One of the biggest problem areas when teaching beginners is understanding the concept that all golfers must finish with their weight on the front foot. Anybody who hasn’t been taught will always have a tendency to keep their weight on the back foot. This is because it seems logical that in order to get the ball up in the air, we must keep the weight back and scoop under the ball. One of the first aspects that I address when a beginner student comes to me is understanding the concept of hitting down on the ball as well moving the weight onto the front foot. If you are unsure whether you are transferring your weight onto the front foot then take note of what kind of shots you are hitting. If a person keeps their weight on the back foot, then the most common shots will be a ‘heavy’ shot (taking too much grass behind the ball), a ‘thin’ shot (impacting the middle of the ball causing a low shot without spin) and a ‘hook’ shot as when the weight stays back, the hands will tend to flip to the left. The way in which I get the student to feel the weight moving onto the front foot is by implementing the ‘step’ drill. This where I will tell the student to start with their feet together and make a backswing. Next I will tell them to take a side step forward with their left (right if a left hander) while keeping their upper half and head in the same position. After they have taken the step with the upper half remaining in the same position, they can then turn the whole body through and finish with their weight on the front foot. A good indicator that their weight has transferred through properly, is they should be able to lift their right foot without losing balance. If you apply this drill, you will transfer your weight onto the front foot and hit crisper, straighter shots!!
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