Having made impact with the ball, many people believe the golf shot is over. Having hit the ball, what else can there possibly be to do? Well, the follow through, which you do after you have struck the ball, is very important and it’s not just for show.
Think of the follow through as the completion of the process. If you start well at point A and finish well at point C, chances are part B is going to be pretty good too. They are all linked together and it’s important to remember that.
We have our top three tips below, which will help you to achieve the perfect follow through.
1. Do not force yourself to turn in the follow though. Allow your own momentum and that of your golf club, to pull your body round and up. This will ensure a balanced finished. We have a drill at the end of these tips, which will help you with this.
Your left foot, should be in exactly the same place as where it started and 90% of your weight should be on this foot.
Your right foot should be connected to the ground via tip-toes and not the ball of the foot.
2. At the conclusion of your follow through, your belt buckle should be facing the target. How many of the top, professional players are facing the target after a good shot? All of them. The key, is for your hips to rotate around your left hip joint. This alone, will allow you to enjoy golf, injury free, for many years to come.
3. Your hands, arms and club, should remain extended through and after the impact with the ball. At the very end of your follow through, your elbows can start to fold and your wrists can hinge, bringing your follow through to a finish.
If your follow through is balanced, you should be able to hold the final pose in place, until your ball lands.
Practice drill: Pick up both your 7 and 8 iron and grip them together, in the same way you would to address the ball. Ensuring they do not hit each other, hold them above the ground and swing them slowly but with enough power to generate a full follow through. The weight of the two clubs together, will be enough to swing your body round, in to the correct, well balanced follow through position.
This will allow you to get a feel for what it’s like to finish your swing, in the correct follow through position.
