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Swing Characteristics and Common Swing Faults |
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Early Extension is one of the most common lower body swing faults found on all levels of players |
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Early Extension is defined as any forward movement (thrust) of the lower body towards the golf ball during the downswing.This swing fault causes the arms and club to get stuck behind your body during the downswing, and forces your torso to raise up and elevate through the hitting zone.This swing fault usually causes two typical miss hits, the block to the right and a hook to the left.And as most competitive players know, having two misses, one to the right and one to the left, can be disastrous in tournament play.
Players that have this fault will also complain of getting stuck or trapped, this is due to the fact that the lower body has moved closer to the golf ball on the downswing. As a result the body is in the way of the arms on the downswing and thus the term I feel stuck or trapped.
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The easiest way to diagnose early extension is to use the hip line analysis. Start by drawing a vertical line directly behind your butt during your set up or address position from the Down the Line View. Now, advance the video to impact or just beyond. The majority of PGA Tour players will sit deep into line or never leave that line during the entire golf swing. If your lower body has moved closer to the golf ball then you have early extension.
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Solutions for early extension
The exercises prescribed will help you attack this swing fault. There are also some drills that we use to attack the early extension fault. We use a drill called the ''Merry Go Round'' which can be seen below. It forces the upper body to turn more agressively around the lower body. We have found that this drill engages the oblique abdominal muscles and helps stabilize the lower body.
I also like player to visualize themselves standing behind a cinder block wall that comes up to their waist and is the width of their stance. You can reach over the wall and swing the club but on the downswing your lower body must turn behind the wall and not touch it. This will force you to maintain your body angles and stop early extending.
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Loss of Posture is defined as any significant alteration from your body's original set up angles during your golf swing |
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Loss of Posture is defined as any significant alteration from your body's original set up angles during your golf swing. This loss of posture can affect all aspects of the golf swing including timing, balance and rhythm. Losing your spine angle or altering your posture usually causes two typical miss hits, the block to the right and a hook to the left. And as most competitive players know, having two misses, one to the right and one to the left, can be disastrous in tournament play.
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The easiest way to diagnose a loss of posture is to use the triple posture line. Starting in the set up or address position from the Down the Line View, draw a line from the center of your head to the center to the center of your waist. Next, draw a line from the center of your waist to the center of your knee. Finally, draw a third line from the center of your knee to the center of your ankle. These three lines make up the triple posture line. Now, advance the video to impact or just beyond. The majority of PGA Tour players will maintain their posture angles during the entire golf swing and there will be minimal movement from those original triple posture lines. If you are moving off these lines during your golf swing then you have Loss of Posture.
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Physical Parameters Affecting the Loss of Posture and How to Diagnose:
In order to not lose your posture during the golf swing several physical characteristics must be developed. First and foremost, research has shown that any limitation in performing a full deep squat or full hip bend can force a player to lose their pelvic posture during the downswing. Failure to perform a deep squat means generalized stiffness and asymmetry in the musculature and joints of the lower body. This limitation will always limit a good set up posture and force players to alter their spinal posture throughout the golf swing. These limitations are best evaluated using the Overhead Deep Squat Test and the Toe Touch Test . Secondly, the ability to separate your upper body from your lower body allows your shoulders to rotate around your spine without altering your original posture. Limited trunk to pelvis separation is usually caused by reduced spinal mobility and shortened lat flexibility. This separation is best be evaluated using the Seated Trunk Rotation Test, the Reach, Roll, and Lift Test, and the Supine Lat Test. Next, the ability to stabilize your spine angle during the swing is directly proportional to the strength and stability of your core musculature (your abs and glutes). When it comes to spinal stabilization the core is the king. These muscles help keep your trunk forward flexed throughout your golf swing. Core strength is best evaluated using the Pelvic Tilt Test, the Bridge w/ Leg Extension Test and the Side Bridge w/ Leg Lift Test. Finally, in order to rotate around a stable posture one must have good flexibility in your hips and shoulders. This allows you to get the club into key positions without altering your spine angle. The overall flexibility of your hips and shoulders are best evaluated using the 90/90 Test, the Supine Lat Test and the Hip Windshield Wiper Test.
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How do I control my Loss of Posture?
In order to limit the loss of posture in your golf swing, we have assembled some quick and easy exercises and coordination drills to get you on the road to success. Check them out.
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Chicken Winging creates a loss of width through impact and limits the player's ability to develop speed or power |
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A Chicken Wing is defined as a loss of extension or breakdown of the lead elbow through the impact area.? This swing fault makes it very difficult to develop speed or power and tends to put excessive force on the outside of the elbow joint.? If you're suffering from high weak shots or you tend to develop tennis elbow on your lead side, you probably have a chicken wing.
