By Josh Zander
Why is the finish so important? After all, isn’t the ball gone? This is a comment I get sometimes from some students. The finish is the result of having done correct fundamentals along the way. Watching the 2010 Masters this past weekend, I was so impressed by runner-up Lee Westwood’s balance at the end of his powerful golf swing. Westwood’s balance is the result of an on-plane motion which allows him to deliver an efficient blow to the golf ball without having his body compensate for any loops in his swing.
The finish is also the result of trying to hit a ball with a specific flight. If you want to hit the ball low, your finish should be low, If you want to hit the ball high, your finish should be high. If you want your ball to fade as a right-handed golfer, your hands should finish more left and away from the target line. If you want your ball to draw, your hands should finish closer to the target line.
The bottom line is that the golf swing is over in less than two seconds and you don’t have time to think about all the positions along the way. If you rehearse a swing that ends in balance and has one of the aforementioned finish positions, you have a good chance of hitting correct positions along the way. My students are so psyched when I have them do follow-through drill that improves their backswing positions. Give yourself some credit. You are a better athlete than you thought!
Make it part of your routine to rehearse the finish you want based on the ball flight you desire. Hold it for a few seconds to feel your balance and to tell your brain what ball flight you want. Feeling it will get you there more often than just thinking about it. I have my juniors always hold their finish for a count of five. Lastly, swing as fast as you can as long as you can hold your pose. After all, it’s fun to hit it far and you can’t get distance without clubhead speed.