to the instep first, before it ends up on it's toe. The back foot sliding around during your swing can be an indicator of bigger problems. If your foot moves like Wilson's does then you are in good shape otherwise look at making corrections to emulate the video above. Return to 2008 Ryder Cup Players from Oliver Wilson Copyright 2006-2012 Free-Golf-Lessons.com
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PGA Tour Winner Quick Lesson
Congratulations to Steve Stricker on his victory at the 2012 Hyundai Tournament of Champions.
I believe the commentators said he has won 9 times in his 40s. That is amazing!I also agree with Sir Nick and Johnny Miller that his swing will be copied in the future. Technology has reduced the need for hand action in the golf swing to generate power. Watch the old videos of Bobby Jones to see how much action he created compared to that of Steve Stricker.
A great objective for any player is to eliminate any unnecessary movement. Stricker does a great job of that. His hands stay very quiet on the backswing. His wrists hardly hinge at the top of his backswing. You can see from the above video that his backswing is all shoulder turn.
His downswing starts from the hips and he simply turns everything through the golf ball at the same time. His hands and wrists release naturally without any effort. This is a great way to have a consistent rhythm through the golf ball on every shot. This swing delivers enough power to win on Tour.
European Tour Winner Quick Lesson
Congratulations to Louis Oosthuizen and his victory at the 2012 Africa Open.
Louis burst onto the scene with his dominating performance at the Open Championship. Many have predicted multiple wins for this player. His victory this past weekend is likely one of many to come.
In the video above pay really close attention to when the video ends. Take a look at his left foot. Notice how all his weight his on his left heel. This is a great sign that he has cleared his hips properly.
One of the key reasons for starting the downswing with your lower body is to clear your hips out of the way to create more room for your arms to swing through impact. It is a great indicator as to how well you cleared your hips, when almost all your weight is on your heel.
If your weight is leaning on you toes or even the middle of your foot then you have not rotated and cleared your hips enough through your downswing and past impact. You really want to feel the pressure of your weight on your heel like Oosthuizen.
Make sure you start your downswing with your lower body. At the top of your backswing; either pull your left knee or your left hip (right handed player) towards the target. Also make sure your hips keep rotating through impact and into your finish position with your weight on the heel.