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The easiest way to diagnose a chicken wing is to use the lead arm line at impact. Start by drawing a line from the center of your lead shoulder to the center of your lead wrist at impact from the Face on Camera View. This line should bisect your lead arm from the shoulder to the wrist. If your lead elbow and lead wrist are bent and your arm does not match this lead arm line, then you have a chicken wing.
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What Causes Chicken Winging?
In order to fully extend your lead arm and maintain a good width into the hitting zone several physical characteristics must be developed. First and foremost, lead arm strength and lead side shoulder flexibility are paramount for a strong and fully extended lead arm at impact. If the arm is unable to rotate around the shoulder due to joint or muscular restrictions than chicken winging will dominate the pattern. Lead shoulder external rotation and overall shoulder mobility are best evaluated using the 90/90 Test, the Reach, Roll, and Lift Test, and the Open Book Test. Secondly,
if your downswing is out of sequence and your club is traveling on an over-the-top path, the lead arm is almost always forced to chicken wing due to the direction of the forces that are applied upon it. To see if your path is over-the-top or if you have any physical limitations that may be causing this path, see the Over-The-Top swing fault description.
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Exercises and Drills to correct Chicken Winging
The Chicken Wing swing fault can be caused by a variety of issues from path to body action. We generally prescribe path drills to give the student a sense of the correct arm motion. I often need to re-educate the motor learning skills that they have and I do that by having them swing the club with the left and right hands sepreately so they can sense and feel the correct role each arm plays in the downswing.
Attached are some drills that we use to attack the Chicken Wing Swing Fault.
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Sway is excessive lower body lateral movement away from the target during your backswing and a slide is defined as any excessive lower body lateral movement towards the target during your downswing |
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A Slide is defined as any excessive lower body lateral movement towards the target during your downswing. This swing fault makes it very difficult to stabilize your lower body during the downswing, which will eventually rob power and speed from the upper body through impact. Your upper body needs a stable lower body to accelerate around during the downswing. Once the lower body starts its forward shift into the downswing its job is to transfer energy to the upper body and stabilize the extreme rotary forces that are created in the upper body, arms, and club. If there is no stable platform to rotate around, players will lose power and try to develop speed in an inefficient sequence.
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A Sway is defined as any excessive lower body lateral movement away from the target during your backswing that forces your weight to the outside of your back foot. This swing fault makes it very difficult to develop a proper weight shift during transition and the downswing.? Imagine a baseball batter digging in at the plate with their back foot. This simple routine allows them to coil around their back leg and drive their weight from their back leg to their front leg in a very efficient manner. If there is no stable platform to drive your weight off of during transition, you will lose power and try to develop speed in an inefficient sequence.
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The easiest way to diagnose a slide is to use the front leg line. Start by drawing a vertical line directly up from your lead foot (starting around your big toe) during your setup or address position from the Face on Camera View. Now go ahead and advance the video to just beyond impact.? If you're front leg or front knee has moved forward of that line or your lead leg has buckled from the knee then you are sliding during your backswing.
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The easiest way to diagnose a sway is to use the back leg line during the backswing. Start by drawing a line down the middle of your back leg during your setup or address position from the Face on Camera View. Next, place a small line just outside your back hip so that it is just touching your body. Now go ahead and advance the video to the top of your backswing. If you're back leg or back hip at the top of your backswing has moved away from the target then you are swaying during your backswing.
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What causes me to Slide and how do I correct it?
In order to coil around your lead hip during the downswing several physical characteristics must be developed.? First and foremost, lead hip internal rotation is paramount for full rotation into the lead hip without any lateral sway. If the body is unable to rotate around the lead hip due to joint or muscular restrictions than lateral movements will dominate the pattern. Lead hip internal rotation is best evaluated using the Hip Windshield Wiper Test.
Secondly, the ability to separate your upper body from your lower body allows the lower body to laterally stabilize while rotating your shoulders through a full finish. Limited trunk to pelvis separation is usually caused by reduced spinal mobility and shortened lat flexibility. This separation is best evaluated using the Seated Trunk Rotation Test and the Open Book Test.
Finally, the ability to laterally stabilize your lead leg during the downswing is directly proportional to the strength and stability of your gluteal musculature (your butt). When it comes to lower body lateral stabilization the glute medius is the king.? This muscle helps prevent the lead hip from elevating and shifting lateral during an aggressive downswing rotation. The glute medius is best evaluated using the Side Bridge w/ Leg Lift Test and the Single Leg Balance Test.
