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Golf Follow Through: 7 Secrets That Add 20+ Yards Instantly
I remember standing on the 14th tee last month, watching my buddy Mike launch his drive 30 yards past mine for the third time that round. Same swing speed, same club, but his ball just seemed to keep carrying. That's when I realized what I'd been missing all these years – a proper follow through that actually does something useful.
After 25 years of weekend golf, I've discovered that most of us amateur golfers treat the follow through like an afterthought. We focus so hard on the backswing and impact that we forget the follow through is where the magic really happens. It's not just for show – it's the secret weapon that separates the guys who bomb it down the fairway from those of us left wondering where our distance went.
Let me explain what finally clicked for me and how you can add serious yards to your shots without swinging harder.
The follow through reveals everything about your swing – balance, power, and control all show up in those final moments.Why Most Weekend Golfers Waste Their Follow Through
Here's what I learned the hard way: your follow through isn't just the ending of your swing – it's the completion of a power sequence that started with your takeaway. According to research by Andrew Rice Golf using Swing Catalyst technology, skilled golfers transfer 80% of their weight to the front foot at impact and continue that transfer smoothly through the follow through.
But here's where most of us weekend warriors mess up: we either quit the swing right after impact or we let our weight hang back on our trail foot. I used to do both, and my drives showed it.
Butch Harmon (former coach to Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Greg Norman, Golf Digest's #1 instructor for 20+ years) puts it perfectly: the secret to golf is repetition, and your follow through must be part of that repeatable pattern.
🎯 Follow Through Reality Check
- 💡 Your follow through happens in 0.2 seconds but affects the entire swing
- ⚖️ Weight should finish 95% on your front foot by the end
- 📊 Poor follow through costs weekend golfers 15-25 yards per shot
- 🔧 It's a swing diagnostic tool that reveals your impact quality
What Makes a Proper Golf Follow Through
So read on.
Before we get to the distance-adding secrets, you need to understand what a proper follow through actually looks like. I spent years copying what I saw on TV without understanding the mechanics behind it.
Jim McLean (Golf Digest Top 100 instructor, worked with Keegan Bradley, Hal Sutton, and 70+ PGA and European Tour wins, 4 Major Championships) teaches the "barrel rotation" concept where you rotate inside an imaginary barrel rather than shifting laterally. This creates the foundation for a powerful follow through.
Here's what a tour-quality follow through includes:
Weight Transfer Completion: Your weight should finish 95% on your front foot, with only your trail toe touching the ground. According to the research I mentioned earlier, higher handicap golfers often finish with 70/30 weight still favoring the back foot – a distance killer.
Club Position: The club should finish behind your head or across your shoulders, not down by your waist or pointing at the sky. This high finish indicates you've maintained the swing arc through impact.
Body Rotation: Your belt buckle should face the target, and your chest should be facing slightly left of target (for right-handed golfers). This shows you've completed the rotation that creates clubhead speed.
Balance: You should be able to hold your finish position until the ball lands, without falling forward or backward.
Now here comes the good part.
The 7 Follow Through Secrets That Add Instant Distance
Let me explain each secret that transformed my driving distance and can do the same for you:
Secret #1: The "Push Through" Weight Transfer
Most of us try to hit the ball instead of swinging through it. I learned to think of pushing my weight from my trail foot to my front foot like I'm trying to move a heavy piece of furniture.
The key insight: According to biomechanical research, the best ball strikers have their weight at 50/50 when the lead arm is parallel to the ground in the downswing, then continue transferring to 80/20 at impact.
Here's the drill that fixed this for me: Practice swinging with your feet together. This forces you to use proper weight transfer instead of swaying. You'll feel the difference immediately.
Secret #2: The "Barrel Turn" Body Rotation
Jim McLean's barrel concept changed everything for me. Instead of thinking about shifting my weight side to side, I imagine rotating inside a barrel. This creates the rotational power that adds serious distance.
The technique: Start your downswing by rotating your chest and hips toward the target while keeping your head behind the ball. Your weight transfers naturally as a result of this rotation, not as a separate movement.
I used to try to slide toward the target, which actually killed my power. The barrel turn keeps you centered while generating maximum clubhead speed.
