The entire golf backswing with a driver typically takes no more than a couple of seconds. It’s quick but in that brief window a lot can go wrong! The driver backswing often feels different from the iron backswing and that transition can be tricky for many golfers to manage. If you’re struggling off the tee, here are some of the most common mistakes in the golf driver backswing and the best ways to fix them.
Taking the club too far inside
The backswing with the driver should be more shallow than the iron backswing. However, if you force this more shallow swing plane, you may be tempted to take the club directly inside the target line as your first move away from the ball.
This action makes it very difficult to get the club on the proper swing plane and path to square the clubface at impact.
The fix:
Put some alignment sticks down while you practice hitting your driver. Check to ensure that the club’s path does not move too far inside or outside right away.
Leave the alignment sticks on the ground while you practice and take a few videos to see how far from the alignment stick you are moving on the takeaway.
Hinging the wrists too quickly
Over-hinging or hinging the wrists too early in the backswing leads to an inconsistent swing plane. Maybe even more importantly, this action causes you to lose power.
While you may think about hinging your wrists on pitch shots or some iron shots, you’ll want to hold off on the early wrist hinge with your driver’s swing.
The fix:
Focus on a one-piece takeaway in your driver backswing. Keep the arms, shoulders and hands moving together for the first part of the swing. If you do this, your wrists will start to hinge naturally when they get to the correct point in your backswing.
A training aid like The Connector (https://www.golftrainingaids.com/products/the-connector-by-sure-golf) can be a good way to get the body and hands working together instead of the wrists taking over independently.
Moving the head too far behind the ball
The top thought on most golfers’ minds as they swing their driver back is to create power. For some, this power move feels like a big movement behind the ball.
You don’t need to do that.
If your head starts to move excessively behind the ball, it can cause issues with weight shift and poor ball contact.
The fix:
Instead of trying to move your head behind the ball, keep your head centered and more over the ball during the driver backswing. Turn around your spine instead of swaying to your trail side. You’ll still have more lateral motion on the driver swing than you do with irons and wedges and that’s acceptable.
The key is not to exaggerate and create more work for yourself.
A great drill to help with this is to put an alignment stick in the ground on the side of your trail hip. As you turn back, rotate around this alignment stick, don’t bump it.
Dipping the head as a power move
Lowering or dipping the head in the driver’s backswing is often mistaken as a way of generating power. However, this leads to inconsistent strikes.
It’s not a power move.
Some players don’t even realize they are doing it until they see a video of themselves. It’s not a bad idea to video your swing once a month and check for these types of errors that can typically become quick fixes if they are caught early.
The fix:
Work on maintaining your posture and spine angle. Keep your head level and don’t dip or raise your spine throughout the swing. Practicing with a mirror is a great way to monitor your head movement.
You don’t even need a club in your hands. Cross your arms over your chest and hold your shoulders while rotating back. Pay close attention to any dipping of the head. Sometimes, it’s easier to feel when you take the club out of the equation.
Overswinging or taking the club too far back
Finally, make sure you are not taking the golf club back too far. Yes, we know John Daly had a long backswing, and it worked for him. The point is he’s also a unique and very talented athlete with the ability to time that swing perfectly and simultaneously square up the clubhead.
Most amateur golfers can’t do this.
When you take the club back too far, it will cause issues with consistency and control. In addition, you may start making incorrect movements with your weight transfer, rotation and even your spine angle through impact.
It’s just not worth it.
The fix:
Work on turning your shoulders. When your shoulders reach a point where they can’t turn anymore, you’ll probably be at parallel or just slightly past parallel. This is the end of your driver backswing. In addition, this position is plenty strong enough to maximize your power and distance.
The key to a consistent driver backswing: Control, not force
After analyzing all of the common backswing mistakes that golfers make, you may have realized that one of the underlying issues in almost every fault is the desire to generate power.
You want all the speed and power you can get in the driver swing but it can’t be forced. It’s all about consistency, balance and control.
If you want to benefit from a more consistent but powerful driver backswing, try these tips:
Choose a driver with the proper specifications for your game: Make sure your driver’s loft, shaft flex, and weight match your golf game. You’ll have more confidence and hit better shots because of it.
Start your backswing just a bit slower: A rushed takeaway won’t lead to good things on the backswing. Start slow and you’ll still generate plenty of speed.
Use the ground for power: Generate power from the ground up. A strong foundation through your legs and feet will help you transfer energy more efficiently. All great athletes use the ground as a source of stability and power in their swings.
Focus on a smooth transition: The transition from backswing to downswing is crucial. Transfer your weight to your lead side but avoid any sudden or jerky movements.
Final thoughts
Now, all that’s left to do is get out to the range and start working on these things. Run through the list of common mistakes in the golf driver backswing and make sure none contribute to your game’s inconsistencies.
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