Golf Follow-Through: 6 Common Mistakes and Drills to Fix Them
Swing through. Finish comfortably.
The ball has gone. Your arms have tied themselves in a knot. Your finish looks less like Rory McIlroy and more like somebody trying to put on a jumper in a phone box.
A useful follow-through does not need to win a beauty contest. These six checks help you choose one habit to explore, from a stopped body turn to a finish you cannot balance.
This is the next part of the series after my golf backswing guide and golf downswing guide. The linked drills are part of the Golf Practice Made Fun App. Choose one focus and give it a useful practice.
| If you notice… | Start here |
|---|---|
| Your arms carry on while the chest stops | 1. Keep turning through |
| The lead elbow pulls sharply back towards your ribs | 2. Let your arms extend comfortably |
| You try to manufacture the release with a hard twist | 3. Explore a freer release |
| The arms and club feel rigid through the shot | 4. Allow a natural re-hinge |
| You stretch or twist to copy somebody else’s finish | 5. Find a finish that fits your swing |
| You stumble, fall back or cannot settle after the shot | 6. Reduce the effort and finish steadily |
The ball has already left the clubface during the follow-through. Changing a pose afterwards cannot repair that shot, but rehearsing a different movement can help you explore how you swing through the next one.
FOLLOW-THROUGH MISTAKE 1 OF 6
1. Stopping your chest at the ball
The ball is a point along the swing, rather than the place where everything has to stop. If your chest stays facing the old ball position while the arms pull across you, begin with a small through-swing and notice whether the movement feels more connected.
Mistake
The chest stops turning as the arms and club move past the ball.
Correct
The chest continues turning with the arms through a small, comfortable swing.
Try: Holy Grail Follow-Through Drill
Take a wedge or short iron. Rehearse from hip height back to hip height through, letting the chest turn as the arms travel. At roughly waist height, notice the room between your hands and body. Keep the elbows soft and allow the club to continue naturally after the checkpoint.
Follow the linked lesson for two sets of nine short shots, with a gentle rehearsal before each one. Use contact and balance as feedback rather than chasing the widest possible finish.
FOLLOW-THROUGH MISTAKE 2 OF 6
2. Folding the lead arm too soon
A lead elbow that folds sharply through the strike is often called a chicken wing. The aim here is comfortable extension in a gentle shot. Your arms will bend later in a normal finish, so there is no need to keep them straight all the way round.
Mistake
The lead elbow folds sharply and pulls away as the club moves beyond contact.
Correct
The arms have room to extend through the short shot before folding naturally later.
Try: Hit Hold Check Drill
From normal address, rehearse your impact position. Make a half-backswing, play a gentle shot and hold the short, low follow-through. Check whether your arms extend comfortably, your lead elbow continues through and you can stay balanced. Keep the movement small enough to stop easily.
The linked lesson uses eighteen gentle shots, with a hold and check after each. This deliberately shortened practice finish is a checkpoint, rather than the finish to use for every shot.
FOLLOW-THROUGH MISTAKE 3 OF 6
3. Forcing the hands to roll over
Trying to roll the hands over at one exact moment gives you another job to time. Use a slow, no-ball rehearsal to explore a freer release, then return to your normal grip. The drill offers a feeling to try; it does not prescribe one wrist position for every golfer.
Mistake
The trail hand forces a deliberate twist through the hitting area.
Correct
A relaxed trail hand allows a controlled release as the club swings through.
Try: Stacked Hands: Feel a Freer Release Drill
Hold the club in your lead hand, then place your trail hand completely over the lead hand. The hands overlap in the same place, rather than sitting apart along the grip. In clear space without a ball, make a half-backswing and let the club swing down smoothly and through. Keep your hold secure and your trail hand relaxed.
Complete two sets of nine slow rehearsals, resting after nine. Then return to your usual grip. Reverse the hands for a left-handed swing.
FOLLOW-THROUGH MISTAKE 4 OF 6
4. Locking the arms and wrists
Keeping the arms long does not mean keeping them rigid. A useful follow-through includes movement at the elbows and wrists. A small L-to-L swing gives you two checkpoints without asking you to freeze the club between them.