Secret #3: The "Extend and Rotate" Arm Action
Here's where most weekend golfers lose 20+ yards: they either chicken wing their lead arm or collapse both arms too early. The correct action is to extend both arms toward the target while rotating the forearms.
What the research shows: HackMotion wrist sensor data reveals that great players release naturally through the follow through so the clubface stays square even after impact.
The feel I learned: Imagine you're throwing the clubhead toward your target while maintaining the connection between your arms and body. This creates both distance and accuracy.
Secret #4: The "High and Behind" Club Finish
I used to finish with my club pointing straight up or even down low. Both positions indicated I was decelerating through impact. The correct finish has the club resting behind your head or across your shoulders.
Why this matters: A high finish means you've maintained acceleration through the ball. PGA instructor research shows that golfers who finish low are often coming from outside-in, creating slices and distance loss.
The checkpoint: After impact, feel like your right shoulder (for righties) is closer to the target than any other part of your body. This ensures you've rotated completely through the shot.
💪 Distance-Adding Fundamentals
- 🎯 Weight finishes 95% on front foot for maximum power transfer
- 🔄 Body rotation creates clubhead speed, not arm swing
- ⬆️ High club finish indicates proper acceleration through impact
- ⚖️ Perfect balance means efficient energy transfer
Secret #5: The "Trail Heel Up" Balance Point
And here's why.
This one secret alone added 15 yards to my drives. Your trail heel should be off the ground with only the toe touching. If your whole back foot is still planted, you haven't transferred your weight properly.
The biomechanics: According to Lower Extremity Review research, professional golfers score significantly higher on balance tests than amateurs, and this shows up dramatically in their follow through positions.
What worked for me: Practice hitting balls while focusing solely on getting your trail heel up. Don't worry about where the ball goes at first – just groove this feeling. The power will come naturally.
Secret #6: The "Hold the Pose" Stability Test
If you can't hold your follow through position for 3-5 seconds, something went wrong earlier in your swing. This taught me more about my swing flaws than any video analysis.
The diagnostic value: An unstable finish usually means you swung too hard, didn't transfer weight properly, or came over the top. Golf instruction research shows that balance issues in the follow through often cost you quality contact and distance.
The practice method: After every range shot, hold your finish until the ball stops rolling. This builds the muscle memory for a controlled, powerful swing.
Secret #7: The "Smooth Acceleration" Tempo
Most importantly...
The biggest breakthrough came when I learned that power comes from smooth acceleration, not violent effort. The follow through should feel like the natural conclusion of a building wave of speed.
The timing sequence: Start slow, build speed gradually through impact, and maintain that speed through the follow through. Butch Harmon emphasizes that repetition of this timing pattern is what separates good golfers from great ones.
What changed my game: I stopped trying to kill the ball and started swinging through it with consistent tempo. My drives went 20+ yards longer with the same effort level.
How to Practice Your Follow Through at Home
Are you ready to get started?
You don't need a golf course to master these fundamentals. Here are the practice methods that worked for me:
Mirror Work: Practice your swing in slow motion while watching your follow through in a full-length mirror. Focus on weight transfer, balance, and club position. This builds the visual and kinesthetic awareness you need.
Chair Drill: Place a chair next to your lead hip during practice swings. Rotate through your follow through until your trail shoulder gently touches the chair. This teaches proper body rotation.
Towel Drill: Hold a towel between your upper arms during practice swings. This maintains connection and prevents the chicken wing that kills distance.
Balance Challenge: Practice finishing on your front foot and holding that position. Start with 3 seconds and work up to 10 seconds of stable balance.
🎥 Professional Follow Through Demonstration
This video demonstrates the complete follow through technique explained above
Common Follow Through Mistakes That Kill Distance
But there's more.
Even after learning the fundamentals, I kept making these mistakes that cost me yards:
The Early Stop: Quitting the swing right after impact instead of accelerating through the ball. This happens when you focus too much on "hitting" rather than "swinging through."
The Weight Hang-Back: Keeping too much weight on your trail foot through impact. According to Swing Catalyst research, this is the #1 mistake higher handicap golfers make.
