Golf Swing Faults: Biomechanics, Diagnosis & Corrective Drills
Every common golf swing fault traces back to a single bottleneck where a body limitation and a technique fault reinforce each other. This library breaks down each fault with its exact joint-angle thresholds, how it is diagnosed from one swing, and the drill that corrects it. Start with the fault that matches your miss.
Early Extension →
Hips thrust toward the ball, collapsing spine angle. Produces pushes, hooks, and inconsistent contact.
Over-the-Top (Casting) →
Arms throw the club outward from the top, driving an out-to-in path. The #1 cause of the slice.
Chicken Wing →
Lead elbow bends and lifts through impact, losing extension, compression, and distance.
Loss of Posture →
The trunk rises out of its spine angle, causing heel/toe strikes, shanks, and thin contact.
Sway →
Trail hip slides off the ball, loading linearly instead of rotationally. Produces fat and thin shots.
Slide →
Lead hip slides past the lead foot before rotating, delaying the turn. Produces pushes and blocks.
Reverse Spine Angle →
Upper body leans toward the target at the top, wrecking consistency and loading the lower back.
Scooping / Flipping →
Lead wrist cups and flips at impact, adding loft. Produces thin, weak, high contact.
Hanging Back →
Weight stays on the trail side at impact, moving the low point behind the ball. Fat and thin shots.
Over-Swing →
The club runs past parallel and the lead arm collapses, costing control. Big misses both ways.