The Power of the Vertical Forces in the Golf Swing

This week, I want to spotlight the role of vertical forces in the golf swing—how they're generated, transferred, and ultimately expressed through the body. We’ll start with a brief overview of the kinetic sequence to establish how forces are produced throughout the swing, then shift our focus specifically to vertical force production. We'll explore how to assess a golfer’s ability to generate vertical force, identify common areas of pain or dysfunction that can limit this capacity (whether consciously or not), and outline strategies to help improve vertical force development for a more powerful, efficient swing.

The Kinetic Sequence

Check out this article for a full detailing of the kinetic sequence in the golf swing, “The Kinetic Sequence in the Golf Swing: Part 1.” For a quick overview, the kinetic sequence describes the timing and direction of the forces and torques of the golf swing. Just before we see the club swinging back down for the golf swing, we can see the body shift forward towards the target. Then we create a side to side or tilt torque. Just after this, we see high forces in rotational torque towards the ball. Then there is a moment of bend torque (thinking bending at the waist). Last, there is a vertical force pushed down and away through the lead side leg. This is the force we will focus on today.

The Vertical Forces in the Golf Swing

Think of this force as the up and down or “jumping” forces. One significantly important piece of data we need to understand is that the forces applied to the lead side leg are exceptionally high, much greater than the forces applied at the trail side leg. This may confuse some, especially as most imagine the force and power that must come from the trail side to push and rotate us away and through towards the target. The key point is that though we do create great forces from the backside to create speed and power, it is the braking forces applied from the lead side that truly “whips” the body and club around.

According to research done at Titleist Performance Institute (TPI) with the best golfers in the world, PGA tour players produce on average 199% or 2x body weight in vertical force. Further, Long Drive Tour athletes produce up to 257% of their body weight in vertical forces! We can see the connection here between hitting the ball farther and creating MORE vertical force directly before impact. When it comes to the lead side Vs. trail side leg, TPI found that there was a difference from peak forces through each side, with the lead side leg producing 184% more force than the trail side, nearly double. These differences from lead side and trail side are more exacerbated in the LPGA and Long Drive Tour.

Assessing for vertical force

A simple test we can do here is the vertical jump test. Here we can simply measure countermovement jump height and compare to the professionals. PGA tour averages show that greater than 22 inches is excellent, 15-22 is good, and below 15 inches means we have a major deficit in vertical force production capabilities.

Working to improve vertical force

The first thing we can do is make sure we have full access to hip, pelvis, and trunk mobility and motor control. Try this simple movement here to help open up hip flexion, space for hip rotation, and create the connection between the glute and pelvis to create hip extension without compensation…

Next, we can work on translating vertical force production quickly and with power. Try these two drills below…

These two drills will work to encourage vertical force production on both extremities. The last thing we need to do is translate these qualities into the golf swing with appropriate timing and sequencing. Try this drill below to work specifically on lead side vertical force production and work it into you early range routine. The goal of this drill is maximal speed and force, so don’t worry to much on shot outcome at the start…

Conclusion

Integrating mobility, strength, and swing-specific power work—especially focused on the lead leg—can significantly enhance your ability to generate and transfer vertical force in the golf swing. While these drills are a great start, every golfer presents unique movement patterns and limitations that may require personalized attention. If vertical force or ground connection feels like a limiting factor in your swing, a customized assessment and treatment plan could be the most effective path to improvement.

-Dr. Nick DC, MS, 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.

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