Look at the finish of your golf swing to help analyze the strong and weak points of your swing. Here are a few key areas to look at in your finish position: 1) You are in good balance and able to hold your finish position. 2) Weight is on the front foot. 3) Belt buckle facing the target. 4) Hands are over left shoulder (for the right handed golfer).

1) Hold your finish position.  This is a very crucial key to a good golf swing.  If you cannot hold your finish you will not be able to check the other key finish positions of your swing. Good balance is a huge factor for hitting consistent solid golf shots. Begin your address with good balance on the balls of your feet and maintain this balance as you swing the club and shift your weight to the front foot.

2) Weight is the front foot.  Look at the great tour players, they all finish with excellent balance and their weight is on their front foot.  Holding the finish and checking to see how much weight is on your front foot and rear foot is the way to check your weight shift during the swing. If you finish the shot and find more than 10% of your weight left on the rear foot you are sacrificing power and not getting the most from your swing.

3) Finish facing the target.  You should finish with the core of your body facing the target. If you make the proper rotation with your shoulders and hips you will finish facing the target. If your body is facing to the right of your target, you are not completing your swing.  This is sacrificing power, distance and causing you to compensate in some manor to get the clubface square to the target.

4) Hands over the left shoulder.  This is another tool for measuring if you completed your swing. If you continue shifting your weight and turning your core back to the target, your arms will continue turning and finish over the left shoulder. If your hands are finishing high over your head, you will be creating less turn and fight leaving the clubface open and fading or slicing the shot. If the hands are too low below your shoulder, you will have the tendency of closing the clubface too early and hooking the shot. Look at the finish position of your hands and the desired ball flight you prefer.  For the straight ball flight, over the left shoulder is your position.

Look at the great tour players, they all finish with excellent balance, weight on their front foot and body facing the target. Rory and Tiger are great examples of these swing characteristics, they also finish with their hands over the left shoulder. Look at the finish of your swing to find the areas you need to work on.

For more help with your golf game, contact Mark Oswald at oswaldpga@msn.com.