What it looks like
Film a swing from behind, down the line, and draw a line along your back at address. In a swing that keeps its posture, the back stays close to that line until well after impact. With loss of posture, the head and chest rise and the hips push forward towards the ball during the downswing. You will also hear it called early extension.
Why it costs shots
- Thin and topped shots, because the body has risen away from the ball.
- Blocks and hooks, as the hands either stall or flip to square the face.
- Shanks, when the hips moving forward push the hands and club closer to the ball.
- Inconsistent distance, because the low point of the swing moves from shot to shot.
Common causes
- Limited hip or ankle mobility, so the body cannot rotate while staying bent over and stands up instead.
- A set-up too upright or too close to the ball, which leaves no room for the arms to swing down.
- Trying to hit hard; the body thrusts towards the ball for speed.
- Little turn in the backswing, so the downswing has nowhere to go but towards the ball.
Drills
If mobility is the cause, drills alone will not fix it, and a coach or physiotherapist can show you exercises for the hips and ankles.
- Wall drill. Take your address with your backside just touching a wall. Make slow swings and keep it touching the wall through the downswing; the lead hip should slide along the wall, not away from it.
- Chair or alignment stick behind you. The same idea on the range: set something just behind your hips and keep contact through impact.
- Half swings at slow speed. Hit balls at half pace while holding your spine angle until the ball has gone. Add speed only once the posture holds.
Check it with numbers
Loss of posture is hard to feel, so film it rather than trusting how the swing feels. Caddora measures your spine angle on a captured swing against the recommended range, draws it on the frame, and gives a drill with a Re-test button, so you can film again and see whether the change is holding.
Questions
Is loss of posture the same as early extension?
They are generally used to mean the same thing: the body standing up and the hips moving towards the ball before impact.
Do good players lose posture at all?
Some upward movement late in the swing is normal, especially after impact. The problem is losing the tilt before the ball is struck.
How long does it take to fix?
That depends on the cause. A set-up fault can change in a session; a mobility limit takes weeks of exercises alongside the drills.
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