Golf coaching often focuses on arms, torso rotation and club path. A 2026 pilot study suggests another area worth observing: how golfers coordinate their feet against the ground. Crucially, its findings do not justify the simple advice to “push harder.”
THE STUDY
Angelo Belotti and colleagues from the University of Perugia and the Italian Golf Federation published their research in Frontiers in Sports and Active Living on 14 September 2026. Twenty-five experienced male golfers participated. Their average age was 29 and their mean handicap index was 0.4, making this an elite-level sample rather than typical beginners.
Each golfer hit three groups of five shots with a 6-iron. The first was a baseline. Before the second, a professional trainer supervised a three-minute foot-coordination sequence involving deliberate forefoot pressure and shifts in loading. Players then attempted to incorporate the sequence into their swing. TrackMan recorded clubhead and ball speed, and paired force plates measured vertical ground-reaction force under each foot.
RESULTS
Immediately after the intervention, peak vertical force under the lead foot increased, as did clubhead speed. Peak force under the trail foot did not change significantly. Ball speed did not improve significantly immediately, but it was significantly higher in the final group following a little additional time adapting to the movement.
Relative to the baseline, the average final increase was 0.79 m/s in clubhead speed and 0.95 m/s in ball speed, about 1.7% for the latter. These were short-term average differences within a small sample. The researchers did not establish better accuracy, narrower dispersion, a lower on-course score or gains lasting for weeks.
UNDERSTANDING THE GROUND
Ground-reaction force describes the interaction between the body and the surface. A bigger force reading does not by itself indicate better technique. It does not mean golfers should stomp on the turf, jump, or forcibly twist their knees. Clubhead speed matters, but impact quality and shot direction matter too.
The order of observed changes is particularly interesting. Lead-foot loading and clubhead speed changed first; ball speed changed later. The authors suggest that golfers may need repetitions to integrate an unfamiliar motion, but motor learning and neuromuscular mechanisms were not directly measured. That remains a hypothesis.
AN 18-SHOT OBSERVATION EXERCISE
There is no need to imitate the specialised supervised intervention on your own. For a simple low-risk comparison, warm up, choose a familiar 6- or 7-iron and aim at a consistent target. Hit six normal shots, noting start direction and quality of contact, plus carry and ball speed if you have a monitor. Make several relaxed rehearsal swings without a ball, noticing whether both feet feel comfortably supported and the knees stay free from strain. Then hit six shots at your usual tempo, followed by six more without consciously focusing on the feet.
Compare the groups rather than the best single shot. Higher speed together with worse impact or dispersion is not clear progress. This 18-shot exercise is an editorial self-observation method, not a replication of the study or a scientifically validated distance programme.
LIMITATIONS AND TAKEAWAY
The study had no separate randomised control group. All participants were highly skilled male golfers with right-to-left downswings, and outcomes were measured within minutes. Results cannot automatically be generalised to women, beginners, juniors or older players; long-term effects are unknown. Anyone with foot, ankle, knee or back pain should avoid forceful rotational drills and consult a qualified professional.
The sound lesson is to pay attention to balance and ground contact while assessing actual shot outcomes, not to chase a bigger force reading at any cost.
Original paper: Belotti A. et al., Frontiers in Sports and Active Living, 14 September 2026. DOI 10.3389/fspor.2026.1888684. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/sports-and-active-living/articles/10.3389/fspor.2026.1888684/full
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