In an effort to make a weight shift, many golfers make the mistake of swaying during the golf swing. However, while this might feel more natural to some amateurs, it’s a bad habit that reduces the distance of your tee shot.
Since no player wants to lose length with their driver, Erika Larkin, a GOLF Teacher to Watch, posted a video to her Instagram account to help players fix this swaying issue.
The at-home drill Larkin shows requires nothing more than a small ball, a wall, and a few minutes of your time. Hey, who doesn’t want to improve their golf swing that efficiently?
So take a look below at some of Larkin’s tips for fixing the unnecessary sway in your golf swing.
Try this at-home drill to stop swaying in your golf swing
So why is swaying in your golf swing bad to begin with? When players sway, it leads to issues with balance — which can throw off the entire swing, leading to mishits because the clubface isn’t lined up with the ball.
But Larkin says that this at-home ball drill will help players “stay dynamically centered,” learning how to use their hips to hold the ball against the wall as they rotate their body.
How this 10-handicap stopped his sway and added power to his swing
“Instead of dropping the ball, roll the ball [against the wall] — kind of like a gear effect,” she says. “Just keep even pressure on the ball. No need to squish the ball against the wall; we don’t actually want to lean into it too soon. Stay centered, and turn.”
With the added focus on your hips, you’ll feel them turning (not swaying).
For right-handed players, your front hip will move towards the ball, and your back hip will move towards the back. By combining these two movements, the result will be a rotation, rather than the feeling of a shift.
When putting these elements together — and by testing out Larkin’s at-home ball drill — you’ll generate more power, resulting in longer shots off the tee.
“This is going to help you learn to load against the back leg, instead of a sway — [resulting in] a powerful backswing to set up for an explosive downswing.”
