Mastering The Single Leg Swing Drill
The single-leg swing drill is a powerful tool for any golfer looking to enhance performance. What makes this drill so effective is how it challenges your ability to shift weight efficiently, generate force through the stance leg, and unlock maximum rotation and mobility on that side. In this article, we’ll focus specifically on performing the single-leg swing on the lead leg. Let’s break down how this drill works and why it matters…
Describing the swing drill
For this drill, we are balancing on the lead side leg, taking a 3 quarters backswing while allowing the pelvis, femur, and tibia to rotate with us, and then pulling and rotating towards the target as we make ball contact. This drill also forces us to keep a full foot contact and encourages shape change at the foot like pronation and supination. We must be able to adapt these positions, while weight bearing and under load, to somewhat extreme extents. That is what makes this drill so useful towards the END of a treatment plan.
How to master the single leg swing drill
1. Mobility
Working with Nashville golfers, there are a few common lower extremity mobility issues that show up in their swing. One of the most common is the lead side hip internal rotation. Beyond that, we also find tibial internal rotation restrictions and foot supination and pronation issues. The single leg swing drill on the lead side leg will requires the movements if we are going to do it effectively. So how we improve on lead side leg internal rotation and supination before trying this drill?
This adductor pullback drill is a great place to start to begin building back in hip internal rotation. We can influence the hip capsule to open space for internal rotation, change the orientation of the pelvis for the same effect, and begin recruiting the proper muscles of internal rotation here.
This drill works us into and out of hip internal rotation, again improving the extensibility of the hip capsule and moving us through this range of motion.
2. Motor control/ strength
Once we have opened up some mobility for hip internal rotation, we can continue to improve mobility while addressing motor control with these drills…
This drill will bring us back weight bearing again. We can teach the hip and pelvis to work together to pull ourselves into hip internal rotation under load here.
This is a great movement to build strength around the hip. It is essential that we have enough control, strength, and extensibility around the hip to control and then slow the rapid rotation into the hip. The kickstand hinge does an amazing job of lengthening the tissue around the back and side of the hip while encouraging and pushing the hip into the back of the hip capsule, a common missing component or area of mobility at the hip.
3. Power
Last, we need to practice creating high speeds and slowing them down through rotation at the pelvis and hips in a closed chain (foot firmly planted). Try these drills to begin integrating speed and high forces into the lower extremity in rotation…
This drill is great for working into end range hip internal rotation under high forces. We work to slow the kettlebell down rapidly and then quickly speed it up and rebound out of the position.
This drill integrates a double stance into a push from one side and pull into the other, just like in the golf swing. We apply the brakes on the lead side leg to produce maximal rotation and speed. You can see here in this drill how the pelvis rotates into the stable lead side leg, working through full internal rotation while decelerating the forces from the other side.
Conclusion
You're now ready to integrate the single-leg swing drill! Once you’ve established full hip mobility—ideally with at least 30 degrees of internal rotation on the lead side—developed strength and motor control through slow rotational movement, and built the ability to control hip and pelvic rotation at high speeds, it’s time to bring it all together. The single-leg swing drill does exactly that.
What’s often overlooked in golf instruction is breaking down and training the essential components that make up the full swing. By mastering this drill, you’ll not only enhance your ability to generate speed and power, but also build a foundation for greater durability and longevity in your game.
-Dr. Nick DC, TPI, CSCS
If you 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.
