Followthrough

Followthrough-to-Finish

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In this section of the critical review, I am going to be using the swing of Aaron Baddeley as an ideal role model for the modern, total body swing. I obtained a video of Aaron Baddeley's swing from the V1 Home swing Analyser website (http://v2.v1home.com) [1]. I then created many screen captures of Aaron Baddeley's swing at different points in his swing, so that I could point-out certain important positions, movements, and swingpaths. However, there is no substitute for seeing a swing evolve in continuous motion, and I cannot do that in this critical review. I, therefore, highly recommend that you visit the V1 Home Swing Analyser website and download their free version of the swing analyser. You can also freely download Aaron Baddeley's swing from the website (the down-the-line Driver video and the face-on Driver video). That will enable you to play back his swing in slow motion, or frame-by-frame, while following this review. It will greatly enhance your ability to learn how to execute a perfect golf swing. I also encourage you to purchase the basic version of the V1 Home Swing Analyser for $39. The basic version has the advantage that you can play back two different versions of a golf swing, side-by-side. If you video your swing, you will then be able to compare your own swing to Aaron Baddeley's (or another PGA tour golfer's) swing at any point in the swing. You will then quickly learn if you are getting into the correct positions, and you may quickly learn what you have to do to improve your swing.

Note - Aaron Baddeley has recently made changes to his swing, and this swing video therefore doesn't necessarily represent his latest swing.

I have noticed that golf instructors regard the followthrough phase of the swing as being very important, even though the ball is already well on its way towards the target by the time the followthrough occurs. Many golf instructors generally believe that the followthrough fully reflects what has gone right, or wrong, before impact, and that gross faults in the grip, address setup, backswing, and downswing become readily apparent at this stage of the swing.

In the impact section of this review, I discussed a number of features of the early followthrough period and I will expand on them in this section.

An important feature of the golf swing is the fact that it is a continuum of interconnected movements and not a series of static positions. A good golf swing is characterised by a smooth, free flowing motion that carries the body around to a full finish. Many beginner golfers only think of hitting at the ball, rather than hitting through the impact zone, and their golf swings are often characterised by a jerky, abbreviated followthrough. By contrast, professional golfers keep on rotating smoothly through the impact zone to a full finish.

The SLAP researchers have carefully analysed the followthrough phase of the golf swing and they provide us with many great insights [2].

Followthrough sequence of the ModelPro golfer - from reference number [2]

In this sequence of diagrammatic images, the SLAP researchers demonstrate the visual appearance of an idealised followthrough swing via a sequence of images. One can sense how a ModelPro golfer hits through the impact zone (and simply strikes the ball on the way through), and how the momentum generated during the downswing carries his body effortlessly forward to a complete followthrough finish position. Note how the right arm is fully extended in the early-intermediate followthrough period, and note how the club finally goes over the top of the left shoulder to wrap behind the upper back. Also, note how the right shoulder continues to move through (under the chin) and how the shoulders turn fully to an endpoint where the right shoulder is closer to the target than the left shoulder (greater than 90 degree shoulder turn). Note how the ModelPro golfer transfers all his body weight to the left side and note how he ends up standing fully erect over a straight left leg, with only the large toe of the right foot on the ground. Note that the ModelPro is in perfect balance at the end of the followthrough phase and in a picture-perfect position. If a beginner golfer can emulate this picture-perfect position and hold this balanced pose for 5-10 seconds, then it suggests that he must have made many, many correct moves prior to the followthrough stage of the swing.

Consider Aaron Baddeley's swing in the early followthrough phase of the golf swing.

Early followthrough phase - from reference number [1]

One can sense that Aaron Baddeley is hitting through the impact zone without making any attempt to actively manipulate his hands while they pass through the impact zone. Note how the right shoulder passes under the chin while he maintains his head position and spine angle - there is no sense that Aaron Baddeley is standing up on the shot, and losing his spine angle. Note how the left and right upper arms maintain a "connection" to the chest wall giving one an impression that the chest and left/right upper arms are moving synchronously together through the impact zone. Note how the right arm becomes fully extended in the early followthrough period, and note how the clubshaft is extended in line with the right arm. Note, in the third image, that the toe of the club is pointing straight up, which indicates that the clubhead has been primarily rotated by a correct body release (rotation of the torso to the left with only a small amount of passive forearm rotation). If the clubface is pointing at the ground (toe of the club appears "flipped over") at this point in the followthrough, then it suggests that the golfer has excessively rotated the forearms in order to close the clubface at impact - instead of squaring the clubface at impact by ensuring good lower body and shoulder rotation through the impact zone. If the clubface faces the sky at this point and the clubshaft is angled towards the ball-target line, then it suggests that the golfer is incorrectly trying to "steer" the ball towards the target by trying to swing the clubhead along the ball-target line.

