Should You Keep Your Weight On Front Foot in a Golf Swing?

One of many greatest debates within the sport of golf is about weight distribution. Some golf instructors train their college students that they need to have their weight evenly distributed at setup. 

Different instructors say that the golfer’s weight ought to lean barely to the entrance foot or the again foot. All this conflicting recommendation may be complicated, particularly to newer golfers.

Ought to a golfer hold their weight ahead at deal with or farther again till after affect? We take a better have a look at this query on this article. 

After studying this, you’ll be capable of determine if you wish to strive the weight-forward golf swing.

 

What Does it Imply to Have Your Weight Ahead in Your Golf Swing?

Having your weight ahead in a golf swing implies that as an alternative of getting a 50-50 weight distribution at deal with, the golfer has no less than 55% of his weight towards his entrance foot. 

This sort of strategy was made well-known by Andy Plummer and Mike Bennett of their Stack and Tilt golf swing teachings. The Stack and Tilt technique has helped many golfers (together with some on the PGA Tour) obtain their fullest potential on the course.

Although 90% of a golfer’s weight must be on their entrance foot at affect, many golfers battle with hanging again an excessive amount of on their again leg. This results in decreased energy and inconsistent contact. 

By beginning with the burden barely ahead, it’s simpler to switch the remainder of the burden at affect.

 

Ought to Your Weight Be on Your Entrance Foot Throughout a Golf Swing?

Sure, to make sure most distance and a fluid swing, there should be a correct weight switch through the swing sooner or later earlier than affect. 

Golfers who’ve an excessive amount of weight on their again leg at affect are swinging with their higher our bodies solely. It’s almost unimaginable to hit the golf ball a great distance in case you’re solely utilizing half your physique.

 

Professionals of the Weight Ahead Golf Swing

There are many benefits to adopting a weight-forward golf swing. Here’s a listing of a few of these advantages.

Consistency

When a golfer addresses the ball along with his weight barely ahead, it ensures {that a} correct weight switch will happen through the downswing. 

This leads to extra constant contact because the weight ahead swing is much less reliant on timing. Consistency means all the pieces within the sport of golf.

Maybe an important issue to enjoying higher golf is having the ability to hit the bottom in entrance of the ball on the identical spot each time. This ensures that the golfer will hit the ball first after which the bottom. This results in extra highly effective, extra correct photographs on a extra constant foundation. 

Limits Head Motion

Are you aware what is going to throw off a golf swing worse than anything? Having an excessive amount of head motion through the backswing! Beginning together with your weight barely ahead helps the golfer hold his head nonetheless throughout your complete swing.

Of us that begin with a 50-50 weight distribution at deal with usually shift plenty of weight to their again leg through the backswing. This makes the pinnacle transfer an excessive amount of and causes the eyes to bounce. 

All that motion makes hitting the golf ball flush rather more tough.

Helps Treatment Slices

Nearly all of novice golfers battle with a depraved banana slice, particularly with the longer golf equipment within the bag. Many issues contribute to a slice. One in all which is an improper weight switch (hanging again).

Beginning with the burden barely ahead makes it simpler for the golfer to take an inside-out golf swing. This sort of swing path will flip that nasty slice right into a slick-looking child draw. A draw will come in useful on most golf programs.

 

Cons of the Weight Ahead Golf Swing

As most golfers know, there are positives and negatives to each kind of golf swing. Listed below are among the cons of adopting a weight-forward golf swing.

Feels Bizarre

Most folk don’t need to strive the weight-forward swing just because it feels bizarre. Many golfers performed different sports activities as children and have been taught the burden should return after which ahead. As everyone knows, outdated habits are laborious to interrupt. 

For instance, most baseball hitters begin with their weight tilted towards their again leg after which explode that weight towards their entrance leg throughout their swing. Whereas this works nice in baseball, it’s not the most effective strategy for many golfers. 