Mistake
You try to hold the arms and shaft in one rigid line well beyond contact.
Correct
The arms extend comfortably, then the wrists can re-hinge as the swing continues.
Try: Stop Topping Drill: The L-to-L Formula
Begin without a ball, with your feet close together. Turn into a small backswing and allow the lead arm and shaft to form an approximate L. Swing through, give the arms room and allow the wrists to re-hinge into the second approximate L. Blend the positions into an easy movement rather than forcing perfect right angles.
Follow the linked lesson’s two sets of nine routines. Start with rehearsals; use more rehearsals or easy iron shots for the second nine. Widen your feet slightly or reduce the swing if needed for balance.
FOLLOW-THROUGH MISTAKE 5 OF 6
5. Forcing a picture-perfect finish
A tour-player finish can look lovely on a poster. Your own finish needs to suit your body, swing length and intended shot. A short pitch or a deliberate low shot can have a shorter finish than a full drive. The job is to let the motion complete without adding an uncomfortable stretch.
Mistake
You force extra reach or rotation after the shot to manufacture a pose.
Correct
The finish follows the shot naturally and stays within a comfortable range.
Try: Broom Golf Swing Drill
Use this as a small-motion reset. Grip halfway down a broom handle so bare handle extends beyond your hands. Without a ball, make a short backswing with the hands around waist height. Turn through to the short position shown in the linked lesson, with the shaft aligned with the lead arm and the extended handle clear of your body.
Keep room for both ends and use slow, comfortable movements. This is a deliberately short drill: its purpose here is to explore a connected through-swing without chasing a big finish. Follow the lesson’s practice record for eighteen repetitions.
FOLLOW-THROUGH MISTAKE 6 OF 6
6. Finishing off balance
If you have to take an emergency step after a normal shot, make the next swing smaller and easier. A balanced finish gives you something useful to observe, although it cannot tell you everything about the strike. A planned step in a walk-through drill is a different task.
Mistake
The swing finishes with an uncontrolled step or a loss of balance.
Correct
You complete the intended movement and can settle into a comfortable finish.
Try: Golf Swing Balance Drills
Use the linked guide to choose a balance task that matches your session. Its Hit Hold Check option uses gentle half-shots and a short held follow-through. The Xander Schauffele step drill and Freddie Couples-style finish rehearsal are separate options with their own instructions.
Choose one option, follow its setup and reduce the pace until the movement is controlled. Check your contact as well as the finish, then reset before the next attempt.
FAQs.
What is the golf follow-through?
It is the movement after contact as the arms, club and body continue into the finish. In this guide, the through-swing includes that movement and the finish you reach at the end.
Should I keep both arms straight?
Allow comfortable extension through the hitting area. Avoid locking the elbows or trying to keep both arms straight throughout the finish. The arms fold as the swing completes.
Does a short follow-through always mean a mistake?
No. Swing length, the intended shot and the drill all matter. A low punch, small pitch or deliberately held checkpoint can finish short. Compare the finish with the shot you are trying to play.
Can a good-looking finish prove that I made a good swing?
No. Use it alongside contact, ball flight and balance. A finish can give you clues without explaining every miss.
Which side is my lead side?
For a right-handed golfer, the lead side is the left side. For a left-handed golfer, it is the right. Reverse the side-specific instructions when appropriate.
Should I practise all six drills in one session?
Choose one. Follow its setup and stay with its cue long enough to notice what happens. Keep the practice manageable rather than collecting six new swing thoughts.
How should I record my practice?
You can record the practice session within the Golf Practice Made Fun App. Tick completed rehearsals for repetition tasks; use the stated score for scored drills. After the practice session, add one short note about contact, balance or how the movement felt.
What drill do you recommend I do next?
Start with the Holy Grail Follow-Through Drill for a small turn-through checkpoint, or Hit Hold Check if you want to observe your lead arm. For an earlier part of the swing, return to the downswing guide.
Give your next practice a purpose.
Find illustrated drills, save your favourites and record your practice in the Golf Practice Made Fun App.
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