How To Stop Swaying In The Golf Swing And Strike Your Irons Ball First

Do you hit the ground before the ball, feel the club thud into the turf, or catch yourself finishing on your back foot? If so, there is a good chance your hips are swaying away from the target in the backswing, and it is one of the biggest killers of ball striking I see.

In this post I'll break down what a sway actually is, the setup mistake that causes most of them, and two simple drills that get your hips moving correctly so you strike the ball first and the ground second. Watch the video first, then use this post as your practice guide.

What Swaying In The Golf Swing Really Is

A sway happens when the centre of your pelvis drifts away from the target as you swing to the top. Once your hips have moved back, it becomes very hard to get far enough forward in the downswing to hit the ball first.

The result is that horrible heavy contact. The club bottoms out behind the ball, you try to scoop it, the ball launches high and weak, and you end up as one of the "back foot bandits" finishing on your trail side.

The best ball strikers in the world do the opposite. Their hips stay relatively centred as they turn to the top. Then in transition, while the club is still moving back, the hips start shifting forward and keep moving forward through impact and into the follow through. From address to finish, the centre of the pelvis moves about a grip length towards the target.

If you want to go deeper on the backswing side of this, read The Trick to Stop Swaying in the Backswing!

The Keys To Stop Swaying And Strike It Pure

1. Don't set up 50/50 or with your hips back. These are the two big setup errors I see. If your pelvis starts too far back at address, you are already behind the ball before you have even taken the club away.

2. Stack your upper and lower body. With your irons, your upper and lower body should sit relatively on top of each other. If anything, have the hips a little bit further forward.

3. Start with about 55% on your front foot. A little more weight on the lead side gives you room for a small shift into the back foot to start the swing. That gives your body the freedom and momentum to rotate, recentre and get the hips pointing more towards the target at the top.

4. Avoid the twisted setup. When the hips sit back of the upper body, your body is twisted at address. That forces a lot of manipulations and compensations just to get back to a strong impact position.

5. Exaggerate on purpose. If you only try to sway a little less, the change is rarely big enough to stick. Drills that force a bigger change are how you embed it into your natural swing.

Drills To Stop Swaying And Get Your Hips Forward

Drill 1: Stamp And Settle Weight Drill

Setup: Get over the ball with a mid iron and simply stamp your feet up and down a few times. This gets you equally balanced between your trail foot and lead foot.

Execution: Stop stamping, close your eyes and feel where your weight is. Then bump your hips a little towards the target so there is slightly more weight on the front foot. Aim for around 55%, but simply feeling a bit more on the lead side is good enough.

Follow Through: Hit some small shots from this new address position. You might be pleasantly surprised how many of your swing issues this fixes straight away.

Tip: If your hips have been a long way back from the target for a while, it is fine to exaggerate and put even more pressure on that front foot while you get used to it.

Drill 2: Golf Ball Under The Back Foot Drill

Setup: Lift the outside of your back foot and place a golf ball under it. A small wedge of wood or something similar works too. Start with your weight forward.

Execution: Make some backswing rehearsals. If your hips sway away from the target, you will feel a lot of pressure on that ball. If you can lift your back foot off the ball easily at the top, your hips stayed centred.

Finish: Hit some small shots and pay attention to contact. Is it crisp? Are you striking the ball first and the ground second?

Tip: Use a simple practice protocol. Hit five swings with the ball under your back foot, then one normal swing to feel the change in where your hips are.

Want more help staying centred while you turn? Try How To Make a Bigger, Better Backswing While Staying Centered!

Swaying FAQs

What causes a sway in the golf swing?
Very often it starts at address. Setting up with 50/50 weight or with your pelvis too far back makes it easy for the hips to drift away from the target as you turn to the top.

How much weight should be on my front foot at address with irons?
About 55%. If you can feel a little more weight on the front foot than the back foot, you are in a good spot.

How do I know if I am swaying?
Film your swing from face on and check where your hips are at the top compared to address. In the video I also use the Swing Coach app, which gives audible feedback on how far your lead hip has moved at the top.

Conclusion

If you keep catching it heavy or finishing on your back foot, look at your hips before you change anything else. Set up with your body stacked and a little more weight forward, then train a centred turn so your hips can keep moving towards the target through impact.

Start with small shots, exaggerate the feeling, and build up from there. Ball first, ground second will start to feel normal much faster than you think.

If you want instant feedback on where your pressure is going, check out the Downshift Golf Pressure Board in my Pro Shop and use code KG10. Or start with my free training.

Watch the full lesson on YouTube: If Your Struggle To Strike Your Irons, Just Focus On This ONE THING! Leave a comment with your biggest ball striking struggle and subscribe to the channel for new lessons every week.