Asked On Reddit: What Part Of My Swing Should I Fix First?

If you consume any golf content on Reddit, you may have started to see a pattern. Someone posts a video of their swing, lays out a few misses they’re dealing with and ends with the question:

“So what should I fix first?”

It’s a fair question. However, most of the time, the comments turn into chaos. One person suggests fixing your hip rotation, another says your hands are too high, someone else swears it’s your path and then you’ve got someone yelling “GRIP!” in all caps.

What Reddit usually suggests

Most of the Reddit “what should I fix first?” posts I have reviewed were not incorrect. Many point out legitimate problems but it just gets a little overwhelming.

Some of the most common suggested fixes are:

• Over-the-top swing paths
• Lack of lower body rotation
• Early extension
• Standing too far from the ball
• Losing balance
• Flippy wrists at impact
• Tempo issues

If you’re new to posting your swing or just trying to make a real change, the flood of feedback can do more harm than good.

What you actually need to work on first

A great golf coach can pick up an issue quickly and help you decide what your first steps should be. I’m also not discouraging you from posting your swing on Reddit. However, here’s the honest answer nobody wants to hear about the heart of the problem in your golf swing:

It’s almost always setup, posture or stance.

Not fun, I know. But if your setup is off, there’s just too much work to do to hit a great shot.

Bad path? Might be standing too far away.
No rotation? Could be your posture.
Flipping at impact? Check the grip.
Two-way miss with the driver? All of the above.

The real checklist

If you’re serious about improving your swing, this is the progression I recommend. Once these basics are in place, you can start tackling more complex things.

As a scratch golfer, I can tell you that whenever my ball striking starts to feel off, it’s almost always something in my setup. When I lay down alignment sticks and reset to the fundamentals, nine times out of 10, the issue is fixed.

And if that doesn’t fix it, I know I can record my swing or see a coach without worrying that it’s something so basic it’ll make me shake my head and wonder how I missed it.

✅ Grip

• Is it neutral, not too strong or too weak?
• Do your hands work together or are they fighting each other?
• Are you gripping too tightly?

✅ Setup and posture

• Arms hanging naturally from the shoulders?
• Balanced and athletic, not slouched, not stiff?
• Is your weight centered between the balls of your feet and your heels?

✅ Stance

• Is the width appropriate for the club?
• Feet aimed parallel to the target? Shoulder and hip alignment match?
• Can you hold your finish or are you about to fall over?

✅ Ball position

• Too far forward or back can mess with the path and contact.
• Adjust based on club length, driver more forward, wedges more centered.

Final thought

Reddit means well. Golfers love to share their opinions. But if you try to fix everything all at once, you’ll end up making no progress at all. You’ll also make it difficult to play a round of golf without feeling frustrated and overwhelmed.

Start with the boring stuff. Grip. Setup. Posture. That’s the foundation. If that’s in place, everything else —rotation, club path, release—becomes easier to fix. It’s not always automatically fixed but it will be easier.