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What causes a Sway?
In order to coil around your right hip (for right handed golfers) during the backswing several physical characteristics must be developed. First and foremost, right hip internal rotation is paramount for full rotation into the right hip without any lateral sway. If the body is unable to rotate around the right hip due to joint or muscular restrictions than lateral movements will dominate the pattern. Right hip internal rotation is best evaluated using the Hip Windshield Wiper Test (part of your Self-Evaluation Screen). Secondly, the ability to separate your upper body from your lower body allows the lower body to laterally stabilize while rotating during a large shoulder turn. Limited trunk to pelvis separation is usually caused by reduced spinal mobility and shortened lat flexibility. This separation is best evaluated using the Seated Trunk Rotation Test and the Open Book Test (both part of your Self-Evaluation Screen). Finally, the ability to laterally stabilize your right leg during the backswing is directly proportional to the strength and stability of your gluteal musculature (your butt). When it comes to lower body lateral stabilization the glute medius is the king. This muscle helps prevent the right hip from elevating and shifting lateral during an aggressive coil into the right hip. The glute medius is best evaluated using the Side Bridge w/ Leg Lift Test and the Single Leg Balance Test.
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Solutions for the Slide:
These exercises and swing drills will help you correct your slide.
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Solutions for the Sway:
Follow these exercises and drills to help correct your Sway.
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Reverse Spine Angle is the number one swing fault that can cause lower back pain |
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left lateral upper body bend during the backswing. This swing fault makes it very difficult to start the downswing in the proper sequence, due to the lower body being placed in a position that usually limits its ability to initiate the downswing. This swing fault is also one of the prime causes of lower back pain in golfers. When the lower body can't start the downswing or has a limited ability to initiate the movement, the upper body tends to dominate the swing which will eventually create path problems and limited power output. This swing fault puts excessive tension on the lower back due to a forced inhibition of the abdominal musculature during the backswing
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The easiest way to diagnose a reverse spine angle is to use the spine angle line at the top of the backswing from the Face on Camera View. Start by advancing the video to the top of your backswing. Now, draw a line from the middle of your head down to the middle of your waist. This line is called the spine angle line. If you are looking from the bottom of the line to the top, it should point towards the target. If the spine angle line is pointing away from the target then you have a reverse spine angle.
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Causes of Reverse Spine:
In order to maintain your spine angle during the backswing several physical characteristics must be developed. First and foremost, the ability to separate your upper body from your lower body allows your shoulders to rotate around your spine without going into backward bend or excessive left lateral bend. Limited trunk to pelvis separation is usually caused by reduced spinal mobility and shortened lat flexibility. This separation is best be evaluated using the Seated Trunk Rotation Test, the Reach, Roll, and Lift Test, and the Supine Lat Test.
Secondly, right hip internal rotation for a right-handed golfer is paramount for full rotation into the right hip without any lateral movement. If the body is unable to rotate around your hip due to joint or muscular restrictions than a lateral sway he may occur. Any lateral sway during the backswing will force the spine to tilt into backward bend and create the reverse spine angle. Right hip internal rotation is best evaluated using the Hip Windshield Wiper Test.
Finally, the ability to stabilize your spine angle during the backswing is directly proportional to the strength and stability of your core musculature (your abs and glutes). When it comes to spinal stabilization the core is the king. These muscles help keep your trunk forward flexed throughout your golf swing. Core strength is best evaluated using the Pelvic Tilt Test, the Bridge w/ Leg Extension Test and the Side Bridge w/ Leg Lift Test.
This fault can also be caused by the following:
- Too much pelvic tilt at address which can cause you to have an S curvature in your lower spine. If this does not return to neutral as you swing back it can cause the Reverse Spine Angle fault.
- No rotation of the forearms going back with the arms being lifted into position as the player takes the club back.
- Coordination, with no understanding of the correct position at the top of the swing and how to get their.
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Solutions for Reverse Spine:
The Reverse?Spine Angle can be fixed by maintaining a neutral pelvis from the setup position to the top of the backswing. You must also strive to maintain the forward flexion you had with your spine at address to the top of your backswing. This will give you the feeling of a shorter but wider backswing plane.
See the applicable drills and exercises to attack this swing fault.
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Over the Top effects the path of the club and can produce the dreaded slice |
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This is perhaps the most common swing fault among high handicap golfers. It occurs due to an overuse of the upper body on the downswing. As a result the club will be thrown on the outside of the intended swing plane with the club head approaching the ball from outside to in. This in turn creates a pull if the clubface is square or a slice if the club face is open.
