Top Of The Backswing
One good position you can take as a golfer is the top of the backswing. In this position, you can use a great amount of energy to get a beautiful golf shot. You should try this out! To get this right, you have to reach the top of the swing in the right position.
If you don’t hit the ball correctly, it means that the their could be some fault in the top of your swing position. Getting this corrected can help you generate a more stable downswing and with great speed to create power!
This article would focus on what a proper golf swing at the top of the backswing looks like. We’d also see common mistakes that beginner golfers make in this regard, and how to fix them. In the end, you will discover that everything will come naturally if you perfect this aspect of the golf swing.
Correct Positioning At The Top Of The Swing
Four important aspects make the top of a golf swing work. They are:
- The length of the backswing
- Arm position
- The direction of the club or shaft
- Hand position
#1: The Proper Backswing Length
The backswing length comes right before the downswing starts. In other words, it is at the end of the backswing where your club and hands are placed above your head. Note that different players can have different looks at the top of their swing. This doesn’t mean that they don’t get the job done. It’s just individual variety.
However, there’s a rule you can keep in mind to make it work, which is that “the backswing should stop when the club’s shaft is parallel to the ground.” This is because it is the right moment where you can create enough speed for your clubhead as well as maintain your balance. If you discover that you’ve lost speed or balance, it means that you have probably gone too far or too short.
#2: The Proper Arm Position At The Top
This is also an important element of the top of your golf swing. Each of your arms has a correct position; your front arm should be placed straight while your back arm should be bent at the top of the swing. Note that this relates to a right-handed player. You should also keep your back arm close to your side and not just bent. You can confirm if you’ve gotten this right by looking at where your elbow points to. If it’s pointing to the ground, your arm is in the proper position.
#3: The Proper Club Direction
You should also pay attention to the club’s direction at the top of the golf swing because it’s very important too. To make you understand this better, imagine that your club was an arrow. Your club’s proper direction is where the arrowhead is pointing.
If your club is parallel to the ground, the options you have are the left of the target, right, and directly at the target. Of course, you want the club to point directly at your target. This will help you to keep your swing inline the entire time.
#4: The Proper Hand Position At The Top
To be able to hit the ball straight, you should ensure that the back of your front hand is parallel to the clubface. This means that the club is straight and will make an impact on the club. Ideally, getting a correct position at the top of the swing makes it very much easy for your swing to work properly.
Common Mistakes Golfers Make At The Top Of The Swing
There are a lot of mistakes that beginner golfers make at the top of the swing. They all regard the four elements aforementioned. Let’s look at a couple of them:
- The Backswing Is Too Long:
This is the first and commonest mistake a beginner player is bound to make. If you’ve already made this mistake, several others have made it. Therefore, you don’t need to worry as it’s perfectly normal. The cause of this mistake is that you may have tried to hit the ball farther. If the backswing is too long, you won’t be able to make solid contact. It will also put you off balance and bring up wrong timing.
In as much as you’d to hit the ball longer by swinging longer, you should resist this temptation.
- Pointing The Club Wrongly:
Another common mistake made at the top of the backswing is to let the shaft point wrongly. It could be pointing left or right, and not at the target. One reason this mistake is made is to add distance. You end up losing timing and balance in the process. Pointing the club wrongly creates several moving parts and makes you not execute your shots rightly.
- Bending Your Front Arm:
In an attempt to gain more distance, you may bend your front arm too much. This results in not being able to gather enough club speed and not making solid contact.
- Raising Your Back Elbow:
Placing your back elbow close to your body is not a natural position. Therefore, you shouldn’t raise your back elbow away from your body.
Improving Your Swing At The Top
The good news is that you can fix these backswing mistakes easily. You can do that by trying out these drills:
- Place a glove under your back armpit to keep your back elbow down
- Practice the slow swing drill which involves keeping your front arm straight, stopping your swing halfway, and then hitting the ball slowly
- Use a full-length mirror to check your swing and note where you are getting it wrong.
Final Words on the Backswing
As an amateur golfer, you are bound to make mistakes. Those at the top of the golf game started from somewhere and made the same mistakes you are making. However, they kept on, practiced, and improved. You too can do this.
The top of the backswing stands for a lot of energy and potential. Once you can carry out the four implements aforementioned and try out the drills, you will be perfect in no time.