A beginning golfer
usually focuses on making solid contact with the golf ball. Once the golfer
is comfortable with his or her basic swing mechanics and moves beyond
beginning skill-levels, he or she can start to learn some of the more
subtle, yet important elements of a powerful and consistent swing. A very
important skill that an intermediate or advanced golfer must perfect is
successfully shifting his or her weight to the back foot during the backswing
and to the front foot as part of the downswing, while maintaining his
or her balance throughout the swing.
Beginning golfers tend to swing hard with their arms and upper body,
which in turn creates many problems. Swinging too hard will destroy
good timing in a golf shot and reduce power. A squarely hit ball will
travel much further than a forcefully hit one.
For best results in improving your golf game, consult your local PGA
Professional. He or she can help you identify specific areas for improvement
and prescribe the practice techniques that are right for you.
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1.
Begin your back swing as usual, sweeping the club head back
low to the ground. Feel your weight shifting to the inside of
your back foot as if your back foot was planted in concrete.
Keep your weight balanced on the balls of your feet. At this
point, you should feel very little pressure between you front
foot and the ground.
2.
Begin your down swing by first moving your weight onto your
front foot. You should feel your front knee and hip pulling
your weight from your back foot and leg. This is the key movement
to your downswing; the lower body must shift independent of
the upper body.
Four
common weight shift and balance faults: You
may experience these faults alone or in combination.
3.
Weight
falling toward the
ball
A successful
weight shift from the back foot to the front foot will help
ensure proper balance along the line of the target. However,
you also need to be aware of your balance perpendicular to
the target line. If you apply too much pressure to the front
of your feet, you will hit the golf ball with the heel of
the club.
4.
Weight
falling away from the ball
If you
are leaning back too much on your heels, you will hit the
ball with the toe of the club. Leaning too far backwards or
forwards will cause you to miss the sweet spot of the clubface,
sacrificing distance and a solid feeling at the point of contact
with the ball. You can tell if you miss the sweet spot if
the club does not feel solid in your hands after striking
the ball.
5.
Weight
too far in front of the ball
A common
mistake for many golfers occurs when they move their body
in front of the ball before the club actually hits the ball.
Most of the time, this results in a topped shot that leaves
a ball impression on the front of the ball. The club is still
descending when it hits the top of the ball. The club will
tend to hit the ground under your center of gravity; in this
case your center of gravity is in front of the ball. Make
sure you transfer your weight, via a lower body shift rather
than an upper body slide, to your front leg and foot through
the downswing to realize the full potential power and distance
of your swing.
6.
Weight
too far behind the ball
A common
mistake for many golfers occurs when they leave their weight
on their back leg during the downswing, after successfully
transferring it there during the backswing. The result is
to hit the ground behind the ball, which is called "Hitting
it Fat" If you miss the ground completely, you will then top
the ball. This topped shot occurs when the club begins to
ascend, and you catch the ball at its equator or higher. This
shot is best described as a "wormburner". Remember, the club
will tend to hit the ground under your center of gravity,
in this case you center of gravity is behind the ball. Make
sure you transfer your weight to your front leg and foot through
the downswing, while maintaining balance, to realize the full
potential power and distance of your swing.
Recommended
Practice:
7.
Make
a backswing, and on the downswing slide your back foot forward
to your front foot, with no weight on the back foot as you
finish. Do this drill at least ten minutes a day or more,
until you can finish your swing in balance on your front leg
while actually hitting a ball. Many people can make great
practice swings, but then if you place a ball in front of
them, they swing too hard and lose their balance.
Beginning golfers tend to swing hard with their arms and upper body,
which in turn creates many problems. Swinging too hard will destroy
good timing in a golf shot and reduce power. A squarely hit ball will
travel much further than a forcefully hit one.
For best results in improving your golf game, consult your local PGA
Professional. He or she can help you identify specific areas for improvement
and prescribe the practice techniques that are right for you. 