The Chicken Wing: Bending your lead arm in the follow through instead of extending both arms toward the target. Golf instruction analysis shows this fault costs you both distance and accuracy.
The Low Finish: Ending with your club below shoulder height, which indicates deceleration and poor swing path.
The Balance Loss: Falling forward, backward, or to either side, which means you swung beyond your control limits.
🚫 Distance Killers to Avoid
- ⏹️ Stopping swing at impact instead of accelerating through
- ⚖️ Weight hanging back on trail foot (70/30 split at impact)
- 🐔 Chicken wing lead arm collapse in follow through
- 📉 Low club finish indicating deceleration
The Follow Through Fixes That Work
So what can you do about these problems? Here are the corrections that transformed my swing:
For Early Stopping: Practice the "swing to the finish" drill. Make practice swings where you focus only on reaching a balanced, high finish position. Let the ball get in the way of your swing, not the other way around.
For Weight Issues: Try the feet-together drill I mentioned earlier. This forces proper weight transfer and prevents hanging back.
For Chicken Wing: Use the connection drill with a towel between your arms, or practice one-handed swings with your trail hand.
For Low Finish: Focus on feeling your trail shoulder get closer to the target than any other body part. This ensures complete rotation and a high finish.
For Balance Problems: Practice holding your finish position until the ball stops rolling. This builds the stability you need for consistent power.
Why Professional Golfers Hold Their Follow Through
What's more...
You've probably noticed that tour players always hold their finish position, sometimes for several seconds. This isn't for the cameras – it serves several important purposes.
According to biomechanical research, holding the finish demonstrates that your swing mechanics are sound and your weight transfer was complete. It's also a feedback mechanism that helps players feel whether they made a good swing.
Professional golf research shows that tour players can generate 34% more clubhead speed while using 50% less muscle activity than amateurs. Part of this efficiency comes from their ability to maintain perfect balance through the follow through.
The practical application: If you can't hold your finish in perfect balance, you're fighting your swing instead of working with it. This costs you both distance and consistency.
How Weight Transfer Creates Power in Your Follow Through
The result?
Understanding weight transfer changed everything about my distance. Here's what the research taught me:
During the backswing, good golfers transfer about 80% of their weight to the trail foot. Swing Catalyst data shows this happens naturally as the arms and club move away from the target – no conscious shifting required.
At the start of the downswing, when your lead arm reaches parallel to the ground, your weight should be back to 50/50. This is where the power sequence begins.
By impact, your weight should be 80/20 favoring your front foot, and it should continue transferring smoothly through the follow through until you finish with 95% of your weight on your front side.
The key insight: This isn't about sliding toward the target – it's about rotating your body while maintaining your spine angle. The weight transfer happens as a result of proper rotation, not as a separate movement.
Practice Drills That Build Follow Through Power
How will you benefit?
These are the specific drills that added yards to my shots:
The Three Checkpoints Drill: After each swing, check these three positions:
- Trail heel off the ground (sole pointing behind you)
- Knees together (hips fully released)
- Club behind your ears (high finish)
Practice until you can hit all three checkpoints naturally.
The Wall Drill: Set up one arm's length from a wall with your lead side toward the wall. Make slow practice swings, letting your trail hand tap the wall in the follow through. This teaches complete rotation without lateral movement.
The Impact Bag Drill: Use an impact bag or pillow to practice extending through impact and into the follow through. This builds the feeling of accelerating through the ball rather than at it.
The Rehearsal Drill: Before each shot, make a practice swing focusing only on your follow through position. Then recreate that exact feeling with the ball.
🏋️ Power-Building Practice Plan
- 🎯 Three checkpoints drill: heel up, knees together, high finish
- 🧱 Wall drill for rotation without lateral movement
- 💥 Impact bag drill for acceleration through the ball
- 🎪 Rehearsal drill before every shot for consistency
When to Practice Follow Through vs Full Swing
And we don't stop there...
Timing your practice makes a huge difference. Here's what I learned about when to focus on follow through work:
Warm-up: Start every range session with slow-motion follow through practice. This activates the proper movement patterns before you add speed.
Technical Work: When you're struggling with consistency, spend 50% of your practice time on follow through drills. The end of your swing tells you everything about what happened during your swing.
