Instruction – Sway Stop, Doorstop

One of the more common swing faults I see on the lesson tee is a lateral sway of the hips during the backswing. In many cases this leads to a “reverse sway” or hang back on the downswing. One thing that is for sure, a sway it going to lead to contact issues and a loss of power! If you are swaying and struggling with contact by way of fat, thin or topping, try this simple drill!

Start by wedging a doorstop under the outside of your trail foot. During the backswing you will use this to brace up against, ensuring that no weight goes to the outside of your trail foot. When done correctly, your weight should be under the inside of your trail foot. Be sure to allow your body to turn during the backswing. Often, a lack of turn or over restricting the hip rotation during the back swing can promote a sway.

When you start your downswing feel as though you are using the doorstop to push off from. The result of doing this correctly is a fully coiled up backswing and an explosive down swing with better low point control.

This drill can also be done for chipping and pitching. As with the full swing, wedge the doorstop under the outside of your trail foot. In this case, use the doorstop to help place more weight on your lead foot at address. Around 60%. Be sure to maintain your weight on the lead side during the backswing to ensure that you don’t put any more weight on the doorstop than you originally had at address. This will help eliminate any weight shift resulting in more solid chip and pitch shots!

Mike Bury is the head golf instructor at Las Colinas Country Club and has been named to Golf Digest’s “Best Young Teachers in America” list for the last four years. To find out more, log on to www.mikebury.com