How to fix too much sway in your golf swing

All too often, I see players who sway off the ball in the backswing. But, by using an alignment stick, we can see where we’re going wrong. 

Too much sway in the backswing leads to weight transfer issues throughout the rest of your swing. Not only does a sway make it tough to transfer weight, but it can spoil your strike. This drill is perfect for golfers who are aware they don’t rotate properly and compensate with a sway. If you struggle with lots of thin or fat shots, this is also perfect for you.

How to check if you have too much sway in your golf swing

A great way to check if you are swaying is to place an alignment stick in the ground a clubhead outside the ball. Make sure the ball is positioned in the middle of your stance which will then set the alignment stick directly in line with your sternum. Making a practice swing, go to the top of your backswing and pay attention to the position of the alignment stick.

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If your head and body moves significantly off the alignment stick (right for a right-handed player and left for a left-handed player) then you have swayed too much.

When a player moves off the ball too much, they generally don’t rotate their upper and lower body enough. A little lateral movement is good, but too much is a problem. A really good way to double-check this is to record yourself face-on during a swing.

How to fix too much sway

Focus on keeping the alignment stick lined up as close to your sternum as possible by rotating your body away from the target.

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A nice swing thought for this would be ‘feel your lead shoulder rotate on top of the ball’. This encourages good upper body rotation and less sway in the backswing.

With this improved and more stable backswing position, your downswing will feel easier and more controlled, resulting in more consistent strikes.

Ailsa Murphy is a PGA Professional at Peebles. You can book a virtual lesson with her through Skillest and follow her on TikTok.