Even the most dedicated amateurs can fall into subtle traps that quietly undermine endurance, distance and FAITH. I see it every day in the lesson thesis when I teach. The good news is that the most common of these errors often have simple fixes.
Below are five of the most common mistakes—and how to correct them top stri most reliablethe king.
1. Practice swinging very close to the ball
A small but costly mistake comes in the form of taking practice swings mere inches from the ball. When your test movement happens so close together, you’re unconsciously teaching yourself a narrow movement that often carries over into your real movement, limiting width and tempo.
Adjustment: Take your practice swing a foot or two away from the ball – enough room to move freely. This helps you rehearse your ideal swing and set the pace before you go in to hit.
2. Putting your feet first
Many amateurs begin their setup by planting their feet, then reaching for the ball. This changes the proper order and often leads to poor stance, inconsistent distance from the ball and difficult balance. Your hands and club, not your feet, should define your build.
Adjustment: 1. Place the club behind the ball first. 2. Take control and your posture naturally. 3. Then place your last legs, adjusting them slightly until you feel balanced. This provides a setup built around your natural swing motion – not one you have to search for.
3. Holding the club very lightly
While too much tension is harmful, gripping too gently can be just as harmful. The old advice to “keep it easy” is often taken too literally, causing the toe to shift, the wrists to snap, and the rhythm to fall apart.
Adjustment: Keep a firm but relaxed grip – enough pressure to control the clubhead without choking it. Consider holding a tube of toothpaste without squeezing it. This stabilizes the wrist angles and keeps your motion connected through impact.
4. Keeping the track arm too close to the body
One of the biggest mechanical mistakes I see is pinching the trail arm to the side of your body. It may feel controlled, but it actually limits freedom, limits speed, and prevents proper release.
When you grip the trail arm, you often pull the club too far in, lose width and depth, and struggle to square the face at impact.
Adjustment: Let your trail arm naturally “float” away from your body on the backswing. This promotes width, power and a freer, more dynamic movement.
5. Hitting the ground with your driver during practice swings
A surprisingly common mistake is washing or hitting the ground with your driver on a practice swing. Because the driver is meant to contact the ball on the upswing, this teaches the opposite movement.
Adjustment: When you test drive your driver, practice disappeared land a little – letting the club sweep into the low point just before impact, with the head coming up as it passes where the ball would be. Imagine washing a fairway just above the green or suspending the clubhead half an inch off the ground to amplify that upward swing.
