When I give a golf swing lesson, I emphasize teaching the follow through before the backswing. I do this because I believe the finish position can tell you how the rest of your golf swing was executed. Many times, a good follow through might even help “train” the other components of the swing… not having to think consciously about numerous positions might help you to make your most consistent, athletic swing.
The Elements of a Sound Follow Through
There are three elements of a sound follow through. They are simple to observe and easy to feel so that a good finish can be learned and become habitual, leading to a consistent swing.
Circular Body Rotation
Your belt buckle should be pointing left of the target line (completes turn through)
You should finish with 99% of your weight on the outside edge of the left foot, towards the heel (completes the weight transfer)
Your right foot should be perpendicular to the ground, supporting only about 1% of your body weight on the tip of your big toe
Both knees should be directly beside each other and you should feel the pressure of your upper legs touching together to the knees
Unrestricted Hinge for Speed and Accuracy
Your arms and wrist should feel “free” and “loose” throughout the entire follow through (secure hands, powerless arms)
The club shaft should be parallel to your ear line in the finish position
Only the club shaft should be lightly touching the back of your head…not the grip
You should feel your legs touch before you feel the shaft of the club touching the back of your head
Your left forearm should be 90 degrees to the club shaft
Constant Spine Angle = Tilted Eye Line at Finish
The spine angle you establish during your set-up stays constant all the way up to and including the three-quarters through post-impact position
You can only maintain this forward tilt until the three-quarter follow through… after this point in the swing, you will have to turn your body 90 degrees to the target line in order to ease the strain on your back while you watch the ball flight
If you maintain your body angle throughout the swing, you will end up looking at the ball flight with tilted eyes on the same angle as your clubshaft, not level eyes. In other words, as you can see in the photo above of US Women’s Open winner, Sung Hyun Park, when you finish, the clubshaft will finish on the same angle as your tilted eyes and earline.
Maintain your eye line at the golf ball until post-impact to help maintain your spine angle and help with more consistent ball striking.
The finish is the starting point for consistency in the golf swing. Work on this and improve all aspects of your swing motion. The follow through is an important position in any striking or throwing sport. Do not neglect this athleticism in the golf swing!
Deb
Feature image: Kelly Shon at the Indy Women in Tech Championship. All photos by Ben Harpring for Women’s Golf.
