Sway No More... Rid Your Golf Swing Of This Destructive Habit With One Expert Drill
Swaying in the golf swing can lead to a plethora of undesirable outcomes, but this simple drill from Golf Monthly Top 50 Coach Josh Mayo can remedy the issue...
Swaying is a leading cause of the biggest and most common swing faults, often leading to the rage-inducing topped shot that can so quickly derail your round.
Understanding how to effectively rotate in the golf swing, and combining that with a well-rehearsed rhythm and tempo is a great remedy to improve your ball striking. In this article, Golf Monthly Top 50 Coach Josh Mayo shares his expert tips and outlines a great drill that will help you to embed good habits...
How To Prevent Swaying In The Golf Swing
Some golfers have a tendency to move, or ‘sway’, off the ball as here. Sometimes it’s because of an eagerness to wind up and hit it hard; other golfers hear ‘transfer your weight’ and think this is what needs to happen. However, this lateral swaying moves the bottom of the swing arc behind the ball at impact.
See, in the image above, how an upper body sway causes you to move off the centre line. The line through my sternum and my nose has moved away from the centre line. From here, a lot of golfers panic in the downswing as they realise that staying behind the ball will lead to thins and tops. They know they have to get back to the ball, which means they often end up throwing the upper body and arms at it, and throwing the upper body like that leads to a lack of power and efficiency.
Pop an alignment stick in a range bucket, so you have a similar set-up to the one in the image below. Angle the stick so it’s pointing slightly towards you as you lean forwards in your golf posture. With a club across your chest, just work on getting into this rotated position.
Feel the weight shifting into the middle of the trail foot by rotating the shoulders (and hips to a lesser degree) away from the target, instead of sliding or swaying. Rehearsing this move again and again can be a really effective way to groove the right feelings and rid your game of the destructive sway.
It’s especially focused because there is no ball or ‘hit’ involved, which means you can concentrate solely on rotating your shoulders properly around that axis. If you can embed these good habits in the rehearsal, you will see the results in your golf swing when it counts.
Get the Golf Monthly Newsletter
Subscribe to the Golf Monthly newsletter to stay up to date with all the latest tour news, equipment news, reviews, head-to-heads and buyer’s guides from our team of experienced experts.
Location: Windmill Leisure
Joshua has been playing golf pretty much his entire life with his dad, Paul, being a former Amateur champion and Walker Cup player. He brings a holistic approach to coaching for all ages and abilities and he will use a combination of modern teaching methods as well as the traditional methods. Is an all-round sports fanatic.
Teaching philosophy:
As a whole I like to consider my teaching to be holistic. With qualifications in sports psychology and strength and conditioning I like to consider myself able to deal with any scenario. On a daily basis I see people need to improve their physical well-being just by watching them swing a club. Some other people have issues that can’t be seen physically and can only be found when you dig a bit deeper into their mindset. Some people just want to have a friendly chat and the smallest of improvements in their golf can make their day. Everyone needs specific and individual attention but from a golf coaching perspective having good posture and trusting your own swing from that point is crucial.
Assessing a student's needs:
Ask them how they learn best. People learn in different ways. Asking them what job they do can often be a good indicator of how they learn. Some people love seeing video analysis with trackman data whereas other people like to feel the movements and learn from the feedback of the strike and ball flight. Others like to see explanation demonstrations so showing and explaining can be useful.
Greatest teacher:
My dad, Paul Mayo. He was fortunate enough to play in the Masters with Jack Nicklaus so that alone means he has plenty of experience and stories to tell. His lessons are always engaging and he keeps things extremely simple. He coaches by eye and has an amazing understanding of people's needs. He has developed young golfers as well as elite and lady golfers. His attitude towards the game is inspiring and contagious.
-
Which DP World Tour Events Is Jon Rahm Playing In?
The LIV Golf player has entered three DP World Tour events before the end of the season in a bid to keep his eligibility for the 2025 Ryder Cup
By Joel Kulasingham Published
-
I'll Never Fear These Diabolically Difficult Golf Shots Again Thanks To 4 Expert Tips
When you get a dodgy lie or an unlucky break around the green it can be easy to rack up a big number... but not if you utilise these four expert short-game tips
By Barry Plummer Published
-
I'll Never Fear These Diabolically Difficult Golf Shots Again Thanks To 4 Expert Tips
When you get a dodgy lie or an unlucky break around the green it can be easy to rack up a big number... but not if you utilise these four expert short-game tips
By Barry Plummer Published
-
This Bunker Shot Masterclass Changed Everything For Me... I Feel Like A Sand-Saving Machine!
I used to find bunker shots daunting, as finding the sand would often seriously damage my scorecard, but this professional masterclass changed everything...
By Barry Plummer Published
-
Hit It Like Monty With The Hall Of Famer's 5 Favourite Tee-To-Green Tips
With over 50 professional wins, in a career that spans five decades, Colin Montgomerie is a true golf legend – and his expert tips can help you play better golf
By Garrett Johnston Published
-
Surfer Signals To Shadow Spotting... 10 Innovative Iron Play Tips And Drills From An Expert Golf Coach
Sometimes, to get the results you desire, you have to think outside the box. Well, PGA pro John Howells has done exactly that with these expert iron play tips
By John Howells Published
-
This Household Item Can Cure Your Golf Swing And Banish The Shanks...
Golfers are generally pretty resourceful, but have you ever considered using a sponge to improve your golf game? You will after reading these expert tips...
By Tom Motley Published
-
This Is Pure Short Game Sorcery... Expert Tips To Get Up-And-Down From 80-Yards
The 80-yard pitch shot is a tricky skill to master, but with these tips you can transform your short game and add another weapon to your wedge-play arsenal...
By Gary Munro Published
-
Rickie Fowler's 5 Tee-To-Green Tips To Help You Play Better Golf
Rickie Fowler is an iconic name in the game of golf, with plenty of tour titles and a few near misses in the Majors. Here, he shares five tee-to-green tips...
By Garrett Johnston Published
-
Don't Ever Slice The Golf Ball Again... This One Simple Drill Is Your Saviour
Sick of a horrendous slice plaguing your performances and your scorecard? Banish the fault for good with this simple drill from a Golf Monthly Top 50 Coach
By Jo Taylor Published