How to Swing a Golf Club: When Less is More
by Dr. T.J. Tomasi A Legacy Post by Keiser University College of Golf Senior Faculty and Director of Research (1940-2023)
Often golfers use too much conscious effort loading up their right side (left for lefties) during the backswing. Thus, they get out of position at the top of the swing, producing timing problems during the downswing. In other words, when it comes to transferring weight, real and feel aren’t the same.
As Brian Hughes, PGA Master Professional, mentions in the video above, when hitting a fade shot and in this case any shot, “job one is to hit the ball in the center of the club” face. Weight shift during a golf swing impacts where the ball is hit. Weight transfer is a crucial part of the swing that affects ball position and swing plane shallowness.
Weight Shift in Your Golf Swing
Weight shift in your golf swing is a fundamental aspect that greatly influences power, balance, and overall swing mechanics. It involves the transfer of your body weight from one foot to the other during different phases of the swing. At the start of the backswing, your weight should shift to your back foot, allowing for a full rotation of the torso and the creation of potential energy. This shift helps in coiling the upper body against a stable lower body, generating torque essential for a powerful downswing.
As you transition into the downswing, the weight begins to move back toward the front foot. This forward shift is crucial as it helps in maintaining balance and ensures that your swing path remains consistent. A proper weight transfer allows the hips to lead the movement, creating a chain reaction that propels the arms and club through the ball with maximum force. It’s important that the weight shift is smooth and controlled to prevent swaying, which can lead to off-balance shots and a loss of accuracy.
At impact, most of your weight should be on your front foot, allowing for a solid strike of the ball. Completing the follow-through with your weight fully transferred to the front foot ensures that your swing remains fluid and powerful. Practicing proper weight shift techniques can lead to more consistent and powerful shots, improving overall performance on the course.
Golf Drills for Weight Transfer
Golf weight transfer drills are crucial for developing a consistent and powerful swing. These drills help golfers understand and practice the proper shifting of weight from the back foot to the front foot during the swing. By mastering weight transfer, golfers can generate more power and maintain better balance, leading to more accurate and longer shots. Additionally, these drills improve overall swing mechanics, reducing the risk of injuries caused by improper technique. Consistent practice of weight transfer drills enhances muscle memory, making the correct weight shift more natural during actual play, thus significantly improving performance on the course.
Golf Weight Transfer Drill
Here’s a drill to help: Stand up straight with your arms hanging at your sides and 50/50 weight distribution on your feet. Now, without moving your lower body, simply rotate your chest to the right and note that a certain amount of weight automatically shifts to your right side. That’s exactly how much you should shift, with everybody having a slightly different optimal amount. Now assume your golf posture and do the same, i.e., turn your chest/arms, but keep your lower body still. This will produce your perfect balance point at the top of your swing.
Remember, we’re built for walking and running, so your body seeks balance automatically based on the soft trunk rotation and arm swing that propels us forward. Actually, walking and running involve an alternating but temporary loss of balance coupled with an immediate correction as adjustments are made for a changing center of gravity. Watch a toddler learning to walk as she/he copes with the “regaining of balance” part of walking – over time; they fall less and less until walking becomes second nature. This dynamic process operates during the golf swing even though your body is not translocating. The point is that when basic survival software is running, you need to comply by letting your body find the correct amount of weight shift and spine angle rather than forcing it into the configuration you hope produces the correct weight shift.
This young player is not thinking about weight shift but is none-the-less shifting her weight – a move triggered by her arm swing/chest turn. Her arm swing and upper-body turn have pulled just the correct amount of weight to her trail side. The best movements under pressure are those which are triggered by the unconscious, i.e., those that have been repeated so many times that they are automatic.
Note: Late sets like hers always appear more inside than they are.
With the club and her arms on the other side of her body, her weight is now on her left — again, just the correct amount. Perfect practice conditions the weight to go where it should produce perfect golf balance.
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