Are you tired of inconsistent golf shots? Discover how to fix early extension in your swing and enhance your ball striking ability.
Golfers around the world face a common challenge: early extension during the swing. This issue affects posture, leads to a flippy release, kills compression, and ruins forward shaft lean. Understanding and correcting this flaw can significantly elevate your game.
In this guide, inspired by Porzak Golf insights, we’ll explore why early extension triggers a flip, how a lack of connection contributes to the problem, and how you can achieve a solid impact with forward shaft lean. Whether you are a budding mid-handicapper or a seasoned single-digit player, these strategies will help you build a powerful, consistent swing.
Table of Contents
- Understanding Early Extension and Its Impact on Your Swing
- The Connection Between Posture, Early Extension, and Forward Shaft Lean
- How Lack of Connection Forces the Flip
- Building Connection for a More Consistent Impact
- Staying Down and Keeping Your Hips Back
- Putting It All Together: How to Fix Early Extension and the Flip
- Final Thoughts
Understanding Early Extension and Its Impact on Your Swing
Early extension occurs when the golfer’s hips and spine straighten prematurely during the downswing. This movement disrupts swing mechanics and leads to compensations that negatively affect ball striking.
What is the Flip in Golf?
The flip happens when the clubhead arrives at the ball before the hands, often due to premature extension of the trail arm. Instead of maintaining forward shaft lean for solid contact, the club flips, causing inconsistent strikes and power loss.
Staying down through impact keeps the trail arm bent, maintaining forward shaft lean and preventing the flip. This is crucial for solid ball striking.
The Connection Between Posture, Early Extension, and Forward Shaft Lean
Posture throughout the swing is vital for generating forward shaft lean. Early extension disrupts this, making consistent impact positions unachievable.
Why Staying Down Matters
Staying down allows the trail arm to remain bent, enabling the creation of lag needed for forward shaft lean. Standing up too soon leads to extended arms and early release, common in amateur golfers.
How Lack of Connection Forces the Flip
Lack of connection, where body and arms don’t move synchronously, causes flipping. To prevent early extension, maintain a cohesive movement with chest and arms.
The Athleticism Behind the Flip
The flip usually results from losing connection or posture earlier in the swing. It’s an athletic attempt to recover from a flaw.
Building Connection for a More Consistent Impact
A connected swing maintains the relationship between sternum and hands through the downswing, enhancing impact consistency.
Tips for Maintaining Connection
- Lead Arm Position: Ensure the lead arm stays on the lead side for better connection.
- Minimize Arm Movement: Limit excessive movement across the chest for a connected swing.
- Work Trail Elbow Forward: Keep the trail elbow in front to ensure hands stay connected and ahead.
- Hands Ahead: Keep hands in front, aligned with the shirt seam, through impact.
Staying Down and Keeping Your Hips Back
Control your hip movement to avoid letting hips move toward the ball. This ensures a better impact position and forward shaft lean.
The Lag Effect: Skipping the Rock
Generating lag is crucial. It allows releasing the club without it passing the hands prematurely, ensuring a powerful, controlled release.
Putting It All Together: How to Fix Early Extension and the Flip
- Stay Down Through Impact: Maintain posture and resist early standing up.
- Build Connection: Keep the chest and hands facing each other; maintain lead arm position.
- Maintain Bent Trail Arm: Create lag and forward shaft lean.
- Control Hip Movement: Move lead hip back, avoid early rotation or slide.
Final Thoughts
Early extension and flipping are common issues for amateurs. By fixing root problems like loss of connection and poor posture, you can develop a more efficient swing. Focus on staying down, maintaining connection, and controlling hip movement. At Porzak Golf, we aim to help golfers simplify their swings for more consistent performance.
If you want a more in-depth understanding, consider a full swing master class to transform your game. Practice patience, follow these tips, and watch your scores improve. Feel free to leave comments or questions for personalized advice. Good luck!
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