Instagram / @ErikaLarkinGolf
In an effort to make a weight shift, many golfers make the mistake of swaying during the golf swing. However, while this might feel more natural to some amateurs, it’s a bad habit that reduces the distance of your tee shot.
Since no player wants to lose length with their driver, Erika Larkin, a GOLF Teacher to Watch, posted a video to her Instagram account to help players fix this swaying issue.
The at-home drill Larkin shows requires nothing more than a small ball, a wall, and a few minutes of your time. Hey, who doesn’t want to improve their golf swing that efficiently?
So take a look below at some of Larkin’s tips for fixing the unnecessary sway in your golf swing.
Try this at-home drill to stop swaying in your golf swing
So why is swaying in your golf swing bad to begin with? When players sway, it leads to issues with balance — which can throw off the entire swing, leading to mishits because the clubface isn’t lined up with the ball.
But Larkin says that this at-home ball drill will help players “stay dynamically centered,” learning how to use their hips to hold the ball against the wall as they rotate their body.
“Instead of dropping the ball, roll the ball [against the wall] — kind of like a gear effect,” she says. “Just keep even pressure on the ball. No need to squish the ball against the wall; we don’t actually want to lean into it too soon. Stay centered, and turn.”
With the added focus on your hips, you’ll feel them turning (not swaying).
For right-handed players, your front hip will move towards the ball, and your back hip will move towards the back. By combining these two movements, the result will be a rotation, rather than the feeling of a shift.
When putting these elements together — and by testing out Larkin’s at-home ball drill — you’ll generate more power, resulting in longer shots off the tee.
“This is going to help you learn to load against the back leg, instead of a sway — [resulting in] a powerful backswing to set up for an explosive downswing.”