Before Playing: On the course, use follow through thoughts as your swing key. It's simpler than thinking about multiple positions and helps you commit to the shot.
Troubleshooting: If you're hitting blocks, hooks, or losing distance, check your follow through first. It's often the quickest way to diagnose swing problems.
The Mental Side of Follow Through
Here's something most golfers never consider: your follow through is largely determined by your intention before you start the swing.
If you're thinking "don't hit it in the water" or "just make contact," your body will unconsciously protect against those outcomes by decelerating through impact. This kills your follow through and costs you distance.
Instead, I learned to think about where I want to finish my swing before I start it. Butch Harmon teaches that visualization of the complete swing, including the follow through, is crucial for consistent performance.
The practical approach: Before each shot, visualize your perfect follow through position. See yourself balanced, rotated, and holding that pose. This programs your body to achieve that position naturally.
Key Takeaways: Your Follow Through Action Plan
After everything I've learned about follow through, here's what you need to focus on:
Start with Balance: If you can't hold your finish for 5 seconds, work on that first. Everything else builds from a stable, balanced follow through.
Master Weight Transfer: Practice the feeling of pushing off your trail foot and finishing with 95% of your weight on your front side. This single change can add 15+ yards to your drives.
Think "Swing Through," Not "Hit At": Your goal is to accelerate through the ball, not decelerate at it. The follow through is where this acceleration shows up.
Use Your Follow Through as a Diagnostic Tool: A poor finish tells you exactly what went wrong earlier in your swing. Learn to read these signals.
Practice with Purpose: Spend time on follow through drills, not just full swings. The quality of your practice determines the quality of your improvement.
Remember, golf is a game of inches played over hundreds of yards. Small improvements in your follow through can create massive improvements in your distance and consistency. Start with one element at a time, and before you know it, you'll be the one launching drives past your buddies.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the golf follow through so important for distance?
The follow through completes the energy transfer from your body to the club to the ball. According to biomechanical research, proper follow through ensures you maintain acceleration through impact rather than decelerating at the ball. This can add 15-25 yards to your drives without swinging harder.
What should my weight distribution be at the end of my follow through?
You should finish with approximately 95% of your weight on your front foot, with only your trail toe touching the ground. Research shows that higher handicap golfers often finish with 70/30 weight still favoring the back foot, which significantly reduces power and distance.
How do I fix a chicken wing in my follow through?
The chicken wing (bent lead arm in follow through) is usually caused by poor impact position or trying to steer the ball. Practice extending both arms toward the target through impact, or use connection drills with a towel between your upper arms to maintain proper arm structure.
Should I consciously try to hold my follow through position?
Yes, holding your finish for 3-5 seconds serves multiple purposes: it builds balance and stability, provides feedback about your swing quality, and helps develop muscle memory for proper completion of the swing sequence.
What does it mean if I can't maintain balance in my follow through?
Loss of balance usually indicates you're swinging beyond your control limits, have poor weight transfer, or are making compensatory movements during the swing. Focus on smooth tempo and proper weight transfer before trying to add power.
How long should it take to improve my follow through?
With focused practice, you should see improvement in 2-3 weeks. However, building the muscle memory for consistent, powerful follow through typically takes 6-8 weeks of regular practice. The key is focusing on quality practice, not just hitting balls.
Related Golf Improvement Resources
Master Your Golf Fundamentals:
Golf Swing Basics for Weekend Warriors Weight Transfer Secrets That Add Distance How to Build a Consistent Golf Swing Tempo Drills for Better Ball Striking Balance Training for Better Golf Fix Common Swing Problems: Stop Slicing Your Driver Once and for All Swing Path Training for Straighter Shots Perfect Impact Position Fundamentals Fix Your Over-the-Top Swing Move Eliminate the Chicken Wing Forever Build Power and Distance: Lag Training Drills for More Power Speed Training That Actually Works Driver Swing Tips for Maximum Distance Core Exercises for Golf Power Flexibility Training for Better Rotation Practice and Training Tools: Best Golf Training Aids for Home Practice 30-Minute Practice Routine for Better Golf Essential Golf Drills for Every Golfer