Hold the Finish: The Most Important Tip for Beginner Golfers

When you're first learning to play golf, one of the most important habits I recommend developing from your very first golf lesson is learning how to hold your finish.

While getting your fundamentals right is always the starting point, learning to finish your swing in a balanced position can help improve many other aspects of your golf swing at the same time.

1. Learn to Hold Your Finish

One of the first things I want beginner golfers to focus on during a coaching session is holding their finish position for approximately three seconds after every shot.

For right-handed golfers, this means finishing with your weight transferred onto your left foot, with your chest, hips and back foot pointing towards the target. Ideally, you want to have 100% of your weight on your left foot while maintaining a balanced, stable position.

For left-handed golfers, the opposite applies, with your weight finishing on your right foot.

The important thing here is that regardless of where the ball goes, you need to be disciplined enough to hold that finish position for three seconds.

It doesn't matter if you hit the ball perfectly or completely miss the target. The goal is to develop a consistent pattern that you can repeat with every swing.

2. Your Finish Position Starts in the Backswing

To finish in a balanced position, you need to do some things correctly earlier in the swing.

During the backswing, I want you to focus on turning your left shoulder under your chin while keeping your head relatively stable. This helps you develop a better body turn rather than simply lifting your arms to get the club to the top of the swing.

From there, you need to allow your weight to move through the ball during the downswing and follow-through.

If you're struggling to hold your finish, it can be a sign that you're not transferring your weight properly, you're losing your balance or you're making unnecessary movements during the swing.

This is why I like to introduce this concept early when coaching beginners. Rather than giving you too many things to think about, we can use your finish position as a simple reference point to help improve the movements leading up to it.

3. Why Holding Your Finish Can Improve Your Swing

The interesting thing about holding your finish is that the more consistently you do it, the more other parts of your swing can start to improve.

Think about it. In order to finish in a balanced position with your weight on your front foot, you've generally had to make some better movements throughout your swing.

Your weight transfer can improve, your body rotation can become more effective, and you can develop better control through impact.

Of course, simply holding your finish doesn't automatically guarantee a good swing or perfect contact. However, it gives you a clear goal to work towards and encourages you to develop better habits from the beginning.

My recommendation is simple: after every shot, hold your finish for three seconds. Don't worry about where the ball goes initially. Focus on finishing in a balanced position and gradually building that pattern into your swing.

If you're new to golf and would like help developing your fundamentals and building a more consistent swing, contact me at David Waters Golf Coaching, located at Emerald Lakes Golf Coaching Centre in Carrara.