Why you struggle shifting your weight during the golf swing

Golf instruction is ever-evolving, but the best advice stands the test of time. In GOLF.com’s new series, Timeless Tips, we’re highlighting some of the greatest advice teachers and players have dispensed in the pages of GOLF Magazine. Today we have an article from our September 1973 issue when Al Geiberger explained the keys for a perfect weight shift in the golf swing.

Weight shift is an integral part of the golf swing — but if it’s done correctly, you seldom even notice it. When it’s not done correctly, though, it can cause a ton of problems.

If you’ve found yourself reading this article, there’s a good chance you’re searching for answers on why you’re doing it wrong. If that sounds like you, fear not. The fix is probably easier than you think.

Back in 1973, GOLF Magazine‘s instruction editor, 1966 PGA Championship winner Al Geiberger, wrote about just that. Check it out below and you’ll soon be shifting your weight just like the pros do.

Weight shift basics

You know how to cure a weight problem — you eat either more or less depending on your condition. What you’re trying to do is to establish a balance between your bone structure and the matter that covers it. That balance allows your body to operate efficiently, comfortably and effectively. Your body should operate in the same way during a golf swing and, again, balance is the key.

The moment you lose your balance, you lose the coordination of your bodily parts and destroy their ability to produce an effective golf swing. Unbelievable as it may seem, every mistake made by any golfer of any size and any caliber is a direct result of a loss of balance.

By definition, balance can refer to the mind and the body as well as to the forces that act upon them. In this article, I’ll deal specifically with balance as bodily equilibrium, on the maintenance of that equilibrium and on the release of the forces stored in a moving but balanced lower body.

The mistakes you make

There are three ways to lose balance in the lower body.

The first way is the sway, which is allowing the weight to move too far to the right on the backswing. The usual result of this is an equally over-extensive shift of the weight forward on the downswing, causing the club to reach the critical impact area later than the body and without any force provided by the body other than the hands and arms. With the club and body acting independently, there is no possible chance for consistency and distance.

The second way to lose balance is the reverse transfer (aka reverse pivot). Here the golfer takes the club to the right but leans to the left on the backswing and reverses the action on the downswing. This golfer constantly tops, slices and hits generally weak shots. With the weight moving one way and the club the other, the golfer is actually defeating himself. His ball usually winds up in the same place as his weight — way over on the right side.

The third problem is lunging, where the golfer allows all his weight to go up and down during the swing. This can take the form of rising onto the toe on the backswing and collapsing toward the ground on the downswing, or, more rarely, sinking toward the ground on the backswing and then lifting onto the toes.

What causes these mistakes?

Swaying

Swaying is an overzealous weight transfer which can be caused by setting up too far behind the ball at address, lifting the left heel improperly on the backswing, or — this is the most likely cause — poor left knee movement. 

Problems with the left heel and the left knee are often connected. Although it’s not wrong to allow the left heel to lift (Jack Nicklaus is a good example of this), the average golfer usually turns his left knee at the same time. This means he has no means of weight support on his left side.

The knees are the answer to the problem. The left knee should go towards the ball, not towards the right leg. If you’re a man who sways, your left knee probably turns in. I move the left knee towards the back of the ball, which is the exact center of balance at the top of my backswing. My whole body is poised directly over the ball and my left side moves immediately through the ball at the start of the downswing. This ensures a cleared left side and a fluid weight shift.

There’s another positive point evident in my position at the top. The right knee although still bent, is braced inward. This is a natural movement if the left knee goes out to the ball because the body wants to stay balanced. When the left knee turns in, however, the weight transfer is too rapid and too severe for the right leg to react and it follows the action of the left knee. That’s why the swayer’s lower body has both knees bent and to the right of their address positions at the top. His weight is centered well behind the ball, making it almost impossible for him to transfer it back to and through the ball before the club arrives.

Reverse transfer

The reverse pivot is usually caused by rigid knees. If your legs are too tight, their rigidity prevents your muscles from reacting naturally to outward pulling forces of the backswing and followthrough. You become, in effect, a pole with its balance point between your legs. In order to keep any sense of equilibrium, the body will move one way as the club moves the other.

Another cause of the reverse transfer is attempting to keep the . left heel glued to the ground on the backswing. This can lead to too much weight being kept on the left foot, and the left knee collapses under the strain.

The result of being heavy on your left side at the top is you start the downswing with your right side. As I’m sure you’re aware, hitting from the top brings the club down across the ball from right-to-left. This forces your left side to get out of the way of your arms immediately. The only way it can do that is to turn to the left, forcing the weight to drop back onto the right side. To cure the reverse transfer, first check that at address your knees are nicely flexed. During the swing, emphasize the correct leg action — the roles of the left and right knee I have detailed above. Allow the turning: action of the shoulders to lift the left heel slightly while the right leg resists. The knees are the “level” of the swing. If you keep them level during the swing, good balance is assured.

Lunging

Lunging is the result of excessive effort on the part of the upper body. The golf swing has to be a balance between the upper and the lower body as much as a balance between the body and the earth. You’re trying to “muscle” the ball instead of swinging the club and letting the natural power created do the job for you.

A lunger has the wrong conception of the swing. He thinks he can get power by rearing back and using the shoulder muscles in a sideways action. Because of this, the legs are not used properly. 

The best thing he can do is to imagine staying in one place and taking a nice, full shoulder turn. The shoulder turn must also be tied in with proper leg action.

Another tip for the lunger is for him to take one more club than he thinks he needs for the shot in hand. Very often a fit of lunging can come from trying for too much distance. Having one more club encourages a smooth swing.

Summing up, proper use of the legs will help with all these problems. A good posture at address, with flexed knees, will prevent one cause of reverse transfer — stiff legs. Good leg action prevents swaying and dipping onto the left leg, the other cause of reverse transfer. And in turn, good leg action allows the body to make a proper turn, which eliminates lunging.

Exercises to improve balance

Sam Snead has always claimed he’d play two shots better every round if they’d let him play barefoot. I suggest you go out and find out why. Take your shoes off the next time you’re hitting balls and you’ll notice an immediate improvement in ground awareness. Spikes tend to dig in and minimize your feelings of excessive weight movement. But in bare feet, you know right away if you’re overdoing it.

As an exercise, stand with your feet flat on the ground and press downward slightly. Do this with your knees rigid and then with them comfortably flexed. You’ll notice quite a difference in how much more ready the body is to move gracefully when the knees are flexed.

Now lift your left heel off the ground until you’re up on your left toe. You’ll notice how unnatural that position is. It’s fine for ballet dancers with wooden blocks in their toes, but the natural support for the average person is the ball of the foot.

Still barefooted, hit a few balls with your feet together. Not only will this show you how little the weight really transfers in the golf swing, it will give you more awareness of how your upper body functions.

If you’re really ambitious, try standing on the left foot only. Lift your right foot off the ground and set up to the ball. You’ll notice that the ball should be played forward in order for the left side to balance properly. Try to hit the ball this way. If you shift your weight too quickly or too far, you’ll fall over. If you hit from the top on the downswing, you’ll fall back. If you make a smooth, unhurried swing, you’ll be able to stay in balance and will probably surprise yourself with how well you hit the ball.

Along the same lines, you can stand on your right foot. If you transfer your weight excessively on the backswing, you’ll get a distinct feeling of falling.

Balance, then, is a feeling. It requires a reaction of forces that keeps your weight centered over the ball. If you’re having problems with weight transfer, analyze your problem through the exercises given and then use the corrective measures that suit your problem.