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The Over the top move is diagnosed from the target line view. Using your video camera pause the students swing at the address position, now using your graphic tools draw a line up the club shaft plane extending up past the shoulder of the player. Run the video until the lead upper arm?is just past parallel to the ground and draw a second line the length of the club from the grip end to the clubhead. You will have drawn what we term the slot. Now run the video and as the player starts their downswing, does the club pass in between the slot or does the club come outside or above the slot. If the club is above the slot they have the Over the top swing fault. |
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Common Causes of Over-The-Top:
In order to prevent the club from coming Over-the-Top during the golf swing several physical characteristics must be developed. It is paramount to develop a proper weight shift from your back foot to your front in order to start the downswing in the proper sequence. Without this initiation of the lower body during the transition a player can easily dominate the downswing with an upper body throw right from the top, forcing the over-the-top swing plane. A proper weight shift requires several physical factors including good balance, a strong core (glutes and abs), and the ability to disassociate the lower body from the upper body. These physical characteristics are best evaluated using the Single Leg Balance Test, the Bridge w/ Leg Extension Test, the Pelvic Tilt Test, Seated Trunk Rotation Test and the Open Book Test.
Other causes include:
- Weak grip at address.
- Reverse pivot or Reverse Spine Angle fault.
- Too much rotation of the club face on the backswing.
- Poor address position with the shoulders too level or even leaning toward target at address.
- Lack of understanding of an inside approach and the correct sequence.
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Solutions for Over-the-Top:
See the attached swing drills and exercises to address the over the top swing fault.
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Early Release or Scooping causes a major loss of power in the golf swing |
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Early Release or Scooping occurs on the downswing, as the player starts the downswing there is a premature release of the wrist angles, this results in a weak impact position with the left wrist being cupped at impact.It adds loft to the face of the club and as a result we see a loss of power and consistency. It is termed Casting or Early Release when the club head and left forearm are in a straight line prior to making contact with the ball, it is termed Scooping when the club head passes the hands through impact and the student is trying to lift the ball into the air
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You can diagnose the fault from the face on camera view by drawing a horizontal line through the hips of the golfer extending past the hips on both sides of the body. From the top of the backswing role the video and stop it when the lead forearm is parallel to the hip line drawn at address if the club head is below or level with the hip line they have an early release of the club. The Scooping fault occurs at impact when the shaft is leaning back and the club head has past the hands, this is said to be Scooping.
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There are many causes to the Early Release or Scooping Swing Fault
At impact we should see the shaft leaning slightly toward the target, this helps to deloft the club and creates a more powerful impact position. Causes of an early release and scooping are as follows:
- Lack of or limited contribution of the lower body in the downswing.? This causes the upper body to over work.
- Limitations in the wrists or wrist injury.
- Over the top swing path and open clubface.
- Body out of position so club has to release early to catch up.
- Reverse pivot and spine angle swing faults.
- Lack of coordination and understanding of proper impact position.
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Here are some ideas to prevent Scooping or Early Release
The early release swing fault can be worked on using the attached swing drills and exercises in the gym.
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Upload Your Swing for Video Analysis
by PGA of Canada and Titleist Performance Institute CGFI Instructors |
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 You can email or upload a golf swing through YouTube and our CPGA (PGA of Canada) and TPI certified golf fitness instructors will provide comprehensive feedback along with a complete fitness program via internet.
Our main instructor, Lee J.H. Lee, is best known for his work on Combination Effect where he contends that every element in a golf swing has to be negated or combined with counter action, or counter non-action, on opposing side of movement group.
C-Effect has proven to be successful in providing immediate solution to people with mobility or flexibility issues where compensation is necessary for over-active or lack of movements. Lee's philosophy is to provide immediate solution to better ball striking while necessitating a long term fitness goal that can better distance
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How Does It Work?
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Simply record your golf swing, or swing of your friends and family, and use the buttons below to upload your video.
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Our CPGA golf professionals will review and analyse your swing and the analysis will be posted on a private channel on YouTube. The link will be sent to you by email and you can view what our golf instructors have said about your golf swing.
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Our Titleist Performance Institute Certified Golf Fitness Instructors (TPI CGFI) will also provide you with a comprehensive golf fitness program that will correct your swing faults.
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The cost for the online swing anlysis and the customised workout plan is $59.99 CAD. You can start by uploading your swing video using the methods listed below. For more information, please email us at info@livegolfnews.com
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