Instruction
Early Extension: One of golf’s most destructive swing flaws
It’s known by various names: early extension, pelvic thrust, even “humping” the ball in some circles. What these terms describe is a premature motion of the lower body/pelvis toward the golf ball. In my opinion, there are not many moves in golf swing more destructive than this one.
Watch the video below, where I explain a classic example of this move.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IomNBDmBEvc&feature=youtu.be
When the pelvis thrusts out toward the golf ball, invariably the torso moves AWAY from the golf ball, as you saw in the above video. Here are just some of the problems associated with this move:
- Loss of posture.
- Loss of ability to leverage the ground properly.
- Inability to swing the club through impact with any kind of proper arc.
- “Standing the club up,” which means that the hands will come in well above where they started on the downswing
- Inconsistent contact on face of the club.
- Inconsistent attack angle into the golf ball.
In short there is nothing to be gained and a lot to be lost when a player falls into this habit. That’s why you see so few tour players in this position. Notice the difference between the lower body motion in the first video and the way Jason Dufner moves his lower body in the video below.
I love the way Jason Dufner keeps his lower body UNDER him, which allows so much freedom for him to swing the arms through impact. He can exit to the left all he wants and hit down on the golf ball by applying the correct force. His path and attack angle are so consistent because he can maintain his posture right through impact.
If you suffer from this move, here’s a drill to help.
Try hitting some balls with an aim stick behind you, touching your rear end. Start without a club, and then progress to a few easy swings with a club. Gradually build to partial swings with a ball until you feel comfortable hitting full shots. See if you can feel the lower body using the ground and staying under you.
At first, you might feel as though the pelvis is actually backing up, pulling away from the ball, but I guarantee that it won’t be.
Even at home, you can take an address position with your rear against a wall and make some arm swings without a club. It will feel different, but create awareness of how the best golfers in the world create a position that allows for consistent ball striking.
If you’d like me to analyze your swing, go to my Facebook page or contact me (dennisclarkgolf@gmail.com) about my online swing analysis program.
There may be no more painful affliction in golf than the “yips” – those uncontrollable and maddening little nervous twitches that prevent you from making a decent stroke on short putts. If you’ve never had them, consider yourself very fortunate (or possibly just very young). But I can assure you that when your most treacherous and feared golf shot is not the 195 yard approach over water with a quartering headwind…not the extra tight fairway with water left and sand right…not the soft bunker shot to a downhill pin with water on the other side…No, when your most feared shot is the remaining 2- 4-foot putt after hitting a great approach, recovery or lag putt, it makes the game almost painful.
And I’ve been fighting the yips (again) for a while now. It’s a recurring nightmare that has haunted me most of my adult life. I even had the yips when I was in my 20s, but I’ve beat them into submission off and on most of my adult life. But just recently, that nasty virus came to life once again. My lag putting has been very good, but when I get over one of those “you should make this” length putts, the entire nervous system seems to go haywire. I make great practice strokes, and then the most pitiful short-stroke or jab at the ball you can imagine. Sheesh.
But I’m a traditionalist, and do not look toward the long putter, belly putter, cross-hand, claw or other variation as the solution. My approach is to beat those damn yips into submission some other way. Here’s what I’m doing that is working pretty well, and I offer it to all of you who might have a similar affliction on the greens.
When you are over a short putt, forget the practice strokes…you want your natural eye-hand coordination to be unhindered by mechanics. Address your putt and take a good look at the hole, and back to the putter to ensure good alignment. Lighten your right hand grip on the putter and make sure that only the fingertips are in contact with the grip, to prevent you from getting to tight.
Then, take a long, long look at the hole to fill your entire mind and senses with the target. When you bring your head/eyes back to the ball, try to make a smooth, immediate move right into your backstroke — not even a second pause — and then let your hands and putter track right back together right back to where you were looking — the HOLE! Seeing the putter make contact with the ball, preferably even the forward edge of the ball – the side near the hole.
For me, this is working, but I am asking all of you to chime in with your own “home remedies” for the most aggravating and senseless of all golf maladies. It never hurts to have more to fall back on!
Over the last couple of decades, golf has become much more science-based. We measure swing speed, smash factor, angle of attack, strokes gained, and many other metrics that can really help golfers improve. But I often wonder if the advancement of golf’s “hard” sciences comes at the expense of the “soft” sciences.
