Keep the Hands in Front

If you’ve spent years listening to golfers talk about the “release,” you might imagine that the clubhead is way ahead of the hands at impact. In fact, most of the position change due to the release comes after impact. If you watch the Top 100 golfers in slow motion, nearly all of them have their hands ahead of the clubhead at impact. You can see this in Lee Westwood’s swing in the video at left.

Trying to “turn over” the clubface at impact lends a whole range of complex motion problems to the golf swing. Let the turnover be passive for now, and work on keeping your hands ahead of the clubhead. Even though this is not exactly the same position you may have adopted at address, it will result in the clubface being properly aligned because your hips are now rotated, at least to some degree, toward the target. In all likelihood, your right shoulder (for right handed golfers) is also higher than your left at impact. Taller golfers tend to have the hands lined up more with the clubhead at impact, but many report feeling like the hands are leading.

Find What Works for You

You can save yourself a lot of time spent in experimentation if you follow our suggestion that you select a Top 100 role model similar to you in height and body shape. If you are short and stout, trying to reach the same position as Adam Scott or Tiger Woods at impact could be frustrating. If you are tall and slim, trying to come in with a very sharp club angle with the hands far ahead of the clubhead might never get you the swing you want. Even those swings that do not match an instructor’s ideal can win golf tournaments. The key is to find key swing components that work for you and that integrate with one another.

Add More Right Side Power

The more you can access the right side of your body, the more your swing speed will increase. By compressing the right leg (for right handed golfers) as you start your downswing, the more you can extend that leg to create hip and shoulder turn. The right art will act like a rope, pulling the club through impact. The hands are the final connector between your legs, body and hands, to the club. Go to Step Nine to read about the head position in the perfect golf swing.