Golfing Weekly Magazine - Issue #11

Why worry about the follow-through ? The ball is gone and it will not make any difference where I finish ! These are some of the statements I hear from time to time. Let me tell you just how your follow-through can help you to better scores. You can learn a lot by being aware of your position at the end of your swing. Watch the touring pros after they hit a shot during competition -they hold their follow-through position as they watch the flight of the ball. Their balance is good and all of their weight is on their front leg. In fact they can lift the back foot and still keep their balance.
Picture #1	Picture #2
Note in picture #1 that all the weight is on the front foot and that the arms have completed their momentum over the shoulder. The back foot is right up on the toe and as you can see in picture #2 the sole of the back shoe is visible. This is the ideal position to work towards. The follow-through is mainly the result of what has gone before. In other words, the backswing is the setup of the swing, the downswing is creating the power and the follow-through will indicate what transpired during those phases. During your practice sessions hold your position at the end of the swing and try and feel where you are.


1. Is all your weight on the front foot or do you still have some weight on the back ? Picture #3. If so, work on improving your weight shift at the start of your downswing (as covered in last week's Golf Tip).	Picture #3
Picture #4	2. Are your hands finishing low across the front of your body ? If so, make sure you are starting the downswing with a lateral slide of the hips first and not spinning the hips right from the top of your backswing. This will also usually cause the back foot to "flip over", a sure sign of a slice.
3. Are your hands finishing just in front of your body instead of following right through ? This is an indication of not clearing the left hip fast enough as you swing through the ball. This will almost certainly cause a lack of power or loss in distance. I find that most of my students who finish in this position are those who like to play a lot but do not put in the necessary time on the practice tee. What happens is that they start steering the ball in order to keep the ball in play.	Picture #5
4. If you are losing your balance forward, you are probably starting the downswing with your upper body instead of your legs. Remember, in order to play good consistent golf you have to put some time in on the range. This is where you can develop a sound repetitive swing - not on the course Pay close attention to your follow-through in the future - it may be more important than you think.

Next Week: The Follow-Through

Mel Sole is a former South African Tour player with about 30 years of teaching experience. He is the co-founder of Ritson-Sole Golf Schools, which is rated one of the 25 best golf schools in the U.S. Mel's home course is Pawleys Plantation in Myrtle Beach, S.C. Other Ritson-Sole Golf Schools are located in Wilmington, N.C., Atlanta, Blue Springs, Mo., Harrisburg, Pa., and San Sebastián de Amola, México. You can visit the Ritson-Sole Website at www.ritson-sole.com.