Sam Snead’s Swing: Lifting The Left Heel

Sam Snead’s Swing: Lifting The Left Heel

I am a great admirer of Sam Snead’s swing. Flexible and fluid, it stood the test of time through 82 wins. Snead won his first in 1936, and his last PGA TOUR event in 1965. His last professional win was on the Champions Tour in 1982.

One thing I’ve noticed about Snead’s swing is that — unlike so many modern pros — he lifted his left heel. That surely made it possible for him to make a longer turn. I think it likely that planting that heel was the trigger to begin the downswing.

That’s also a move used by Jack Nicklaus, among others.

Here’s a Nicklaus instructional video

Nicklaus says that the length of the club is proportional to the amount of heel lift.

I’m not sure I can see that in the Snead videos, but it makes sense.

In any case, it strikes me that this swing style is perfect for golfers with less range of movement and flexibility.