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Keys To a Great Golf Swing Follow-Through

When it comes to a great golf swing, your follow-through is the final piece of the puzzle. 

Though it’s easy to write it off as secondary — or just for show — a sloppy finish hinders your overall game. Of course, your follow-through is based on your foundation (proper set-up and swing), which you can read about in our blog post here. However, since a clean finish allows you to hit the ball with maximum force and control, it deserves the same attention as your stance.

Ready to master the follow-through and play to your fullest potential? Joan Lovelace, head professional and general manager at Hobbit’s Glen Golf Club, shares her top tips below! 

Common follow-through mistakes

According to Lovelace, three common errors tend to sabotage the follow-through: stopping short, poor balance and collapsing through the arms. 

1- Stopping short

Often, beginners will stop their momentum after they make contact with the ball. Lovelace’s remedy for this error is simple — keep the swing going! Your finishing position should be at the final crest of your swing arc.

“The follow-through is essential to the golf swing, so don’t quit once you make impact,” she said. “It should all be one fluid movement from start to finish.” 

2- Poor balance

Lovelace tells her students that they can swing as hard as they want — as long as they’re able to keep their balance. 

Having trouble with balance? First, evaluate your foundation. If your feet are too close together, it will throw off your stability, while a stance that’s too wide will restrict you from turning. To maintain balance, the majority of your weight should end up in your target foot (so for righties, the left foot). Make sure this foot is flared out slightly, about 45 degrees, in relation to the ball to target line. The heel of your back foot will naturally raise in the air as you bring the weight to the front foot. So as you finish your swing, the back toe should be the sole point making contact with the ground.

Once your stance is set, re-evaluate how hard you’re swinging. It’s best to have a gradual speed-up, rather than trying to make your entire swing fast. Remember, there can only be one “fastest” point in your swing…which ideally is when the club makes contact with the ball.

Finally, remember that your belt buckle must face the target directly at the end of the follow-through. What we don’t want is an over-rotation of the hips, or an incomplete swing where the hips never square to the target. 

Lovelace demos what NOT to do. Here, she’s falling back and off balance.

3- Collapsing through the arms 

For a proper follow-through, remember to extend your arms through the shot. At the finish, your hands should end up behind your head or shoulders. A common error is to bend or crumble the arms, which limits the ability to fully follow through. 

“Collapsing through the arms means the invisible circle around your body (your plane) is smaller and there’s not enough centrifugal force,” said Lovelace. “Make sure to extend the arms fully through impact. Your hips and shoulders should rotate toward the target as your spine rotates away.”

Refine your skills with private lessons

Want professional help refining your technique? Come enjoy one-on-one indoor private lessons at Hobbit’s Glen Golf Club, open to members and non-members of all ages.

The FlightScope Launch Monitor measures the speed, spin and distance of your shots, so you can analyze and improve your swing. Users can also customize their own challenges based on specific areas of the desired improvement.

For more information or to register, email Joan.Lovelace@ColumbiaAssociation.org or call 410-730-5980 and ask to speak to Joan. You can also learn more on our website.