Golf is a delicate game that requires precision and complete focus. Like any other professional sport, it has its own set of skills that one should follow to play correctly. One of the rules to obey is to learn how to shift weight in golf swing.
As a spectator or a high handicapper, you might think that golf only requires you to move your arms while standing straight and stiff. It is wrong to believe that your entire body must be rigid when you power your shot with your arms.
Weight shifting, sometimes known as the ‘power move,’ is crucial for learning golf. It is called the power move because there is no real power in the shot without the weight transfer.
To get the right amount of power in the swing, you should learn how to shift weight in golf swing away from the ball and then towards it—this way, the proper precision and swing is achieved.
We have established that shifting weight is essential, but how to shift weight in the golf swing is a big question, and here we are going to answer it:
How to Achieve Weight Shift in the Golf Swing?
It is crucial to shift weight during a golf swing. You might think weight shifting is a complicated process to follow, and it can be tricky to understand for beginners, but it is not complicated.
To be good at weight shifting requires only practice while following specific rules.
When wondering how to shift weight in the golf swing, here are simple steps that you can follow to start shifting weight in golf:
- Address position.
- Shifting
- Final position
Address Position
Address position requires you to be in the striking ground pose with equal weight on both feet. Starting with a proper 50-50 balance helps ease the transition into the next stages of shifting weight properly.
Takeaway
When you start to swing the golf club, the weight will eventually start moving in that direction, and your weight will shift to your back foot.
Once you have completed the backswing, most of the weight (up to 75%) will be on your back foot. When taking the golf club to the top, you will feel the weight entirely on your back foot.
Moreover, When talking about weight shift, it does not mean your body is leaning on one side completely. Instead, it refers to the pressure and weight you feel on either foot.
The Transition or Shifting Stage
Once you have shifted most of the weight to the back foot, it is time for the impact position. The impact position is when you shift your entire body weight to the front foot and are ready to strike the ball.
To achieve the impact position, the weight shifting starts by shifting weight in the lower body. Once your hips rotate to the front, most weight is shifted to the front foot, now the impact position.
The impact position looks like the initial address position, but the difference is the weight transfer. Most of the weight is on your front foot in the impact position. Ready to power up and strikethrough.
Final Position
Once done with the transition, pretty much all the body weight will be on your front foot. Even when you have hit the shot, there might still be some weight on the front foot’s toes.
It is easy to judge whether the weight transfer was successful or not yourself. For a proper weight transfer, 90% of your body weight will be on the toes of your front foot with the heel inclined up in the air after you have hit the shot.
Why Transfer Weight in Golf?
The weight shifting in golf means shifting from one foot to another. The golfer puts the body’s full strength into the swing by shifting weight. As a result, it also creates length in the swing, which contributes to the distance the ball covers.
Shifting weight in golf is not the most challenging part of the game but undoubtedly the most important. Hence, improving the skills set is possible once the golfer masters the weight shift.
Oftentimes, when you see players with problems slicing the ball one of the main reasons is because they are hanging on that back leg/foot too much.
Problems in Shifting Weight in the Golf Swing
Shifting weight in a golf swing is essential to get good gameplay, but how hard is it? It certainly requires some practice and time. However, there might be some common mistakes that you could be repeating to hinder the weight shifting process.
Some common problems in shifting weight in the golf swing are:
No Transition
If you stay rigid and do not transfer weight, the shot will be flat and low. Staying in an address position does not help you achieve the correct shot. It is vital to move the weight properly to the back foot to shift weight properly.
Switch to the Front Foot
Another common mistake among beginners is not shifting the weight to the front foot. Once all the weight is onto the back foot, putting that pressure back on the front foot is necessary. You cannot achieve the perfect shot by simply hanging back.
Back and Forth
You’re mistaken if you think the weight shift is achievable by swinging your feet back and forth.
The proper swing does not need you to sway back and forth. Instead, it just requires a little movement of your feet and hips, and your arms will immediately follow.
Conclusion on How to Shift Weight in Golf Swing
How to shift weight in the golf swing is a genuine question that arises in the mind of beginners.
Weight shifting might seem tricky at first, but it is that one skill that you need to acquire to be better at the game. Moreover, the good news is that it only seems tricky, and in practice, it just requires some attention and time.
You can improve your gameplay by playing daily and looking for any problems that you might be making during the weight transition. Once you recognize the issues, it becomes pretty easy to work on them and improve your skills.