Finishing on the Back Foot

Finishing on the Back Foot

Swing Fault

Stephen Puryear, PGA

Most golfers know you should not finish the swing on the back foot. You hit thin and fat shots with irons and high pushes and slices with the driver.   It is an obvious flaw that is very apparent on video.  Many times your playing partners, or a random person on the range, will try to help you get to the front foot but your results are not very good.  The reason is your swing is too steep.  The more you try to finish on the front foot, the steeper your impact becomes.

The fault of finishing on the back foot is a reaction to a steep element prior to impact.  In this case, the arms are too steep and the club is crossing the line.  This creates a very steep angle coming into the golf ball on the downswing. 



Steep at the Top

 

Steep Downswing











With such a steep back swing and approach to the ball, the move to the back foot is a reaction that shallows and widens impact. While the backing up move prevents burying the club into the ground, it does not produce very good golf shots. 

Those of you who finish on your back foot should work on creating a more shallow approach to the ball by lowering your arms at the top of the swing and approaching the ball from this shallow position.  I think you will be surprised at how much easier it is to finish on the front foot and hit the ball solid.

Golf lessons make great gifts for Christmas. Give the gift of better golf!

Jr. Golf Success

By: Stephen Puryear, PGA

Over the years I have worked with countless junior golfers.  The parents always ask what the key to success is.  Most want to know the secret.  I wish there was a secret.  The key is a recipe with the ingredients being passion, hard work, good mechanics, and parental support.  I have never seen a jr. golfer excel without all of these ingredients.  Each golfer is different and contains different amounts of each ingredient but they are all there.  Lets take a look at each one individually. 

Passion

Most successful jr. golfers love the game.  I have seen many who are forced into the game by parents or friends.  The ones that excel are the ones that will play and practice alone.  They turn down invitations from friends to hang out so they can practice.  They fight wind, cold, rain, and heat to play when no one else will.  Why?  Because they love it.  If you don't love the game like that then it is hard to understand.  A day without golf is agonizing for them.  They feel like they are missing out on a day to get better so they feel like they are going backwards or getting worse.  This passion is hard to create.  It only takes one good shot or one good hole and "bang", the seed is created and all you have to do is water it with the other ingredients.

Hard Work

Part of this is passion but part of it is dedication and discipline.  Good golfers practice hard and they practice smart.  They practice with a purpose.  They hit balls to work on a swing change or to practice shots on the course that are troubling them.  It may be a pitch shot or the driver but they work until they have it figured out.  They can't sleep at night knowing there is  unfinished work.  Successful jr. golfers also practice with good feedback.  They have goals.  They practice hitting putts and making 5 out of 5 from key distances.  (3 ft, 6 ft, 9ft, etc.)  Anything short of their goal is not acceptable.  This feedback lets them know how they are doing and encourages them to work harder.  Most kids just spend time on the driving range or putting green but, exceptional kids are working hard and have a plan.

Good Mechanics

This is where I come in.  As a golf professional, I try to give my students the best possible information that will give them a strong repeatable motion.  As jr. golfers grow there swings change.  It is very important to keep bumping them back to a neutral golf swing that is not too steep and narrow or too wide and shallow.  Neutral is just right. Neutral allows them to hit both their long and short clubs.  They also need to learn different shots that allow them to control trajectory and distances.  Although most of my lessons focus on full swing, my best students learn very early that they must be able to excel in the short game.  Good putting, pitching, and chipping are a must to win golf tournaments.  It is very important to have a good relationship with a golf professional who can give good swing advice and help direct the career of these young athletes.  Bubba Watson and his "never had a lesson" attitude is the exception. 

Parental Support

You can not succeed in the world of junior golf without very strong parental support.  Parents encourage and support throughout their career.  They have to play an active roll in scheduling lessons, tournaments, and rounds of golf.  Without the support of parents many junior golfers simply would not know what to do to succeed.  They need their parents to manage their golf career.  Whenever I see a strong junior golfer their is usually a golf mom or dad right behind them.  It's amazing how that works.

The last role parents play is an enabler.  Golf is expensive.  Equipment, clothing, entry fees, lessons, and travel are all part of the expenses of being a good junior golfer.  It can get out of control fast so parents who sit down at the beginning of each year and plan a schedule and a budget are more likely to view the game positively instead of another expense.  A positive attitude while supporting the junior's hard work is a key to continued success. In the end the investment is worth it.  College scholarships are definitely a bonus, however a well rounded person should be the overall goal.

Golf is hard.  The junior golfer who is passionate, works hard, has good mechanics, and is supported by great parents will succeed.  Some may have more passion, or work harder, or have more supportive parents, but together these ingredients create a great junior golfer.

Good Luck and Good Golfing!