THE FOLLOW THROUGH
W L
GOLF
THE FOLLOW THROUGH
BY TOM ATKINSON , PGA GOLF PROFESSIONAL
So we ’ re at the end of the line , the follow through and finish , having read last months article about impact being the most crucial part of the swing why should we care about follow-through ? In theory , once the ball has left your club there ’ s no movement you could make that could affect what happens next or is that false ?
Follow through is in fact very important , and not just as an extension of the movements that have gone before it . Consistent follow-through actually helps performance .
If you ’ ve got a consistent follow through for your stock shot in one motor memory , you ’ ve got to learn one task , but if you have multiple follow throughs you have to learn multiple tasks , making the learning process longer and more irregular .
So that said what should a follow through look like ?
To make a clean and reliable strike , you need to get your whole body through the ball , not just the club , as ever , it ’ s not set in stone as every golfer is different but have a look at this checklist .
Chest Points At Target
At the end of your golf swing your chest should finish facing the target , too many people stay fixated to the ball , how many times have you been told “ your lifting your head , keep your eye on the ball ” - don ’ t listen to them !!
To get your upper body into this position , you need your hips to clear in the downswing towards the target too , we covered this in the impact lesson .
Ending your swing facing the target will encourage you to square the club face at impact and hit the golf ball straighter more consistently .
Weight Shifts To Lead Foot
It is important to send your pressure and momentum through the body during the follow through
In the golf swing , weight typically begins shared across both feet at the point of setup , then moves slightly into the trail foot upon takeaway before finally shifting 80 % - 90 % into the lead foot at the finish .
Trail Foot Heel Raised
During your follow through , something has to allow for the momentum to propel forwards through the golf swing , this is the trail foot , your body is a skeleton and will not perform certain actions easily unless allowed to , keeping weight on your trail foot and not allowing a pivot will severely hinder your shot at a completed follow through , let it happen , pivot around it and end up on your toes , the trail foot therefore hosting the remaining 10 % -20 % of the weight .
Arms Fully Extended
Aim to get your club to extend down the target line initially after impact this should allow a neutral club face the opportunity to square through rotation . Extending your arms in the follow through helps to ensure they don ’ t collapse or fold around the torso too soon as is the case with a lot of amateur golfers .
Finish Position
Finally , your end goal for the swing is allow your club to come to rest in a natural position that the preceding events will allow , usually right over the left shoulder ( for a right handed player )
Your lead elbow has tucked itself away , your trail hand is on top of the shaft , if you ’ ve opened up enough your club is behind your neck allowing for a full arc in your swing .
This is an example of course for a full shot , certain niche shots will demand different types of follow though , shorter more ‘ sawn off ’ for a lower punch shots etc .
Over the last few months we have broken down the swing for you , read back , have a recap and see if you can piece it all together .
Don ’ t forget that lessons are available at Heswall Golf Club 0151 342 7431 .
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