How To Overcome Being Stuck!!

Being 'stuck' is a common position that occurs in more intermediate to advanced level golfers. It simply means that during the downswing, the arms tend to get stuck behind the body for too long causing block shots to the right or 'hook' shots to the left. This often occurs when we are attempting to swing more from the inside rather than 'over the top'.

When recommending what drills to use, you need to first decipher whether it is caused by swing path or body movement. When players are trying to swing from the inside, they can often push their path too far behind them causing a severe in-out path through impact. Even if the body is rotating correctly, it will be very hard to fix this position when the path is too inside. The best recommendation to fix the swing path is trying to have a feel of where the club should be on the backswing and downswing.

The ideal drill for this is placing an alignment stick on a 45 degree angle directly behind the ball. I will often insert the stick inside a bucket on the Driving Range as many of these have square holes. I will then rehearse on the backswing and the downswing to keep the club head in front of the stick right up until impact. This movement will give you the feel of having the club more out in front of you. The big key to ensuring this is done correctly, is making sure that you keep your left arm close to the body. You don't want to fall into the habit of pushing your arms off the body in an attempt to keep the clubhead in front of the stick.

Now sometimes your swing path can be quite good but your body just doesn't rotate effectively on the downswing. If your body slides through the ball instead of turning, the club can get quite stuck through impact. The best way to overcome this, is using an exercise where you pull your left foot back when setting up to the ball. With this left foot back, you will feel a great sensation of the body turning through impact. Just ensure that you still move your weight onto the left foot first before you rotate.

If you'd like any further help in overcoming the 'stuck' position, just contact myself at David Waters Golf.