Swing Management 101

There are countless possible flaws in the golf swing that can lead to an endless variety of bad shots. However, in my 14 years of teaching golf, there are a few recurring swing flaws that afflict both amateurs and touring professionals alike. These flaws lead to a series of negative chain reactions during the swing and eventually wreak havoc on one’s ability to make a repetitive and powerful golf swing. Let’s take a look at some of the more common (but frequently overlooked) flaws that may have already crept into your golf swing, using my simple spot-and-fix techniques. With a few minor adjustments here and there, these flaws can be eliminated from your swing for good.

Fault:
Club taken back too far inside results in a blocked shot
Wow, have I seen this one a few times! Anytime the club is taken back too inside the target line, it’s darn near certain the golf ball isn’t going to fly straight. Not only will you likely block the ball to the right, but the upper body will rotate too much, and the lower body will never catch up. Therefore, when it’s time to unwind on the forwardswing, the lower body will be so far ahead of the upper body that it becomes virtually impossible to swing along the target line. Some golfers get away with pulling the club inside the target line and hitting blocked shots by simply aiming farther left. Though that sometimes works, a blocked shot is far less powerful than one hit down the line.

Fix:
Take the club back along target line for as long as possible
In this photo, I’ve taken the club back along the target line for as long as possible while still staying on plane. If I continue lifting the club straight up, I’ll lose my spine angle and my weight shift will suffer. Instead, once the club starts lifting off the ground, I’ll allow my body to rotate away from the ball. In this photo, as the club reaches waist high, you can see my shoulders have already begun turning, my lower body is stable, my knees remain flexed and the clubhead bisects both my forearms. Truth is, since the swing is both round and at an angle, it’s impossible to take the club straight back and through. But, in the first few inches, it’s a must-do to eliminate blocked shots.