Many golfers hit the ball solidly but can’t seem to achieve any real distance. Often the culprit is a steep, outside-in swing path that kills clubhead speed and sends balls weakly to the right (for right-handers).Â
Regardless of ability level, many amateurs believe swinging harder automatically creates more distance. Sometimes this works but if your swing path is wrong, you’re leaving yardage, not to mention accuracy, on the table with every single shot.
Why a bad swing path can inhibit your distance
Many golfers assume more effort means more yards. They swing as hard as they can with whatever path feels natural, then wonder why their playing partners are out-driving them with seemingly effortless swings.
With the correct swing path adjustments, significant distance gains in just a few weeks are entirely achievable.
When swing path costs you the most distance
A steep, over-the-top move? This outside-in path creates a glancing blow that robs energy transfer. You’re essentially hitting across the ball instead of through it, bleeding power with every swing.
Coming too far from the inside? While better than over-the-top, an excessively shallow path often leads to fat contact and inconsistent strikes. You can’t compress the ball properly when you’re hitting up on it too much.
Inconsistent path from shot to shot? Even if your average path isn’t terrible, wild variations mean you never optimize impact. Some swings work, others don’t, and you never know which one you’re going to get.
Early extension and flipping? When your body moves toward the ball through impact, your hands have to flip to make contact. This destroys the proper swing path and turns potential power into weak glancing blows.
The setup that promotes the right path
Your address position largely determines your swing path before you even start moving. Most golfers set up in ways that make a good path nearly impossible.
Alignment: Feet, hips and shoulders should be parallel to your target line. Poor alignment forces compensations that wreck your swing path.
Posture: Maintain an athletic spine angle with weight balanced over the balls of your feet. Slouching or standing too upright changes how the club wants to swing.
Ball position: It should be forward enough to catch the ball on the upswing with the driver but not so far forward that you have to reach for it. With irons, a slight descending blow is promoted by the position.
Grip pressure: Light but secure. A “death grip” creates tension that restricts the natural swing path and reduces clubhead speed.
The backswing that sets up power
Your takeaway and backswing position determine whether you can swing on an efficient path or have to make compensations as you come down.
Takeaway: Low and slow is the key thought here, keeping the clubhead outside your hands for the first few feet. This helps to set up an inside path on the way down.
Hip turn: Ideally, your hips should turn about 45 degrees while your shoulders turn 90 degrees. This creates the differential that allows you to swing from the inside with power.
Lead arm position: Keep your lead arm reasonably straight but not rigid. The old adage of keeping this arm completely straight is a myth. The left arm controls the swing radius and helps create the proper path.
Top of backswing: Your back should face the target, with the club in a position to drop down on plane. If you’re laid off or across the line, you’ll struggle with your downswing path.
What actually creates effortless power
Many golfers believe they need to swing their arms faster to generate clubhead speed. This thinking, for the most part, is opposite to what is actually required.
Proper sequencing is crucial for generating clubhead speed. When your lower body leads the downswing and your arms drop into the slot, you create a whip-like effect that multiplies your effort.
A correct swing path allows this energy transfer to happen naturally.
The correct initial move from the top
Learning to drop the club into the slot on the downswing is where real distance and control come from. To get this to happen, you must first understand how a proper downswing starts.
The proper sequence from the top starts with a slight pressure shift into your lead side. After that, you begin to unwind your hips, which helps create space that allows your arms to drop naturally into position. The club should feel like it’s falling into the slot rather than being forced there.
When this all happens correctly, your impact position can be much more powerful. You’ll be able to start swinging through the ball instead of “hitting” at it.
Start with slow-motion swings first
Avoid trying to groove the new path down from the top at full speed. Begin with practice swings at 50 percent effort, focusing solely on feeling the sensation of the correct path down from the top.
Get comfortable with how it feels when your arms drop into the slot and the club approaches from inside the target line. Once you can repeat this motion slowly, gradually increase your speed.
Most golfers try to change their path while swinging hard. This never works because speed masks the feelings you need to learn.
The distance gains you can expect
A proper swing path doesn’t just add a few yards here and there. Golfers can typically expect to see substantial gains once they establish a consistent inside path. Additionally, and maybe more importantly, your golf ball will also fly straighter because you’re not imparting sidespin from a glancing blow.
Mastering the correct swing path will mean you never have to swing out of your shoes again. More importantly, you’ll finally have the distance that matches your athletic ability, making every hole on the course much more manageable.
The post Why Your Golf Swing Path Is Costing You Distance And How to Fix It appeared first on MyGolfSpy.
