Tidy up the top of your backswing
Table of Contents
When the golf swing reaches its highest point, just before the downswing begins, it’s at this stage that one of the most powerful and athletic postures is found. There’s a lot of untapped energy and potential that needs to be unleashed. It’s ready to erupt into a lovely golf shot.
If a ball is hit well, it can reach the top of the swing in the proper position. If your form is suffering from poor distance and solidity, it’s likely that your swing’s top isn’t as solid as it should be and force needed to make a spectacular golf shot.
Let’s take a deeper look at the golf swing and what it should appear like at the top of the backswing, some typical errors that newbies make, and how to repair them.
You’ll quickly notice that the remaining of your swing becomes more easily accessible if you put some effort into this area of your golf swing.
Top Of The Swing: How To Get In The Right Positions?
First and foremost, it’s critical to fully comprehend all of the elements that make up a golf swing’s top. There are four key components that must be discussed.
- Backswing length
- The direction of the shaft
- Hand’s position
- Arm’s position
Let’s have a look:
Backswing Lengths That Are Correct
The length of your backswing is something that becomes important at the peak of the swing. The top of the swing refers to the point in time immediately preceding the downswing.
During the backswing, the golf club should be swung away from the ball in a circular path. The hands should travel up the club’s shaft until they’re in line with the right shoulder. The arms should be close to the body, and the chest should rotate so that the belly button moves away from the target.
The backswing shouldn’t be too long. It’s a slow, controlled movement that stops when the club is at shoulder height. The hands should be in front of the right shoulder, and the clubface should be pointing at the sky.
The Right Track at the Top
It’s also critical to keep an eye on the club’s orientation at the top of the golf swing. The position of the club’s head is called “the direction of the shaft.” The orientation of the clubhead is usually determined by how far the shaft spins.
When the club is swung all the way back, the shaft should be pointing at the target. The hands should be in front of the right shoulder, and the clubface should be perpendicular to the ground.
There are actually three primary choices if your club is perpendicular to the ground at the top.
- Target left,
- Target right,
- Target directly.
The golf club should ideally be pointing straight ahead at the top of your swing. You can deflate your swing and keep it on line and level when the fewest moving components are used.
Hand Placement
The top of the golf swing is made up of three components: your hand posture at the top of your swing, which we’ll discuss in this section, and two more aspects that you’ll learn about in subsequent sections. When we discuss your hands’ position, while it is true that there are a few of key details that may cause things to appear to be challenging, the situation is far more complex.
We’re going to make things as simple as feasible for you in this post, allowing you to focus on the most essential aspects of the hands.
To guarantee that the back of your front hand is parallel to the club face, in other words, to increase your chances of hitting the ball straight, set yourself up to drive it straight by placing your hands outside and bent elbows, you must make sure your back hand’s palm is perpendicular to the club face.
We’ll give you some extra help with this in the next section.
When your back hand is placed on the grip, its job is to support and hold the club in position so that your front hand can rotate the clubface. The back hand also prevents the club from dropping too low on the downswing and keeps it from getting too close to your body.
At the bottom of your swing, this photograph demonstrates that your club face is aligned, impacting the ball squarely. I also stated previously that having a proper stance at the top of your swing makes it much easier for the remainder of your swing to function correctly.
If you don’t have a friend on the course to double-check for you, assemble everything before teeing off (or, if possible, as soon as you’ve finished your round), then stop your swing and freeze the frame. Make sure this is pointed out in your review since it’s difficult to check on your own during your swing. Stop, Review, Check, and Adjust as Needed.
Remember, the key to a great golf swing is consistency. The only way you’re going to achieve that is by practicing often and reviewing your progress. Use a mirror or video camera to check your form, and make adjustments as needed.
It can be helpful to find a friend or coach who can give you feedback on your swing. But ultimately, it’s up to you to make the changes that will improve your game.
Arm’s Posture
Ultimately, the final essential component of your golf swing is your arm position. There are many shades of gray; however, in this image, they appear to be primarily black and white.
The front arm should be kept as nearly straight as possible. This is something you’ve undoubtedly heard instructors and playing partners talk about before; maintain straight arm.
That is correct, but it may be deceptive. The arm should be straight yet not locked. It’s not a big deal if your arm has a little bend. When your golf swing bends excessively, it loses its suppleness and flexes into an extra hinge, or movement, in the golf swing that isn’t assisting in generating power.
The back arm, like the front arm, should be bent at the top of your swing. It should not only be bent, but it should also stay close to its side. You may quickly verify whether this is correct by glaring at where the elbow points. If the elbow bends straight downwards towards the ground, you’re in great shape.
Some Common Swing Mistakes at the Beginning of the Swing
When it comes to these four key elements of the swing, there are a number of typical mistakes that novice golfers make. In this section, we’ll look at the most important five.
1. Long Backswing
The first frequent error is for a player to swing too far back. This is frequently the mistake since most amateurs desire to hit the ball more farther than their intended target. Solid contact is required for a larger backswing to aid in hitting the ball further; however, this only works if you make solid contact.