In this face-on view composite image, one can gain an incorrect impression that Aaron Baddeley is hitting straight down-the-line towards the target, but a down-the-line view allows one to correctly recognise that the clubhead swingarc is really in-to-in along an inclined arc.

Aaron Baddeley mid-followthrough position - from reference number [1]

Note that one cannot see Aaron Baddeley's hands in this down-the-line view, because they have moved inside to the left. Note how the clubshaft first appears at a point just above the left shoulder, and note how the butt end of the clubshaft points at the ball-target line (in perfect symmetry with its position at roughly the same point in the downswing). Note that Aaron Baddeley has maintained his spine angle and head position, although he has allowed his head to rotate to the left. Rotating the head to the left, instead of keeping the head looking "fixedly" down at the ball, is an important feature of a proper followthrough, because it allows the right shoulder to move effortlessly through without being impeded by the chin. Rotating the head to the left while maintaining a constant spine angle gives a golfer the appearance of laying his head down on a pillow.

Head-on-pillow followthrough appearance - from reference number [3]

If a beginner golfer can achieve this head-on-a-pillow appearance, then it suggests that he has maintained a constant spine angle throughout the downswing, impact and early followthrough phase of the golf swing. Many beginner golfers lift their head and spine too early in the followthrough, and "come up" prematurely, and they need to learn to "stay down" longer.

Jim McLean refers to a corridor of success with respect to the point where the clubshaft first appears in a down-the-line view.

Corridor of success for the clubshaft followthrough - from reference number [4]

Jim McLean states that if the clubshaft first appears within the limits of this box, that it represents success. If the clubshaft first appears below the lower boundary of the box, then the followthrough swing is too flat (shallow), and if the clubshaft first appears above the upper boundary of the box then the followthrough swing is too steep (high).

As the followthrough proceeds, the hands will subsequently become visible above the left shoulder.

Alligator arms - from reference number [1]

Note that both arms are nearly extended and that there is only a slight degree of bend in both elbows - giving an appearance of alligator arms. This "alligator arm appearance" in a down-the-line swing video capture image demonstrates two important facts about the followthrough. First of all, it demonstrates that the left elbow does not fold immediately in the early followthrough period, even though many professional golfers feel that their left elbow folds immediately after impact. Secondly, this alligator arm view demonstrates that the right hand has not crossed over the left hand, and it dispels the myth that the golfer has to consciously cross-over the hands in order to square the clubface at impact (see the "hinging actions" section of my impact chapter where I discuss this issue in geat detail).

Note that the shoulders have finally caught up to the hips, and that the shoulders are more rotated around to the left than the hips. Note how much weight has transferred to the left side, and note that Aaron Baddeley has only the large toe area of his right shoe touching the ground.

At this point in the followthrough, the wrists and left elbow start to fold, and the clubshaft will fall over the area between the left shoulder and the neck (see next photo).

Near-the-end of the followthrough - from reference number [1]

A moment later, the followthrough is complete.

Completed followthrough position - from reference number [1]

Note that Aaron Baddeley's hands are behind his head, and that the clubshaft lies against his upper back between the shoulder blades. Note his perfectly erect posture, and the straight-body appearance from the left foot, up along the left leg, up along the right torso to the right shoulder. Note that the head and hips (and belt buckle and navel) are all facing the target and that the right knee is "kissing" the left knee. Note that the shoulders have out-rotated the hips and that the right shoulder is closer to the target than the left shoulder. Note that the right shoe bottom is vertical to the ground and that the top of the right foot is facing the target. Note that the left upper arm is roughly parallel to the ground. Finally, note that Aaron Baddeley appears to be in perfect balance and specifically note that he has achieved his full height at the end of the followthrough (like the ModelPro golfer)! If a beginner golfer can end his followthrough like Aaron Baddeley and hold that end-followthrough position for 5-10 seconds in a state of perfect balance, then it suggests that he may have mastered the full golf swing.