Nonetheless, plenty of golfers don’t want to change this strategy as a result of it feels so pure to them.  

Decrease Trajectory

Some golfers who’ve tried out the burden ahead golf swing say that it lowered their ball flight. 

Whereas this isn’t essentially a nasty factor, particularly with the longer golf equipment like the motive force, it may be detrimental when hitting your wedges. Most golfers need to hit the ball as excessive as doable with their wedges to extend their possibilities of touchdown (and staying) on the inexperienced. 

A standard repair is to mess around together with your ball place in your setup to see if that offers you a better ball flight. Plenty of golfers discover that in the event that they transfer the ball again just a bit of their stance, it helps enhance the trajectory of their photographs.

 

Frequent Golf Swing Weight Shift Issues

Hanging Again

We already talked about this one a couple of instances however we’ll listing it right here as properly. That is when the golfer shifts their weight to their again leg through the backswing however by no means shifts it to their entrance leg through the downswing. 

This robs the golfer of plenty of treasured clubhead velocity and limits their distance fairly a bit.

No Weight Switch

This downside will not be as frequent as hanging again but it surely nonetheless plagues some golfers. This occurs when the golfer begins with a 50-50 weight distribution and the burden doesn’t shift in any respect earlier than, throughout, or after the swing. 

Once more, this results in a lower in energy and a golf swing that simply appears painful and stiff.

Swaying

Swaying is one other frequent weight switch downside and is normally attributable to overswinging. That is when the golfer rares again (normally with the motive force) and tries to kill the golf ball. 

When the swaying happens, the burden switch is so extreme that the entrance foot could even come off the bottom for a cut up second. This makes constant contact with the golf ball almost unimaginable.

 

How you can Decide if You Ought to Be Preserving Your Weight on Your Entrance Foot as You Swing

Right here’s who ought to give the burden ahead golf swing a strive:

• Golfers who battle to make constantly stable contact
• Of us who’re consistently combating a slice
• Golfers which have a tough time finishing a correct weight switch
• Golfers who are likely to sway, dangle again, or make no weight switch
• Newer golfers who need to simplify the golf swing

 

Drills to Assist You Observe Weight Switch Throughout Your Swing

Toe Faucet Drill

Right here’s a enjoyable drill that doesn’t require any particular gadgets. When working towards your swing on the driving vary, attempt to do a toe faucet together with your again foot whereas finishing your follow-through. It is a nice drill to do as a part of your warm-up earlier than a spherical of golf. 

If you happen to can full this transfer with out shedding your stability, you’ve obtained the correct quantity of your weight ahead at affect. If it takes you longer than a second or two to finish the toe faucet, you most likely have an excessive amount of weight in your again leg at affect.  

Sand Wedge Drill

This drill can really feel a bit bit bizarre at first, but it surely’s a superb one to do to be sure to’re transferring your weight on the proper time. The great factor about this drill is it gives you with some instant suggestions in your weight switch. Right here’s the way it works:

• Place a sand wedge beneath the heel of your again foot with the shaft pointing towards the sky
• Hit a standard shot with a unique golf membership
• The sand wedge ought to begin to fall to the bottom earlier than you even make contact with the ball. It’s because, throughout a correct weight switch, your again heel will raise barely.
• If the sand wedge is hitting the bottom a few seconds after affect, you’re only a tad bit late in finishing your weight switch

Medication Ball Throws

For this drill, you’ll want a small drugs ball that weighs anyplace from 5 to 10 kilos. One like this will work simply advantageous. Right here’s a short step-by-step information to this drill.

• Line up as in case you are addressing the golf ball
• As a substitute of a golf membership, maintain the medication ball and faux it’s a golf membership
• Full a standard golf swing
• Launch the medication ball on the affect level of the place the golf ball could be
• Examine how far the medication ball goes
• If it goes fairly a protracted distance, you’re transferring your weight correctly. If it doesn’t journey very far, your weight switch wants extra work