Take, for example, golf instruction. Good golf instruction requires understanding swing mechanics and ball flight. But let’s take that as a given for PGA instructors. The other factors that make an instructor effective can be evaluated by social science, rather than launch monitors.
If you are a recreational golfer looking for a golf instructor, here are my top three points to consider.
1. Cultural mindset
What is “cultural mindset? To social scientists, it means whether a culture of genius or a culture of learning exists. In a golf instruction context, that may mean whether the teacher communicates a message that golf ability is something innate (you either have it or you don’t), or whether golf ability is something that can be learned. You want the latter!
It may sound obvious to suggest that you find a golf instructor who thinks you can improve, but my research suggests that it isn’t a given. In a large sample study of golf instructors, I found that when it came to recreational golfers, there was a wide range of belief systems. Some instructors strongly believed recreational golfers could improve through lessons. while others strongly believed they could not. And those beliefs manifested in the instructor’s feedback given to a student and the culture created for players.
2. Coping and self-modeling can beat role-modeling
Swing analysis technology is often preloaded with swings of PGA and LPGA Tour players. The swings of elite players are intended to be used for comparative purposes with golfers taking lessons. What social science tells us is that for novice and non-expert golfers, comparing swings to tour professionals can have the opposite effect of that intended. If you fit into the novice or non-expert category of golfer, you will learn more and be more motivated to change if you see yourself making a ‘better’ swing (self-modeling) or seeing your swing compared to a similar other (a coping model). Stay away from instructors who want to compare your swing with that of a tour player.
3. Learning theory basics
It is not a sexy selling point, but learning is a process, and that process is incremental – particularly for recreational adult players. Social science helps us understand this element of golf instruction. A good instructor will take learning slowly. He or she will give you just about enough information that challenges you, but is still manageable. The artful instructor will take time to decide what that one or two learning points are before jumping in to make full-scale swing changes. If the instructor moves too fast, you will probably leave the lesson with an arm’s length of swing thoughts and not really know which to focus on.
As an instructor, I develop a priority list of changes I want to make in a player’s technique. We then patiently and gradually work through that list. Beware of instructors who give you more than you can chew.
So if you are in the market for golf instruction, I encourage you to look beyond the X’s and O’s to find the right match!
Most pros take months, even years, to win their first tournament. Lottie Woad needed exactly four days.
The 21-year-old from Surrey shot 21-under 267 at Dundonald Links to win the ISPS Handa Women’s Scottish Open by three shots — in her very first event as a professional. She’s only the third player in LPGA history to accomplish this feat, joining Rose Zhang (2023) and Beverly Hanson (1951).
But here’s what caught my attention as a coach: Woad didn’t win through miraculous putting or bombing 300-yard drives. She won through relentless precision and unshakeable composure. After watching her performance unfold, I’m convinced every golfer — from weekend warriors to scratch players — can steal pages from her playbook.
Precision Beats Power (And It’s Not Even Close)
Forget the driving contests. Woad proved that finding greens matters more than finding distance.
What Woad did:
• Hit it straight, hit it solid, give yourself chances
• Aimed for the fat parts of greens instead of chasing pins
• Let her putting do the talking after hitting safe targets
• As she said, “Everyone was chasing me today, and managed to maintain the lead and played really nicely down the stretch and hit a lot of good shots”
Why most golfers mess this up:
• They see a pin tucked behind a bunker and grab one more club to “go right at it”
• Distance becomes more important than accuracy
• They try to be heroic instead of smart
ACTION ITEM: For your next 10 rounds, aim for the center of every green regardless of pin position. Track your greens in regulation and watch your scores drop before your swing changes.
The Putter That Stayed Cool Under Fire
Woad started the final round two shots clear and immediately applied pressure with birdies at the 2nd and 3rd holes. When South Korea’s Hyo Joo Kim mounted a charge and reached 20-under with a birdie at the 14th, Woad didn’t panic.
How she responded to pressure:
• Fired back with consecutive birdies at the 13th and 14th
• Watched Kim stumble with back-to-back bogeys
• Capped it with her fifth birdie of the day at the par-5 18th
• Stayed patient when others pressed, pressed when others cracked
What amateurs do wrong:
• Get conservative when they should be aggressive
• Try to force magic when steady play would win
• Panic when someone else makes a move
ACTION ITEM: Practice your 3-6 foot putts for 15 minutes after every range session. Woad’s putting wasn’t spectacular—it was reliable. Make the putts you should make.
