Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
A HIGH percentage of golfers that I see have a problem with over-swinging, or taking too big a backswing. This results in a loss of control and in many cases an actual loss of power.
Over-swinging encompasses a lot of different pieces and parts, but is generally thought of in terms of taking the club shaft beyond the point where it is parallel to the ground at the top of the backswing.
The pieces and parts may include too big a body turn, a collapsing of the arms (i.e., severely bending the left elbow for right-handers), cupping or overcocking the wrists, collapsing or totally straightening the rear leg, a reverse pivot (leaning the spine toward the target with the weight on the forward leg at the top of the swing) and more.
Over-swinging is usually a problem because the more moving parts one has and the farther out of position one gets, the more difficult it is to bring the club back to the appropriate place at the appropriate time, let alone do it consistently (or even the same way twice).
That being said, if you can perform well and with consistency in spite of an over-swing then congratulations on your hand-eye co-ordination and athletic ability - keep up the good work.
There are a few notable supposed over-swingers who are absolutely great players and major champions - John Daly and Tom Watson in his heyday immediately come to mind and I'm sure there are more. I don't think many golfers would argue with their results, and whether or not they would be better without their over-swings is academic.
It is safe to say that you wouldn't want to teach the golf swing that way, as the odds of consistent success for the huge majority of golfers are drastically reduced by overswinging.
If you look at the vast majority of modern golfers, the club shaft does not reach parallel in the back swing with an iron, possibly with the driver, but if you swing efficiently in your movements the necessity to overswing is reduced. Just look at the new US Open champion Graeme McDowell; a fine example of a shortened, more controllable backswing.
So, if you have an over-swinging problem, what can we do about it?
If you check the following areas at the top of the backswing, one at a time, you will discover where the problem occurs and be able to correct it. These things can all be checked by watching yourself swing in front of a mirror, and certainly a PGA golf professional could help you with this problem. Note, not all individuals will be physically capable of carrying out all these checks on themselves.
At the top of your backswing check to make sure that:
l Both eyes can see the ball (close your eye farthest from the target to test this).
l The spine angle is still relatively vertical from the face-on view, definitely not leaning toward the target.
l Your weight is noticeably heavier on your rear leg and that your rear knee maintains at least some degree of flex - also that the knee has not moved to a position, nor points in a direction, outside the foot.
l The lever arm (left arm for right-handers) is relatively extended (not to say tense or rigid) rather than collapsed or severely bent at the elbow.
l The other arm forms a right angle with the elbow under the shaft of the club.
l The hands and wrists are under control - make sure the fingers of the lever arm have not opened and that the butt end of the grip is still in contact with the fleshy pad of the hand. Make sure, also, that the wrist is not dramatically cupped (back of hand bent back toward top of forearm).
Initially the feeling of 'shortening' your swing is a difficult adjustment to make and you will feel that you don't have the power that you had with the longer 'over-swing.' But stick with it; as your body and your golfing brain adjusts to the new, more efficient swing, the power will return and with it the control you never had.
