04/01/2026
One of the most misunderstood concepts around the golf swing is weight transfer.
Many golfers are so afraid to sway or slide that they limit any and all lateral movement in the swing. In reality, we NEED to shift bodyweight toward the trail side so that we then have weight to shift toward the ball in the downswing.
Without it, you may end up in a reverse spine angle at the top of your backswing or hanging back in the downswing. Both WILL result in inconsistent ball striking and CAN lead to low back pain.
Try these exercises and drills to get used to shifting weight laterally in the swing:
1. Helicopter Backswing - I swear this is not a riddle. Your job is to get your left hand to touch your right hand without moving your right hand. This will train you to properly load your trail side in the backswing.
2. Reach Over the Fence - This is another way to achieve the feel of loading your trail side. Get your trail hip as close to the object as possible without touching it; then stay there while you extend your arms away from you. Harder than it looks!
3. Kettlebell Lateral Swings - Learn how to use your lower body more efficiently and create separation of upper and lower body. You should notice that you have to get your hips moving ahead of your shoulders to effortlessly swing the weight.
4. Lateral Lunge to Single Leg Balance - Not only will this strengthen your hips and quads, but it will teach you to control the weight transfer and not end up sliding through impact.
5. Pivot and Post - One of my favorites to incorporate all of the above movements into the golf swing. At the end of the movement, you should feel 70-80% of your body weight on the lead side (just like @ impact!).
If you feel like you have difficulty properly transferring weight in your swing, comment “GOLF” to learn more about how my Golf Movement Analysis can identify limited mobility or areas of instability that are negatively affecting your golf swing!
