How this subtle tweak perfected this player’s swing path

Welcome to our new series, golfer-to-golfer, where we try to learn from all different kinds of avid players out there, in hopes that the rest of us can take away something that might improve our own games.

The clubface at impact is king in the golf swing, but the path to get there is equally important. If your clubpath is out of whack, getting the clubface square at impact on a consistent basis is nearly impossible.

As players improve in their golf journey, the importance of a proper swing path becomes all the more important. When you’re a high handicapper, hitting the ball solid is the biggest concern. But when you start getting into single digits, the margins for consistency become smaller and you must concentrate on not only hitting it solid, but also using a proper path to get there.

To make matters more difficult, the slightest issue can send your path off line. Take the video below, for example. As GOLF Top 100 Teacher Jonathan Yarwood explains, this student has a nearly flawless move for 3/4th of the swing — but one problem just before impact sends his path well out to the right.

“The reason he can’t get the path left is this — it’s really subtle because a lot of this golf swing is really really good,” Yarwood says. “Such a great start to the downswing, but now the club falls behind [him]”

Once the clubhead falls behind him, the path has nowhere to go but out to the right. And while an in-to-out path is normally a good thing, this player’s path is +5 degrees, which is a little too much.

The cause for this flaw is simple. The player’s right hip has no side bend, and he’s extremely flat in the hips as he makes his downswing. With the right hip in the way, the handle of the club gets stuck and cannot track around his body and to the left.

The fix for this error is a subtle one, but it makes all the difference. In an effort to get more right hip bend, Yarwood has the player implement a little more bend onto his right side during the downswing.

“That allows you to pull the handle left sooner,” Yarwood says. “It’s very subtle, but it’s enough to change the path from five right to [0.8 right].”

Sometimes a swing has all the aesthetic beauty in the world, but there are nuanced mistakes that keep it from reaching its full potential. This player’s move is a great example of that, and shows how the subtle changes in the swing can make all the difference.

Zephyr Melton

Golf.com Editor

Zephyr Melton is an assistant editor for GOLF.com where he spends his days blogging, producing and editing. Prior to joining the team at GOLF.com, he attended the University of Texas followed by stops with Team USA, the Green Bay Packers and the PGA Tour. He assists on all things instruction and covers amateur and women’s golf.