Golf followthrough tips (presented in question and answer format).

1. Question: What is the reverse C position?

Answer: In the Jack Nicklaus era, professional golfers drove their legs aggressively forwards during the downswing and they often ended the followthrough with their back arched backwards in a reverse C position.

A reverse C position is now considered undesirable because it leads to chronic back problems, and most professional golfers now prefer to finish the followthrough with a straight back and an erect posture (full height position or I position).

Reverse C and I end-followthrough positions - from reference number [6]

Aaron Baddeley - from reference number [1]

2. Question: A famous golf instructor states that the clubshaft is parallel to the ground at three points during the swing arc, and he recommends that the clubshaft be parallel to the ball-target line at those same three points. Is that good advice?

Answer: I think that's very good advice.

Clubhead swingarc - from reference number [1]

In this composite photo of Aaron Baddeley's swing, I have traced the clubhead swingpath in the backswing, downswing and early followthrough. One can see that Aaron Baddeley has the ability to swing the clubhead along the same inclined arc during both the backswing and downswing, except for the fact that the downswing clubhead swingarc is narrower. I have shown the position of the clubshaft when it is parallel to the ground in the backswing, downswing and followthrough. In the down-the-line view, the clubshaft cannot be seen in the followthrough position (because it is obscured by the body), but it is parallel to the ball-target line when it is parallel to the ground.

When the clubhead swings around the body along an inclined arc during the downswing and followthrough, the clubhead swingarc should be perfectly symmetrical to the ball-target line, so that the clubhead moves from in-to-in (and not in-to-out, or out-to- in) at the precise ball position in a perfectly symmetrical manner, thus allowing the clubface to be perfectly square at impact. If the clubshaft is parallel to the ball-target line at the three points when the clubshaft is parallel to the ground, then it indicates a perfectly symmetrical swingarc. A beginner golfer needs to pre-visualise this perfectly symmetrical swingarc in his mind before swinging the club, and he should attempt to actualise that perfect swingarc during his execution of the full golf swing. I think that it is extremely useful for the beginner golfer to pre-visualise the three points in the swingarc when the clubshaft will be parallel to the ball-target line, because that will help him align himself correctly at the time of address setup, and prior to starting the backswing. It will also increase his likelihood of executing that imagined perfectly symmetrical swingarc in "real life" when he finally swings the golf club.

3. Question: What is the finish swivel action?

I discussed this issue in great depth in my impact and followthrough chapter, and the finish swivel action occurs after the followthrough phase of the swing. At the end of the followthrough phase of the swing, both arms are fully straight. Then, at the start of the finish phase of the swing, the left elbow starts to bend while the left forearm supinates the left hand over so that the back of the left hand lies against the inclined plane. While the left hand is supinating, the right hand is pronating over the left hand. This dual left hand supination/right hand pronation action causes the clubshaft to lie along the inclined plane with the butt end of the club pointing at the ball-target line.

Tiger Woods finish swivel action - from reference number [7]

This composite photo shows Tiger Woods starting the finish swivel action, where the right hand starts pronating over the supinating left hand. Both arms are still fully straight at this time-point, and the left elbow will start folding a little later.

Tiger Woods - finish phase of his swing (images adapted from a Golf Digest article)

This dual photo image shows that the butt end of the clubshaft is roughly pointing at the ball-target line, as a result of the completed finish swivel action (left elbow folds while the left forearm rotates/supinates the left hand, and the right forearm rotates/pronates the right hand over the left hand). Note how Tiger Woods continues to turn his torso towards the target. If Tiger Woods didn't continue to rotate his torso leftwards during this phase of the swing, his right hand would snap-pronate over the left hand due to an uncontrolled crossover release action.

References:

1. V1 Home Swing Analyser website. http://v2.v1home.com

2. Swing Like a Pro. Ralph Mann and Fred Griffin.

3. Maintain this forward tilt throughout the swing for solid contact. Martin Hall.

Available online at http://www.golfonline.com/golfonline/yahoo/article/0,22348,469146,00.html

4. The Eight-step Swing. Jim McLean.

5. How to Build a Classic Golf Swing. Ernie Els.

6. Your Perfect Swing. Jim Suttie.

7. How I Play Golf. Tiger Woods.