How do I shift my weight properly?

What causes it

A sway slides the body away from the target in the backswing, and hanging back leaves too much weight on the trail side in the downswing. The result is fat shots, thin shots and a loss of power. Reverse pivots, locked trail knees and an unstable base are the usual causes. Poor footwork is also a factor. Rolling onto the outside of the trail foot, or lifting the lead heel too early, lets the body slide instead of turning around a stable centre.

How golfers fix it

Athletic Motion Golf's How To Shift Weight & Pressure Like A Pro is recommended by 23 golfers, using data on how pros move pressure from trail to lead. Padraig Harrington's hip clearing tip is recommended by 19, with 5 saying it helped. The Chasing Scratch podcast on using the lead foot is recommended by 15. Ways golfers improve:

• Keep the trail knee flexed and let the hips turn instead of slide.
• Press into the lead foot at the start of the downswing.
• Use a step drill to match weight shift with rotation.

Common mistakes

Do not go to the opposite extreme and shift your weight so far forward that you cannot turn. Another error is thinking of weight transfer as a lateral slide when it is really pressure moving while the body rotates.

Written with AI from the lessons and recommendations above. Not a substitute for a coach.