Focus On The Finish

Many amateurs are so consumed with anxiety about the incremental parts of the golf swing (grip, alignment, posture, setup, etc.) that they lose sight of the overall objective, which is to strike the ball squarely and forcefully. Let me suggest a method to alleviate this anxiety: Focus on the finish.

If you take the time to study, analyze and critique your finish position, you’ll develop an idea of where your swing needs to go—not to mention increase the likelihood of actually making it happen.

Here’s a drill that ingrains the feeling of a good finish position. Start with the club at address and swing it forward to the finish. Hold that pose for several seconds and then repeat the address-to-finish move. Let your natural tempo dictate how slowly or quickly you swing the club. As you pose, check that the finish elements at right are in place.

A golf swing without a finish position in mind is like a car trip without a destination. You’ll wind up going around in circles.

Some of the benchmarks of the proper finish are: • Being in good balance • Weight forward on your left side • Knees touching • Belt buckle facing the target • Club to the left of the left shoulder • Right arm extended and right wrist flat

Art Sellinger is a two-time National Long Drive champion and creator of the popular “Power Guarantee” training program, available at www.artoflongdriving.com.