Titleist Instruction Video Tips Our Instructors

Early Extension Swing Fault

From Dave Phillips On October 07, 2021

The biggest and strongest muscles in your body are found in your lower body. In golf, it makes sense to use these muscles. By pushing off the ground and using the feet, legs and... glutes, you can add a power boost and accelerate the club much more efficiently than relying predominantly on your arms and hands.

There's a trick, though. You have to know how to use your lower body properly. When you don't, you might fall into the common swing fault of Early Extension. As Titleist staff member and TPI co-founder Dave Phillips explains in this video, early extension is firing the lower body, but not timing it correctly.

In an efficient golf swing, the hips stay back, posture is maintained and you have lots of space to swing the club. But with early extension, the legs push up off the ground prematurely. The pelvis thrusts closer to the ball than it was at address, leaving no room for the arms to deliver the club. To get the club face on the ball, you have to reroute the club using the arms and hands and any number of inconsistencies can result.

If you recognise this pattern i your own swing, Dave has a great fix. Sink an alignment stick vertically into the turf and place your tailbone against it as you set up. Swing back, ensuring that your trail side glute moves back, behind the vertical line established by the rod. In transition, shift pressure into your lead leg – KEEPING YOUR TAILBONE AGAINST THE ALIGNMENT STICK! AS you deliver the club through impact, the lead side glute should move behind the alignment rod as you post up and drive off the ground with your lead leg.

This lower body action will give you tons of room to swing the club into impact without losing your wrist angles and lag. You'll hit it more solidly and consistently.

The biggest and strongest muscles in your body are found in ... your lower body. In golf, it makes sense to use these muscles. By pushing off the ground and using the feet, legs and glutes, you can add a power boost and accelerate the club much more efficiently than relying predominantly on your arms and hands.

There's a trick, though. You have to know how to use your lower body properly. When you don't, you might fall into the common swing fault of Early Extension. As Titleist staff member and TPI co-founder Dave Phillips explains in this video, early extension is firing the lower body, but not timing it correctly.

In an efficient golf swing, the hips stay back, posture is maintained and you have lots of space to swing the club. But with early extension, the legs push up off the ground prematurely. The pelvis thrusts closer to the ball than it was at address, leaving no room for the arms to deliver the club. To get the club face on the ball, you have to reroute the club using the arms and hands and any number of inconsistencies can result.

If you recognise this pattern i your own swing, Dave has a great fix. Sink an alignment stick vertically into the turf and place your tailbone against it as you set up. Swing back, ensuring that your trail side glute moves back, behind the vertical line established by the rod. In transition, shift pressure into your lead leg – KEEPING YOUR TAILBONE AGAINST THE ALIGNMENT STICK! AS you deliver the club through impact, the lead side glute should move behind the alignment rod as you post up and drive off the ground with your lead leg.

This lower body action will give you tons of room to swing the club into impact without losing your wrist angles and lag. You'll hit it more solidly and consistently.