Hold The Finish on the Full Swing

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An amazing thing happens to me many times a week. During a lesson I will intend to show the student a position in the finish that we would want to change. They might be out of balance, have too much weight on their trail foot, inadequate turn from the lower body etc. I will film a swing and ask them to “hold the finish.” Invariably, the student swings to a good balanced finish with full rotation, knees next to each other. I’m talking cover of New England Golfing Magazine quality poses!

Bad news: I don’t get to point out the flaw on that swing. Good news: The finish being as balanced and proper as it is results in a good shot.

I am telling you this observation as a way to help you. This is as close to the “secret of golf” as it comes. If you intention is to make a swing that ends in a proper and balanced finished, the resulting shot will most likely be something pleasing to you as well as your scorecard. How can this be? A balanced finish is a product of a proper swing and using the proper engines to create that swing. If a golfer gets violent with their arms and shoulders when the club transitions from back swing to forward swing, the golfer will tend to be off balance at the finish.

Do this experiment at home. Step out into the backyard and swing a club around you, on a horizontal plane. Keep your lower body motionless during the entire swing. With any speed at all from the club you will feel the centrifugal pulling you forward. (Side note, this is the main cause of people “standing up” during their golf swing despite their determination to keep their “head down”) If the golfer uses the rotation of their lower body to turn to the balanced finish, that rotation will counter balance the centrifugal force of the golf club. This counter balancing that allows for a balanced finish also allows the golfer to stay in good posture beyond impact.

It is easy for golfers to get a bunch of swing thoughts in their head when on the golf course. Each bad shot has the risk of adding another one. Take this one thought to the golf course for your next round. Once you have planned the shot, picked the target are over the ball and ready to execute the swing, put your focus solely on achieving a perfect balanced finish. Not every shot will be perfect but if you achieve a classic finish position you will hit a lot of great shots, and your misses won’t be so bad either.

George Connor is the Head Golf Instructor at Farmington Woods Country Club in Avon, CT. 860-830-6969 or George@ConnorGolf.com