Miles Bennett
Early extension is a common swing fault among amateur golfers, occurring when the pelvis moves closer to the ball during the downswing, resulting in poor contact and a loss of power. While it can be frustrating to fix, there are several methods to improve this issue. One method is to focus on the trail arm, ensuring it is in the correct position at the start of the downswing, with the pit of the elbow pointing up. This creates space for the arm to travel the full length of the downswing, preventing early extension. Another method is to practice slowly, starting with the basic movement without a ball or club, and gradually building up speed and adding elements until you can perform a full swing. Additionally, strengthening the core can help pull you through the ball without extending or standing up, and improving lower body flexibility can also assist in fixing early extension.
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What You'll Learn
Master correct wrist mechanics
Mastering correct wrist mechanics is a key part of fixing early extension in your golf swing. Early extension occurs when golfers stand up as they approach the ball, instead of rotating and staying back. This causes the pelvis to move closer to the ball, the spine angle is lost, and poor contact and a loss of power result.
To master correct wrist mechanics, it is important to understand the three distinct sets of movements that the wrists can make: flexion and extension, supination and pronation, and ulnar and radial deviation.
Firstly, the wrists can be in flexion or extension. The wrist is in extension mode when you pull your hand toward your forearm, which causes the clubface to open. The wrist is in flexion mode when you bow it, which is the position of most elite players. At impact, the lead wrist is largely in flexion (slightly bowed with the wrist bone raised) and in supination (rotated so that the palm is pointing toward the sky).
Secondly, the wrists can be in supination or pronation. At impact, the lead wrist should be in supination, as described above.
Thirdly, the wrists can move through ulnar or radial deviation. More radial deviation through impact is best for golfers looking to increase clubhead speed.
It is also important to understand the relationship between the wrists and the clubface. The wrists control the clubface of the golf club. If you want to hit the ball straight, you need to control the clubface at impact. A square clubface at impact will help you improve your consistency.
To get to impact with a square clubface, you need to get your lead wrist into a flexed position before you get to the ball. You can experiment with more flexion in your lead wrist to see if it helps you hit more consistent shots.
Additionally, when you are at the top of your backswing, you should work on flattening the lead wrist. This will help put everything else into place.
By mastering these correct wrist mechanics, you will be able to fix early extension in your golf swing and improve your overall game.
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Strengthen your core
Early extension is a common swing fault among amateur golfers. It occurs when the pelvis moves closer to the ball, causing a loss of spine angle, poor contact, and reduced power. To prevent this, golfers can focus on strengthening their core, which includes the torso below the shoulders to the tops of the hips.
A strong core provides stabilization to the spine and pelvis, allowing golfers to maintain an upright stance. It also enables a more powerful swing while reducing the risk of injury.
- Lie on your mat with your hands by your sides, legs straight, and feet placed on a stability ball with your heels pressing into it. Engage your stomach muscles, lift your hips towards the ceiling, and tighten your stomach. For a more challenging variation, lift your hips higher and pull the stability ball towards you by bending your knees.
- Assume a golf stance and twist your trunk away from a resistance band, keeping your shoulders still. Once you reach the end of the rotation, slowly twist back to the starting position and repeat 10 times. Then, turn to face the opposite direction and perform another 10 repetitions.
- The Bird Dog exercise is excellent for core stability, targeting the muscles of the core, hips, lower back, and glutes.
When performing core exercises, it is important to ease into them to avoid injury and only progress within your comfort zone. Consistency in your training routine is crucial, and you should aim for at least two to four sets of 10 to 12 repetitions per exercise.
By strengthening your core, you will not only improve your golf swing but also enhance your overall stability, balance, and injury resistance.
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Improve lower body flexibility
Early extension is a common swing fault among amateur golfers. It occurs when the pelvis moves closer to the ball, causing a loss of spine angle, poor contact, and reduced power. This can be improved by focusing on lower body flexibility, particularly in the hips, hamstrings, and lower back.
Hip Flexibility
- Place your feet hip-width apart and grab your golf club with both hands.
