Swing with Your Feet
from "The Education of a Golfer" by Sam Snead
Day 6 in our 7-part series on The Education of a Golfer by Sam Snead.
Sam grew up playing golf barefoot. He writes, “If I could have played barefoot all these years, my scores would have been lower. Footwork is the most overlooked factor in golf.”
We pay close attention to our grip but only casual attention to our feet. Sam disagrees with that practice. He says, “The hands are important because they’re the only part of the body attached to the club. But the feet are more important, being your only connection to the ground.”
You might think he’s exaggerating. But to get his game back on track, Sam once played 18 holes barefoot at the least casual tournament in the world.
“Putting the game back on its feet.”
At the 1942 Masters, Sam opened with a staggering 78. In danger of missing the cut, he wished he could play barefoot for a while. Get his balance and pivot back in sync.
In round two, he kicked off his shoes and socks and wiggled his toes in the grass. He said, “This feels great. They ought to outlaw shoes in golf so people can really get the feel of the game.”
Fans laughed and sportswriters loved it. But they expected Sam to put on his shoes. This was the Masters at Augusta. But Sam teed off, birdied the first hole, strolled through Amen Corner, and shot 68—all while playing barefoot.
At the clubhouse, he got scolded pretty hard. But he had proven his point, and the California Golf Writers Association praised him for, quote, “putting the game back on its feet.”
“Feel your feet directing things.”
Sam writes, “Although a good pivot includes the hip, leg and shoulder movement, it must start and finish with the feet.”
He offers a simple exercise—and you don’t even need to take off your shoes. “Direct your mind,” Sam says, “to make your feet control everything, from backswing to finish. Make yourself feel your feet directing things—and forget everything else.”
You’ll start to feel your swing from the ground up. That puts balance back into your pivot and follow-through. According to Sam, it’s the easiest fix in the game.
“Keep your eyes on the stars, and your feet on the ground.” Theodore Roosevelt
We’ve never heard anyone emphasize footwork more strongly than Sam Snead. He claims that Ben Hogan felt the same way because good footwork minimized hand, wrist and arm action.
So if your swing has fallen out of sync lately or you’re getting too handsy or losing your rhythm, try Sam’s “swinging with your feet” exercise. You might be surprised at how fast it works. Sam writes, “When players lose their driving touch, in 98% of the cases the fault is traced to the one place they didn’t consider: their feet.”
That’s all for now. Tomorrow, Sam shares the simplest putting tip I’ve ever heard. Until then, keep imagining what’s possible.