Hold your finish for a controlled swing

So many golfers who come for a lesson, or whom I see in pro-ams, want to improve their golf shots but in the never-ending search for the perfect swing they sacrifice balance and rhythm.

Yet these two vital ingredients in the golf swing are arguably the most important aspects for amateurs to work on.

The more unorthodox your swing the more important rhythm and balance become.

If you have a swing where the club travels up and down in the same plane like a professional, it is relatively easy to hit consistently good golf shots. But if you have a swing with faults, particularly on the backswing, adjustments have to be made.

The more balance and overall timing and rhythm your swing has, the easier it is to make compensating movements and bring the club back squarely into impact.

Everyone has the capability of improving their balance and timing but it is almost impossible unless you spend time practicing it. Next time you go to the range centcentrate your sessions on encouraging the body to move more efficiently during your golf swing.

To check whether you have good balance see if you can hold the finish position for a count of '1...2...3 seconds' after you hit a shot without losing your balance. This tip might sound too simple to affect the swing but the more control you demonstrate in the follow through the more control you will have at impact.

Hold your finish to hit straighter shots.

John Hoskinson has been a professional golfer for over 30 years, during which time he has had the privilege of playing against many of the top players in the world. He's written four bestselling books including a fictional novel, and has spoken to over 80,000 young people at schools, about making the right choices in life. He is also the top golf writer for Suite101 where he has written over 300 golf articles. 

First published August 2009, updated April 2013