- Lift the golf club over your head and, as you inhale, lower it behind you until it is parallel to the ground.
- Exhale and return to the starting position.
- Repeat this movement 6 to 8 times, breathing throughout. This stretch will reduce stiffness in the back, neck, and shoulders, and increase the range of motion in your shoulders.
Hamstring and Lower Back Flexibility
- Step your right foot forward into a short lunge with both heels on the ground.
- Place your hands on your hips or hold a golf club for balance.
- Engage your left glute and feel the stretch in your left hip flexor and quad.
- Inhale, then exhale and bend your back leg, extending your front leg into a hamstring stretch.
- Lower your torso while keeping your back straight.
- Inhale again and return to the lunge position.
- Repeat this movement to loosen your hamstrings and relieve pressure on your lower back.
Spine and Lower Back Flexibility
- Lean forward at a 45-degree angle and focus on lumbar spine cat cows (lower back cat-cows).
- Tuck your tailbone under by squeezing your glutes, then point your tailbone up to reverse the movement.
- This stretch will improve mobility and reduce the risk of golf injuries, allowing you to play stronger and longer.
Core Strength
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and knees loose.
- Place a golf club horizontally behind your neck and across your shoulders, forming a "W" with your arms.
- Engage your core and open your shoulders, twisting your chest left and right.
- Complete 20 twists to each side.
- This exercise will help improve core strength, allowing you to move your upper and lower body separately and generate more power in your swing.
Remember, improving lower body flexibility takes consistent practice. Incorporate these stretches into your routine before and after playing a round or practising at the driving range.
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Correct weight transfer
During the downswing, the weight should be transferred forward, to the lead foot. This is a common issue area, as golfers may rock their body back and forth, trying to generate power. However, this makes it harder to make solid contact with the ball and can cause issues with timing and balance.
To ensure a proper weight transfer, the pelvis should be kept from thrusting forward, with the lead hip matching the trail hip. This can be practised slowly, without a ball or club, by rotating to the backswing and repeating the correct movement.
Another drill to ensure correct weight transfer is to use a sand wedge. Place the face of the sand wedge under your back heel, with the shaft pointing up and behind you. Take some shots with another club, and if the sand wedge drops before impact, it indicates that you are transferring your weight forward at the right time.
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Focus on the trail arm position
The trail arm has a crucial role to play in the golf swing. When something goes wrong in a golfer's downswing, it is often due to the trail arm. The trail arm can either work too far behind the golfer at the start of the downswing (getting "stuck"), or it can work too far in front of them ("over the top").
To fix this, focus on the trail arm position. The trail arm is the right arm for right-handed golfers or the left arm for left-handers. When at the top of your backswing, the trail wrist should be extended or cupped. As you move through the impact of your swing, the trail wrist increases in extension even more. When the club is parallel to the ground, the trail wrist should reach its maximum extension.
To get to the right position, set up with your elbow in Position 3 (externally rotated, pit of the elbow out) and your wrist in Position 1 (slight extension, palm not facing out). This is known as the "'giving blood' position". Most golfers make the mistake of going for Position 3/3, which leaves the clubface wide open.
To train yourself to get into the correct position, you can try the "Motorcycle and Audio Feedback" drills, which can be done in real-time while wearing a HackMotion wrist sensor. This will teach you to isolate elbow and wrist motion correctly.
It is important to practice slowly and build up speed as you get more comfortable with the movement.
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Frequently asked questions
Early extension in golf is a common swing fault where the pelvis moves closer to the ball during the downswing, instead of rotating and staying back.
To fix early extension, you need to teach your body the proper "feels". One drill is to get into your golf posture with your backside against a push cart and make a swing, trying to push the cart back with your butt. This will help prevent your pelvis from thrusting forward. Another drill is to place tour sticks in your belt loops at hip level, pointing towards the horizon or slightly down. As you swing back and start the downswing, tilt your hips and pelvis down, causing the sticks to point towards the ground. This will help stop early extension.
Early extension can be caused by a lack of lower body flexibility, incorrect weight transfer, an open clubface at the top of the swing, fear of hitting the ground, and poor core stability.
