Why You Are Standing Up In the Downswing!
One of the most frustrating positions for all golfers! Standing up, thrusting forwards, coming up on it; whatever you want to call it, it’s incredibly annoying! Besides the fact it sounds like some sort of medical condition, at times it can feel like it is one.
The bad news is it slashes distance off your drives and causes inconsistent strikes with the irons too. I bet you have tried working on this at the range to ‘practice it out’ and ‘engrain new moves’. I know I had periods when I couldn’t stop myself thrusting forwards, so I hit more and more balls to try and counteract it.
There is a huge element of technical practice when it comes to eliminating early extension. However the good news is , it’s not all your fault! The forwards movement of the pelvis into the downswing, isn’t purely technique.
It’s more often than not a physical restriction causing you to stand up into impact. This post is all about understanding the physical limitations that can contribute to early extension and will help you to understand your own body better!
PhysicalLY WHAT IS CAUSING EARLY EXTENSION?
Traditionally golfers who had ‘swing flaws’ (said loosely, swing flaws can often be a good thing – it’s what makes you unique after all!) would spend hours hitting balls and taking lessons to improve their technique. However, as the game of golf has developed, so has our knowledge of how movement is created. We now know that your body plays a huge role in your golf swing development and the positions you can get yourself into during a shot. Bearing this in mind, early extension or that ‘standing up position’ you see at impact is highly associated with physical limitations and here they are:
A LACK OF HIP MOBILITY
Sticky hips are one of the biggest causes of early extension. If the lead hip cannot rotate sufficiently then the pelvis is forced to thrust forwards or laterally sway in the downswing. Limited lead hip rotation also means there is a lack of lower body separation – as a result the sequence of the golf swing is often incorrect.
POOR ANKLE MOBILITY
Ankles are also a huge contributor. Now you might be thinking what do my ankles have to do with my golf swing. Well, your ankles create movements that allow the knees to flex and as a result the pelvis to remain in posture (think the positions of a squat). If the ankles don’t function correctly, then as the chain starts to work together, the pelvis is forced into a forwards movement.
Your lead ankle can also impact your lead hip rotation. Try and keep your big toe and instep on the ground and see how far you can rotate. Then try the same movement but sliding your weight onto the outside of your ankle, your rotation should be greatly reduced and you’re more likely to fall over. The ankles must dorsiflex and pronate to assist the hip joints and pelvis in their natural motion.
NOT ENOUGH LOWER BODY AND CORE STRENGTH
Limited strength relative to your golf swing can lead to all sorts of technical errors. In order to maintain posture and rotate through the lead hip the muscles of the lower body mainly the Glutes and Hamstrings must be strong enough to deal with your club head speed and the forces you create. Simultaneously the core and trunk muscles notably the Abdominals and Obliques are working hard to prevent your spinal angle from changing (think that covering the ball position we all desire).
In short you must develop your Glutes and Core to reduce your chances of a forwards thrust. Hence why our Eliminate Early Extension plan heavily focuses on developing your strength as well as your mobility and technique skills!
If you recognise these positions in your golf swing then why don’t you give our FREE TRIAL of the Eliminate Early Extension plan a go and see how we can help you become stronger and hit the ball further!
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