The MOVE by BJC Blog


Tips to Improve Your Golf Game this Summer and Fall

Monday, August 5, 2024

Every year around this time, I like to get my golf game in order, so I feel great about my game heading into fall.

As a golf instructor, I’m lucky enough to see how my students can progress throughout the spring and summer months, but I also try not to forget to continue their growth into fall and winter. As an exercise physiologist, and a Titleist Performance Institute golf fitness specialist, I’ve got a keen eye for faulty movement patterns. I spend most lessons diagnosing bad swings based on bad movements, rather than just poor use of the golf club.

Here are a few of the most common tips I share with students, so you can improve your golf game moving into the fall:

  1. Swing Harder. Although thoughts of “smooth, nice and easy, etc.” are alright to have in your head, most amateurs do not swing their golf club fast enough. This doesn’t mean to go out and swing 100% all the time – rather, every time you go to the range, practice a few shots swinging your absolute hardest, even if you sacrifice a bit of accuracy. This will help recruit the fast twitch fibers needed for a fast, powerful golf swing. No golfer should try to just hit it “80%” all the time, they should just look like they are. Trust me, professional golfers aren’t holding anything back when they reach swings speeds in the 120 mile-per-hour range!
  1. Work on a proper release by swinging your club upside down. This is one of my favorite drills – turn your club upside down (gripping just below the club head) and take some practice swings. Try to make the club “whoosh” at the right time. If you hear the “whoosh” in your right ear (for a right-handed golfer), then your release is early. If you hear the “whoosh” as the club gets in front of you and mostly in your left ear, then you’re doing well. Take this one step further by hitting shots immediately after and imagine the fastest part of your swing occurring one foot in front of the ball.
  1. Rehearse your swing in parts. Many amateurs take too many full practice swings. Break your first few swings down: Practice 15 take-aways, 15 “to the top swings,” 15 swings from the top to impact and 15 follow throughs. Do this in front of a mirror, and you’ll catch yourself in some bad positions. Fix them before you head to the course.
  1. Work on a balanced finish. This is another great drill to try in front of a mirror. Print out a picture of your favorite professional golfer posing for a finish. Put it in front of you and try to mirror the finish during some practice swings. It’s not just about looking good – a proper finish means you likely used the ground correctly, transferred your weight towards the target and squared the club face.
  1. Maintain your spine angle. This goes hand in hand with your balanced finish. One of the most common swing faults in amateur golfers is loss of posture. The easiest way to practice this is to hold a club or aiming rod across the front of your shoulders. Get in your address posture and turn your back away from the target – one end of the club should be pointing just outside of your normal ball position. Now, turn your body like you would during your normal golf swing to a ¾ finished position. The other end of the club should be pointing at the same spot as in the backswing. This means that you’ve kept your spine angle from the top of the swing until almost finished, which will really aid in consistent ball striking.

If you’re not sure that you made progress during this summer’s golf season, search for a TPI certified golf fitness specialist in your area (like me!). We perform TPI mobility screenings, video swing analysis and provide personalized golf fitness programs to optimize your golf muscles. We team up with local golf professionals for golf lessons at the Highlands Golf and Tennis Center, just across the street from Barnes-Jewish Hospital. Additionally, if you have a golf related injury or an injury is stopping you from playing, we team up with the TPI certified medical professionals at Washington University Physical therapy, located next door to Move.

- Aaron Gutjahr