The hallmark of a weak, inconsistent golf swing is often what coaches call “hanging back.” This happens when, instead of transferring your weight aggressively to your lead side during the downswing, you stay planted or fall onto your trail (back) foot. This fault instantly robs you of power, causes thin or fat shots, and prevents the proper forward shaft lean needed for clean ball compression.
Our video, “Tips and Tricks for Getting Off Your Back Foot”, dives deep into this critical issue. We provide actionable drills and mental cues to help you finally master the crucial move of weight transfer and unlock the power stored in your lower body.
The Consequences of Hanging Back
When you fail to get off your back foot, your swing will inevitably suffer from several major faults:
- Reverse Pivot/Spine Tilt: Your spine tilts away from the target at impact, leading to a weak, scooping action.
- Lack of Compression: You cannot achieve the necessary forward shaft lean to compress the ball, resulting in weak, high shots.
- Inconsistent Contact: The low point of your swing arc shifts backward, often causing fat shots or thin tops.
- Power Loss: The rotation and ground force necessary for speed cannot be fully engaged.
Ultimately, staying on your back foot means you are trying to lift the ball into the air, rather than hitting it and allowing the club’s loft to do the work.
Tips and Tricks for Flawless Weight Transfer
The solution lies in a strong lower body action that initiates the downswing (the proper SEQUENCE OF THE GOLF SWING). These tips focus on the feeling of moving forward:
Tip 1: The ‘Feel’ of the Lead Pocket
Focus on your lead pocket (left pocket for a right-handed golfer). The feeling at the start of the downswing should be that your lead pocket is being pulled backward and toward the target.
- Benefit: This cue encourages hip rotation and a lateral shift, immediately transferring weight and creating space for the arms to drop into the slot. This fixes the common sequencing error where the shoulders fire too early.
Tip 2: The Right Foot Lift Drill
After impact, try to immediately lift your trail foot entirely off the ground. If you fall backward or lose your balance, you know you are hanging back.
- Drill Focus: Make short swings and focus solely on finishing with almost all your weight on your lead leg, balancing perfectly. This physically forces the weight onto the lead side.
Tip 3: The Target Lean Setup
At setup, slightly increase your weight distribution on your lead foot (60/40). This pre-sets a forward bias.
- Benefit: By starting with more weight forward, it’s easier to return to and build on that foundation through the transition and downswing, promoting a shallow attack angle and encouraging the body to move towards the target.
Transferring the Weight for Distance
Getting off your back foot is the foundation of power. It allows you to use the ground for maximum speed (Ground Reaction Force), a key factor in generating high clubhead speed. When executed correctly, the movement is a chain reaction:
- Lower body shifts forward.
- Hips rotate open.
- Chest follows the hips.
- Arms and club release into impact with authority.
Ready to stop losing power and start compressing the ball like a pro? Check on YouTube