Golf Tips » April 2001: Weight Shift

This month’s tip comes from Chris Hanrahan of Ballarat, Australia, (yes, I get readers from all over the world!) who asks:

"I am finishing some shots correctly with the weight on the front foot and it feels great when I do. I can feel the power from the club and it seems effortless to hit the ball a long way. However, this is not happening as much as it should. Some shots I am finishing with the weight on the back foot. These shots get some distance and normally go straight but it takes much more effort. It feels much easier and crisp when I finish on the front foot. I have tried narrowing my stance and this has helped to a certain degree. Sometimes I consciously try and shift the weight, but this takes my concentration off the shot and the ball goes everywhere but where I want it. I’d like to make a more natural weight shift, and do it with consistency."

Chris, you are not alone in this quest, and most of our high handicap students have the same problem. The root of the problem is that in an effort to get the ball airborne, the golfer tries to get "under" the ball, and subsequently holds the weight back.

Drill #1
Take a ball in our right hand and stand in your golf posture with your left hand behind your back as in Picture #1.

Toss the ball as far as you can down the fairway as in picture #2.

You will note that you naturally transferred your weight to your front foot in order to get the necessary power. Remember, the golf swing is similar motion to an underhand throw.

Drill #2
Take a pitching wedge, tee it up slightly and hit the ball one handed as in picture #3, again with your right hand, and try and get the same feeling as the first drill as in picture #4.

Drill #3
Now put both hands on the club, start with only a small pitch shot, and again duplicate the same feeling as tossing the ball down the fairway. You should finish this drill with your arms extended out in front of you as in picture #5.

 

And finally, go to a full swing, and feel the weight transfer through to the front foot in a smooth and effortless manner and in picture #6.

All of these drills are intended to get you to shift your weight naturally, but obviously this can only happen if you spend time on the range working on them. No move in golf happens through osmosis, so get out there, work on these drills, and see your power improve after just a few times out on the range.