What causes knees to pop?

How do I prevent dipping my knees and shoulders in my downswing of my golf swing?

• My take away of my golf swing is fine but my downswing seems to have some flaws. I dip my back shoulder and knees causing the ball to have a high trajectory off the tee. I don't pop the ball straight up but I'm losing a lot of distance off the tee because of this. Also, it causes me to hit the ball high on the face of my driver. Are there any drills or things I can do to fix this problem?

• Answer:

  Sounds like a reverse weight shift. This is the result of keeping too much weight on your left foot during your backswing. You need to transfer 90 percent of your weight to the inside of your right foot on your backswing if you are right handed. Then transfer the weight back to your left foot as you begin your downswing with your shoulders while letting your hips uncoil naturally pulling down and through with your left arm and finishing with your hands held high and eyes pointed directly at your target. This part is important now.....point your left foot about 30 degrees toward your target or your 10:00 o'clock position. This makes it possible for a smooth transfer back to the inside of your right foot. If you leave it square to the ball which is what you want to do with your right foot, this will cause you to keep too much weight on left foot when you start the back swing. If you are left handed, my advice is the same, just apply my advice regarding weight to the inside of left foot instead of the right foot and right foot at 10:00 o'clock position. Just read Dormie at the Turn's - Charles Barkley? Is that you? lol. Yes, this is exactly Charles Barkley's problem. A very severe reverse weight shift. Be carefull to keep the weight on the inside of your right foot on your backswing though if right handed or the inside of the left foot if left handed. If your weight moves to the outside you'll develop a nasty slice, just the opposite of what you are doing now. This is your problem, I have little doubt about that unless you have some major swing flaws that would also drastically affect your iron game and I'd have to see your swing to know what that would be. Of course a reverse weight shift would also hurt your iron game and cause you to pull the pull left or slice it but sometimes a reverse weight shift occurs on tee shots only due to legnth of driver and tee box jitters. I use to do the same thing my first year of playing on my dirver shots before I took a few lessons. Please at least practice this at the driving range even if you don't like my answer. Ok, I've edited this sucker about twenty times now trying to think of more but unless I could actually view you swinging this is the best I can do.