How do I stop early extension in golf?
Why does early extension happen?
What happens when you early extend in golf?
Can early extension be fixed?
Is early extension bad?
Does early extension cause slice?
Can early extension cause a shank?
How do I stop my early release golf swing?
Does early extension cause thin shots?
What does early extension look like?
Why do people struggle with early extension in golf?
The reason why so many people struggle with early extension in golf is because they don’t understand the problem. They think the primary issue is the early extension itself. But early extension is not a swing fault! It’s actually a swing solution. Let me explain.
What is early extension golf?
Early extension is like lag’s negative counterpart. Golfers know they shouldn’t early extend. So when they do it, they try to stop it by trying to maintain their spine angle. But like lag, early extension is a result of something else. It’s not something you can eliminate by focusing on it directly.
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Do early extenders hurt?
And the reason is actually pretty simple: early extension is a symptom, and not a swing flaw.
What is early extension golf?
It’s the silent swing killer you didn’t know you have. Early extension is any movement of your hips toward the ball in your downswing. Seventy percent of all golfers suffer from early extension, but 99% of Tour players don’t according to the Titleist Performance Institute. That should tell you something about just how big ...
What does it mean when your swing is extended?
When early extension is a physical issue, it usually means you have limited mobility in your ankles, knees, hips and/or spine.
Why do golfers extend their hips forward?
Even better golfers often suffer from early extension, usually because they have the wrong concept of how to use their lower body in the golf swing. They thrust their hips forwards in an attempt to rotate their pelvis hard and to drop the club under the plane to attack the ball more from the inside – see Figure 1 . This problem gets worse with the longer clubs, where the golfer is trying to generate more power and the club is pulling them further off balance.
What happens if you extend your hips too early?
If you extend your hips too early, your right thigh will strike the alignment stick on the way down, and your chest will face more upwards through impact.
Why does my right thigh strike the stick in the follow through?
This move will also cause your right thigh to strike the stick in the follow-through, because you didn’t stay left as you turned your pelvis through.
How to increase distance between right thigh and alignment stick?
As you move down from the top, feel he angles in your body increase, your hips moving more into flexion – see Figure 4 . Feel your chest working down, facing more towards the target line behind the ball, as you pull your hips back to increase the distance between your right thigh and the alignment stick.
How to address a golf ball with a stick?
Start by sticking an alignment stick into the ground at an angle, such that when you address the golf ball the end of the stick will be just in front of the top of your right thigh – see Figure 2.
Should you extend through impact?
While you should avoid extending too early, you must extend through impact in order to turn through safely and powerfully.
Why do you extend early in golf?
While there could be many reasons why you would early extend (clubface too open , trying to add loft, trying to not hit the ground, clubshaft too steep in transition), this article explores the idea that trying to maintain your angles might not be the best idea. The best players in the world are often not staying in their angles, but going through certain squatting/extending moves at specific times in the swing.
Why is my golf club a toe shot?
However, you could just as easily link this move to a toe shot, due to the fact that the lead shoulder ends up farther from the ball at impact, which could either result in a toe or a thin shot.
Why does the body move when you squat?
This is because, when we squat, our body is momentarily accelerating towards the ground. We then require more ground force to reduce the body’s acceleration towards the ground and turn it into (what appears to be) a stable head, or (in the professional examples show) a head which moves upwards and away from the ball.
What would it be like trying to win a tug of war by standing still?
Imagine if the club were pulling you forwards with that much force and you were trying to ‘hold’ your body angles. That would be like trying to win a game of tug of war by standing still.
Why do pros use ground force?
Top pros use this (unconsciously) to create more ground force and thus more ability to produce speed and power.
What does the yellow line on Adam Scott's swing mean?
In order to explain this, let’s have a look at one of the ‘cleanest’ looking swings on tour – Adam Scott. The yellow line represents his head height.
Is extending a fault?
Extending is not a fault – in fact, an extending force is a necessary element for a golfer to create speed, dynamic balance and a good hand path. For that reason, we shouldn’t be trying to reduce the extension. Let me explain.
How to know if your golf extension needs to be improved?
Another way to check is if you find you are hitting the golf ball with the hosel rather than the club’s face frequently. That is another sign that your extension needs improving. Pay attention to your position at the address. The aim here is to keep the angle between your spine and your hips as you go through the whole swing. Otherwise, your arms and hands will become restricted, and you will mis-hit the ball.
What happens if you extend your swing early?
Here is what I mean, if you are early extending with your golf swing, then parts of your body will not feel right, not just your hips. Your head will come forward, and your arms will be cramped down by your sides. You may focus on the posture of your head or your arms at this point, but this will be wrong.
How to swing without hitting the ball?
Practice your swing without hitting the ball at first. Pay attention to that all-important angle between your hips and your spine, and then keep the movement of your hips smooth. Keep the movement fluid. Enjoy it. Get used to how it feels.
How to tell if you are going wrong with your golf line?
Draw a line from your backside to the ground, and you can see if you are going wrong. The line should be straight, and if it is not, you have a problem with the early extension. In other words, it is a problem that our smartphones, YouTube, and golfing sites make it easy to identify. But seeing it is one thing. Trying to solve it can be more difficult.
How can I play golf better?
If you find this difficult, then try to build up your flexibility. To play good golf, let’s be clear: you do not need to be superman or a woman. You need some strength and flexibility, to be sure. But, as I am sure you notice out on the golf course, people who you do not expect to have a lot of brute strength, older people, or petite slight women, for example, can be excellent golfers. It is about how you apply the power you have. It is about technique. Try these drills to build up your core strength and flexibility.
Why should you work on correcting early extension?
There is another reason why you should work on correcting early extension. If you do not rotate correctly, shifting your weight as we have described, then you are in danger of injuring your lower back.
Is it hard to remember your hips when playing golf?
On top of that, even when you do get it absolutely right, it can be tough to maintain that angle. Even once you have mastered the basic technique, it doesn’t always feel natural, making it harder to remember when you are playing.
Why do golfers have early extension?
When early extension is the result of a physical issue, it usually means you have limited mobility in your ankles, knees, hips and/or spine. It’s one of the reasons it’s so common for recreational golfers, because they spend more time sitting behind a desk. Early extension is a problem that plagues 70 percent of all golfers.
How to prevent early extension in golf?
A common drill used by our GOLF Top 100 Teachers to prevent early extension is to make swings with your rear end against a wall. Keep your rear against the wall as you swing and you’ll feel what it’s like to stay in your posture and not extend early.
What percentage of golfers don't have early extension?
Seventy percent of all golfers suffer from early extension, but 99 percent of Tour players don’t. That should tell you something about how damaging this swing error really is. Described in simple terms, early extension is any movement of your lower body toward the ball, relative to its starting position at address, during the swing.
How to get an extender in golf?
From there, squat down as far as you can. If you can’t break parallel or get your thighs past your knees without rounding your back or leaning forward , you are likely an early extender. A common drill used by our GOLF Top 100 ...
What is early extension in golf?
Early Extension is defined as any forward movement (thrust) of the lower body towards the golf ball during the downswing. This swing characteristic causes the arms and club to get stuck behind your body during the downswing, and forces your torso to raise up and elevate through the hitting zone.
Can you extend during a downswing?
In order to not early extend during the downswing several physical characteristics must be developed. First and foremost, research has shown that any limitation in performing a full deep squat or full hip bend can force a player to early extend during the downswing.