Course Management 101: Play Your Game, Not the Course’s Game
Woad admitted she couldn’t see many scoreboards during the final round, but it didn’t matter. She stuck to her game plan regardless of what others were doing.
Her mental approach:
• Focused on her process, not the competition
• Drew on past pressure situations (Augusta National Women’s Amateur win)
• As she said, “That was the biggest tournament I played in at the time and was kind of my big win. So definitely felt the pressure of it more there, and I felt like all those experiences helped me with this”
Her physical execution:
• 270-yard drives (nothing flashy)
• Methodical iron play
• Steady putting
• Everything effective, nothing spectacular
ACTION ITEM: Create a yardage book for your home course. Know your distances to every pin, every hazard, every landing area. Stick to your plan no matter what your playing partners are doing.
Mental Toughness Isn’t Born, It’s Built
The most impressive part of Woad’s win? She genuinely didn’t expect it: “I definitely wasn’t expecting to win my first event as a pro, but I knew I was playing well, and I was hoping to contend.”
Her winning mindset:
• Didn’t put winning pressure on herself
• Focused on playing well and contending
• Made winning a byproduct of a good process
• Built confidence through recent experiences:
- Won the Women’s Irish Open as an amateur
- Missed a playoff by one shot at the Evian Championship
- Each experience prepared her for the next
What this means for you:
• Stop trying to shoot career rounds every time you tee up
• Focus on executing your pre-shot routine
• Commit to every shot
• Stay present in the moment
ACTION ITEM: Before each round, set process goals instead of score goals. Example: “I will take three practice swings before every shot” or “I will pick a specific target for every shot.” Let your score be the result, not the focus.
The Real Lesson
Woad collected $300,000 for her first professional victory, but the real prize was proving that fundamentals still work at golf’s highest level. She didn’t reinvent the game — she simply executed the basics better than everyone else that week.
The fundamentals that won:
• Hit more fairways
• Find more greens
• Make the putts you should make
• Stay patient under pressure
That’s something every golfer can do, regardless of handicap. Lottie Woad just showed us it’s still the winning formula.
FINAL ACTION ITEM: Pick one of the four action items above and commit to it for the next month. Master one fundamental before moving to the next. That’s how champions are built.
PGA Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer. You can check out his writing work and learn more about him by visiting BEAGOLFER.golf and OneMoreRollGolf.com. Also, check out “The Starter” on RG.org each Monday.
Editor’s note: Brendon shares his nearly 30 years of experience in the game with GolfWRX readers through his ongoing tip series. He looks forward to providing valuable insights and advice to help golfers improve their game. Stay tuned for more Tips!
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AB
Sep 11, 2015 at 11:04 pm
Trying to move the the hips to start the down swing will also cause you to thrust the hips forward. The crease in the right hip and the position of the right knee at the top of the swing must be held for the hips to stay back. Moving the left shoulder away from the chin helps the hold the hips for a split second. People have been taught to turn the hips to start the downswing from the top of the swing with disastrous results. By moving the shoulder away from the chin, the club drops and we get into the Sam Snead squat position with the hips back over the heels. Your left shoulder and left hip work together. Try this little exercise to prove it to yourself, stand straight up and have someone tap you on your left shoulder from behind you. You will notice that your left shoulder and left hip both moved at the same time when you turn. This also shows you how slow this move is from the top. This allows you to also swing left because the left shoulder is moving back to its original starting position and back behind you, not up which causes the high left shoulder and head to fall to the right straightening the hips. Tension in the lower body will cause your hips move forward and thrust outward also. Your lats will get tight forcing the hips to extend forward to release the pressure. Softness in the left shoulder and lower body helps the alleviate this. Try it!
Dennis Clark
Sep 11, 2015 at 12:26 am
you need to see someone, really. Sometimes trying to correct it yourself can dig a deeper hole. where do you live?
Andy Saunders
Sep 8, 2015 at 9:22 pm
I am a 4 cap, currently overhauling my swing with my PGA pro. I’ve been working on this for 7 weeks, with a goal of finishing the change by July 2016. I need some advice! Right now, I am 80% lost. Basically, I hook most shots. When you are doing such an extensive overhaul(grip, path, release, hip turn, etc.) how lost do you get before it starts to click? Right now, on the range, I hit 1/10 sweet. On the course I’ve gone from mid 70’s to mid 80’s. Bogeyman is very frustrating. Can someone who’s really committed to a long term change like ridding early extension please tell me that this is the right choice? Right now I am very afraid I will never be good amateur again, I’ve been as low as 1.5 and shot a low of 66 off the tips of my course. Right now, that’s a far off fantasy! Feedback is appreciated. Take care.
