How to Use Torque and Ground Forces for More Power in Your Golf Swing
Torque is one of the most important forces in the golf swing—and how you create it can make or break your performance. Done correctly, torque fuels speed, power, and consistency. Done poorly, it often leads to pain, injury, and frustrating limitations. In this article, we’ll break down how the best players in the world generate torque and, more importantly, how you can train your body to produce maximum swing speed without relying on compensations.
How the best golfers create torque
First, we need to understand that torque is applied force to a moment arm that results in rotation. We can say rotation creating force. This is different from linear force which moves in a single plane like forward-backward, up-down, and left-right. To create torque, we have to apply force at a distance from the center of the bone we want to rotate. Learn more about the different torques created in the swing with the video below…
Let’s focus on how the best golfers in the world create rotation at the pelvis. We have to apply force at a point different then the center of mass of the object (the bone) that we want to move in order to create torque (rotation). So, to rotate the pelvis, the best golfers in the world use their feet (ground reaction forces) to create torque. The further the force creation point is away from the pivot point, the more speed the same force will create. Check out the video below to see exactly how the feet create the torque and rotation at the pelvis…
How improper torque creation can lead to chronic pain
Golfers that do not use the ground well will be limited in how much speed and power they can create in the swing. Instead of creating torque for rotation at the pelvis, they try to create torque and speed with the trunk and pelvis independently, creating more strain and tension on the structures of the low back, pelvis, and thoracic spine. We also begin to depend more on other torques, like lateral tilting and bending. Excessive tilting will again create stress and compression on the lumbar spine segments and often leads to strain in the muscles that aid in this motion (like the commonly injured quadratus lumborum muscle in golfers).
This often becomes a cycle. As golfers try to create more and more speed at the club head without understanding how to use the ground, more and more pressure and strain goes into the spine. Further, golfers often will resort to creating more speed at the shoulder and arms that leads to shoulder pain, injury, and swing characteristics like over the top and loss of posture.
Swing characteristics and improper torque strategy
When golfers do not create torque at the pelvis with ground reaction forces, we overemphasize individual joints. Common swing characteristics when we are missing this quality include over the top and loss of posture as the shoulder complex try’s to take over and we lose the ability to separate the trunk and pelvis (further diminishing speed), as well as early extension and hiking as we drive the pelvis up and forward in an effort to create more speed.
How can we improve our ability to use the feet to create torque?
We know from TPI’s data that we need the front foot to create pressure or force down and toward the target/ Infront of us. The back foot needs to create pressure down and backwards/ away from target. This creates vectors on the pelvis that pushes the lead side backwards and the trail side forward, altogether creating counterclockwise rotation. We also need a little extra force creating trail to lead side (towards target) force from the back side and vertical (up) force from the lead side. Below are some drills that help take our understanding of the forces of the swing and translate to creating better capacity in generating these forces…
Torque creation in the lead side foot in the golf swing
1. Into hip kettlebell snatch
This drill puts us in a split squat position, emphasizing us to put more weight in the lead side foot. From here, we load into pelvis-on-hip internal rotation and then explode out of it. We externally rotate and extend the knee and hip to create vertical force on that leg, catching the kettlebell overhead. This drill effectively works on the vertical forces on the working side lower extremity while driving more control over mobility at the hip. Focus this drill on the lead side leg of the golf swing.
2. Single leg med ball slam wall supported
This drill is fantastic at emphasizing the vertical forces on the swing. Make sure to load into the hip and then explode and extend the hips and knee while slamming the ball at the same time. The opposite foot should be flat to the wall and should not leave the wall as you slam, instead keeping pressure and even forcing that side glute to work and help stabilize. Again, focus on the lead side foot in the golf swing for this drill.
Torque creation in the trail side foot in the golf swing
1. Side heel med ball slam
This drill helps to emphasize the load and explode out of the trail side leg. We can also integrate and focus on separation between trunk and pelvis with this drill. Make sure to slam the ball next to your trail side foot and do not let it land or roll forward of it. This would mean we are emphasizing the upper extremity too much for force production.
2. Banded lateral bounds
This drill we can do on both the lead side and the trail side. When focusing on the trail side foot, we want to jump as far as we can sideways AND about a foot forward. To do this, we would need to put force in the ground pushing backwards and behind us, exactly what we need from that trail foot in the golf swing. If working on the lead side leg, we push away from the target and slightly in front of us, jumping sideways and slightly backwards as a result.
Conclusion
Torque is the engine behind both effortless power and long-term durability in the golf swing. The best players in the world know how to use the ground to generate torque through the pelvis, allowing the trunk, arms, and club to move in sequence with maximum speed and minimal stress. When golfers skip this step and rely too heavily on the spine, trunk, or shoulders, performance suffers and injury risk skyrockets.
By learning how to apply ground reaction forces correctly—and training drills that reinforce this skill—you can unlock more clubhead speed, greater consistency, and a pain-free swing that lasts for years to come. The difference between struggling with compensations and thriving with effortless speed often comes down to how you create torque. Train it right, and your game will thank you.
-Dr. Nick DC, MS, TPI, CSCS
If you are local to Nashville and would like to learn more about your body, pain, and performance, send Dr. Nick an email at contact@integratedrpc.com or call at (585)478-4379, or schedule a FREE discovery visit at Contact.
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