Early Extension is a problem for 70% of all golfers!
Early Extension is any forward movement (hip thrust) towards the golf ball during the backswing or downswing.
This swing characteristic causes the arms and club to get stuck behind your body during the downswing.
Forces your torso to raise up and elevate through the hitting zone.
Early Extension usually causes two typical miss hits, the block to the right and a hook to the left.
Loss of spine angle.
And as most competitive players know, having two misses, one to the right and one to the left, can be disastrous in tournament play. Players with this fault will also complain of getting stuck or trapped because the lower body has moved closer to the golf ball on the downswing. As a result, the body is trapped in the way of the arms on the downswing.
Causes of early extension…
Standing too far from the ball! This can be a common problem in using the One Plane Swing since some teachers advocate standing very far from the ball and reaching out at address.
Physical limitations…lack of flexibility in the hips, spine, knees, or ankles.
Poor posture and setup which causes a loss of spine angle.
Drills for Early Extension…
Setup closer to the ball.
Alignment stick - Place an alignment stick vertically in the ground and back up so it touches your butt in your setup…when you swing, make sure you stay in contact with the stick throughout the swing.
For those lacking lower body flexibility, work on exercises to improve the ability to rotate the hips, knees, and ankles.
Dr. Chris Nix
**For more information on the One Plane Swing the One Plane Golfer eBook is available on the for sale on the home page of this site. It's a beautifully illustrated description of the One Plane Swing and how to apply it to your game.