Rox
Sep 5, 2015 at 1:01 pm
I’m also seeing the amateur in the Video comparison roll up on his Right toes(Right foot moves towards the ball initially allowing the hips to move closer to the ball) before rolling his foot over to follow as opposed to Mahan who rolls his Right foot over to the instep and holds it to the ground long enough to help keep his hips under the upper body.
IMO this is also an issue for most amateurs that slide too far out from the upper body on the swing.
So many things that contribute to the early extension.
Get a PGA instructor to help focus on prioritizing what needs to be worked on and improvement will come.
Bill Gillenwaters
Sep 5, 2015 at 12:11 pm
I have also struggled with this to the point where my club stops shortly after impact. When I tried to keep my posture I would lose balance. After viewing this and making some practice swings, I have made some observations. It seems if I put my weight on the instep of my right heal on my backswing and less into the heal I am able to transfer left, maintain my posture, and complete my finish in balance. Does that make sense.
Dennis Clark
Aug 27, 2015 at 9:04 pm
https://youtu.be/_EPM-OqjmG0
Bill Gillenwaters
Sep 5, 2015 at 12:14 pm
Edit last comment. ” when I put my weight on instep of my right FOOT…
christian
Aug 27, 2015 at 4:11 am
A simple swing thought to avoid this is “keep the bum sticking out”
adam
Aug 27, 2015 at 9:48 am
My girlfriend (6HDCP) was taught to think of sitting on a barstool which has helped me “stick my bum out.” Helped immensely.
Loz
Aug 27, 2015 at 1:54 am
Most other articles now seem to focus on how this is often the result of a physical limitation. I’ve got very poor flexibility, I’ve never been able to touch my toes (I’m 6′ 4″ with long legs), but have in the past played to a 3 hcp in the UK. Having recently identified this through video, this wasn’t available when I was younger, this bad habit has just been part of my swing. I’d love to get rid of it but think it’s pretty much impossible now as I hardly play these days and am no doubt even less flexible. I’ve tried some of the TPI exercises and can’t get close to any of the positions they mention.
Dennis Clark
Aug 27, 2015 at 9:08 pm
Im not saying it isn’t a physical limitation, it may very well be. That’s what TPI people can help with when it is identified. But we never really differentiate a bad habit from a physical shortcoming. Both are needed, the diagnosis and the training…
Dennis Clark
Aug 26, 2015 at 10:30 pm
yep, almost always is…nobody makes bad moves for no reason; they do it because the HAVE to when the club gets out of position. Thats why I have written volumes about the body responding to the club, not the other way around
jylos
Aug 26, 2015 at 8:45 pm
I think this is a compensatory move when you feel the clubface closed during the backswing.
Dennis Clark
Aug 26, 2015 at 6:16 pm
I think it important to understand how ANY move affects impact. There is far too much emphasis on the motions of the body and not nearly enough on how these motions affect the GOLF CLUB. Thats why I mention the things the motion can CAUSE! Nobody’s hips hit the ball, but IF the hip motion is causing too steep or shallow, or toe hitting etc. THEN this might be cause. Read any of my writing and you’ll see this is how I have taught golf all my life. The only thing that matters is the club face, the path and the attack angle. Everything we do is control THOSE IMPACT FACTORS Thx for reading
Dennis Clark
Aug 26, 2015 at 5:59 pm
Sure, whatever it takes…its the great chicken or the egg debate isn’t it? Does the body drive the swing or does the swing drive the body? My experience tends to favor the latter.
blake
Aug 26, 2015 at 4:03 pm
i mean isn’t the ability to do this and really hold your spine position the difference between a scratch golfer and a 10+ handicap?
I am 32 and in the best shape of my life and I just cannot keep from losing my posture and my head rising at or near impact.
It seems that in order to really fix this issue one would need to devote a lot of time to flexibility and strength training, no?