Unfortunately, when your backswing extends beyond parallel, making solid contact becomes considerably more difficult. It causes you to lose your timing and balance, making it a losing proposition. So, don’t be tempted to swing longer in order to hit the ball further.
It’s difficult to detect, especially since the club generally travels further back in the backswing than people believe.
2. Pointing Club’s Direction
Golfers who make this error frequently do so because they forget that the shaft has to point toward the target at the top of their swing. Because of this, many golfers try to add distance at the cost of their balance and timing. Again, this occurs for the same reason as a long backswing; you’ll lose your center and rhythm.
The fundamental idea of the driver swing is to turn your whole body at once, and it necessitates several moving pieces in addition to being difficult for most novice golfers to execute regularly.
3. Face Not Lined Up With Hand’s Back
Third, many amateurs miss out on establishing a solid position at the top of the swing, when the club is held parallel to the rear of the front hand, you are taking a normal grip.
An improper setup and lack of squareness in the club face are linked. During the swing, a player may be able to address the ball straight and maintain proper angles, but if this is not possible, it’s due to an inability to address the ball straight and maintain correct angles.
The golf swing may be greatly enhanced by employing the appropriate wrist action. It’s really straightforward: if your face isn’t square, you won’t hit the ball straight.
4. The rear arm has been bent
The second frequent blunder is for people to bend the front arm too far. This is yet another example of a golfer attempting to gain more distance. In its place, the effect is that a player will be unable to generate adequate club head speed or create solid contact.
Bending the front arm excessively also gives you a much longer backswing, which is already addressed as a problem. It also uncenters your weight, making it difficult to make a complete turn and transfer your weight properly to the rear foot.
5. Elbow Raised on the Back
Last but not least, golfers are frequently seen with a “chicken wing” appearance because of their back elbow raising. This is something baseball players does, but golfers should avoid.
The rear elbow also shouldn’t be kept next to the body and pointed down. Keeping the back arm raised and away from the body is a poor technique, as is keeping it close to the body and aiming it down.
These Drills Can Help You Enhance Your Swing at the Top
The happy news is that with some easy exercises, most of these typical blunders may be avoided. This is a four-step process that will help you train your muscles to achieve the proper top of the swing position in as little as four minutes if you concentrate on these four exercises. Since the highest point of the golf swing is tough to notice on your own, video recording of your swing might be quite beneficial.
Drill 1: Backswing Length: Shorter Backswing Face-On For the Video Swing
- Start by filming yourself from the face-on standpoint while swinging a golf club.
- Make sure to use a driver or 3-wood so that you can see the club throughout the entire swing. After taking the video, check to see if your backswing is too long.
- A backswing that is too long will be characterized by a club that is pointing too far away from your body at the top of the swing. This is the most common error that golfers make and is easily fixed.
If you try to stop your backswing with the club pointing straight up in the air, you’ll notice that it takes you a lot longer than you anticipate. If you attempt to end your backswing by bringing the club straight up, there’s a good chance you’ll have one that finishes parallel.
Drill 2: For club shaft alignment, use a swing and a mirror video down the line.
Now, film yourself from a down-the-line standpoint while swinging a golf club.
- Then, go into a down-the-line video. In this film, you may observe a variety of postures that will assist you. For instance, you can see if your club is pointing too far away from your body at the top of the swing.
- At this point, begin the video again from its beginning.
- Turn your club around and examine the head. Because your hands are covering it, it should be hard to see.
If you don’t have access to a video, hold up a tall, full-length mirror and inspect your swing.
- Securing the top of your swing is simple if you use practice swings to test out different places. If you’re having trouble focusing on your swing, practice swinging until you’ve established a posture in which the club points exactly down the target line.
- This activity should be practiced as many times until it becomes a natural response.
- Repeat this exercise until you get the hang of it.
Drill 3: Keep back elbow down with the wadded-up paper clip:
You can also work on the third drill to receive somewhat quicker feedback.
- Take a glove or a tiny towel and press it beneath your back armpit.
- Now, make some practice swings.
- You should feel resistance against your back elbow as you try to raise it up. The key is to keep the back elbow down so that you can make a complete shoulder turn.
Make a backswing without your towel or glove falling by hitting balls with the glove/towel tucked under your armpit.
Drill 4: Keeps Forearm Straight, Limits Backswing And Swings Slowly:
One way to practice a proper top-of-the-swing position is to limit your backswing and swing slowly. This will help you stay in control of the club and make it easier to keep your back elbow down.
Another way to practice is by using a golf club that is shorter than your regular driver. This will force you to swing slower and make it easier to keep your forearm straight.
Once you’ve mastered these drills, you’ll be on your way to hitting the ball further and straighter than ever before!
The Final Word
These four exercises, if practiced regularly, should help you to re-train your muscles and create the proper top of the swing position. It may take some time and practice, but eventually you’ll be able to correct your golf swing and hit the ball further and straighter than ever before!