Dennis Clark
Aug 26, 2015 at 6:03 pm
Yes thats why we’ve just added a Pilates studio to our golf academy. But losing your posture is often the result of the club getting out of position itself and the “hump” is an attempt to get it back into position. I believe you may have the ability to stay in your posture, but possibly the golf club is position is not allowing you to do so.
blake
Aug 27, 2015 at 9:12 am
yes, i think it is the club position too. after doing some research last night I think i might be mixing one plane/two plane swing tendancies and thus having to compensate on the downswing….causing my fwd hip thrust. Now i just need to figure out which plane is best i reckon
blake
Aug 27, 2015 at 9:30 am
maybe you can help make a recommendation…here is my down the line swing. what would you recommend I work on to stop thrusting at impact:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTgQOxWqlZ4
Stretch
Aug 31, 2015 at 12:12 pm
Try getting your head higher. My key is to make sure I see the ball centered in between the 2 noses (each eye sees one side of the nose.) Your video shows your head rising in order to give enough width at impact so the club head doesn’t bottom out behind the ball. I would also use video to see if the same move is evident with an iron swing.
Tb
Aug 12, 2016 at 10:09 am
Blake, first it’s shot at an angle. Get a true down the line. But it looks like your club face is pretty shut at the top. And your angle of attack looks suspect. My advice, increase forearm rotation in the half way back position and after a few topped shots, she’ll come in nicely. Increase rotation of the forearms in the backswing helps get the club in line with your shoulder plane. That should help you stay down. You can wire me the 50 bucks for that one.
Jack
Aug 26, 2015 at 11:11 pm
Not really. I learned to keep that angle and I’m still 10+. There are other things like injury and time limitations too. It is key though. Watch the pro’s, they all keep the crunch position through impact. When you execute that, it’s a very different feeling than from standing up through impact. BTW you can get pretty low scores if you just have a really good short game.
blake
Aug 27, 2015 at 9:15 am
I agree. I play to a 7 handicap but still cannot for the life of me keep the proper spine angle. I don’t think it is a strength or flexibility issue but more of an incorrect club position that leads to this form of compensation as Dennis points out. I think I am mixing one plane and two plane swing characteristics and causing the hip thrust.
other paul
Aug 28, 2015 at 6:08 am
Dont slide forward, rotate more in your center. Read the articles from this web site, i gained 30 yards on every club in the bag and everyone tells me how professional my swing looks. Driver club head speed jumped to 115 with techniques i learned here (on my first week) No jump, and no hip stalls allowed in this swing. Kelvinmiyahira.com
Derek
Aug 26, 2015 at 12:05 pm
It’s hard to shake this habit and I made progress with this drill and also using the seat on my golf buggy resting against the back of my thighs. I made the most progress by stretching my hips, thighs and hamstrings to improve my mobility. I was told to abopt an open stance and close my shoulders at address to built a consistent in to out swing path resulting in a slight draw but this also seemed to help my left hip rotate and not extend.
Jonny B
Aug 26, 2015 at 11:48 am
This is confusing to me. I was under the impression that it was good to “lead with the hips” in the golf swing, meaning the hip turn should be faster that the upper body/hands because this helps create lag and speed at the moment of impact. This allows the hips to “clear” and get out of the way of the arms which can in turn follow through to impact better.
I find that some of my best swings occur when I am trying to do just that – I concentrate on leading with my hips or “firing my hips” from the moment I reach the top of my swing. Players like Rory and Sergio seem to do this well, should we not be trying to emulate them?
Mac n Cheese
Aug 26, 2015 at 2:12 pm
There is a difference between what you describe and what the article is describing. There is no harm in a forward press of the hips, which you describe which is a small lateral shift in the hips towards the target. however; the article describes shifting the hips towards the ball, which is a different motion than a lateral shift. A great way to think of it is imagine trying to scoot forward on a stool just an inch. That quick small motion is what the article is talking about.
Dennis Clark
Aug 26, 2015 at 6:05 pm
Sure should, but they lead with the hips staying UNDER them, not going out toward the golf ball.
Jonny B
Aug 28, 2015 at 7:49 am
Thanks for clarifying
Marcus
Aug 26, 2015 at 10:14 am
Hi Mr. Clark,
I have myself suffered from this bad habit and what TW calls the ooh-lay swing. I have tried hard to find a solution and have found many “solutions” not workable. I believe the basic reason of the early extension is the swing balance, whereby the weight of the club, being swung too low and around the body causes the hips to extend, simply to maintain balance. What I have found is that keeping the clubface “outside” the hands will promote a better attack angle, swing plane and lower hands thru impact – all preventing the hips from extending thru the shot. To check that I draw a line from the clubhead through the shaft (from DTL view) and make sure my clubface never “drops” under that line in the swing. I believe that would be evident in your first video w. mahan. Does that sound like a solution ? Thanks !