Weight Transfer in Golf Swing Drills

By Ben Jarratt •  Updated: 07/14/23 •  6 min read

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One meaning of weight transfer in golf swing drills is the backswing and downswing position of your body, while the other refers to how you shift your weight from one side of your body to another during the golf swing. This article will focus on understanding weight transfer in golf swing drills and how to do it correctly.

What is Weight Transfer in Golf Swing Drills?

As you can see in the animation, as we shift our weight to one side, the center of mass (COM) of the body changes. 

As this transfer happens, notice that the body’s COM now becomes closer to your foot that is further away from the direction you plan on moving in when you swing your golf club.    

The reason the COM is closer to the foot that’s farther away from the intended direction of travel, or swing plane, is because that foot is now supporting more of your body weight.

What Can Happen if You Don’t Transfer Your Weight Correctly?

We can use many different golf swing drills and positions in our practice sessions to perfect our weight transfer in golf swing drills.  

If you don’t use the proper positions or movements (or neglect to practice them), it is possible for your body to become unbalanced and throw off your backswing and downswing and cause interference with other parts of the swing during your next round.

When you move from one foot to the other during a golf swing, it’s essential to shift your weight onto that “second” foot.  If you don’t, you will make up for this imbalance by leaning forward or backward as you take your backswing and downswing.

By shifting your body weight before you hit each golf ball, you also ensure using the most efficient golf swing possible. But it’s important to remember that you don’t want to be shifting too far because you will also lose stability and power during the game.

How to Do a Proper Weight Transfer

To help you with weight transfer in golf swing drills, here are some helpful tips that will allow you to make sure that you’re doing it correctly:

Use the “waggle” drill if you want to feel what a proper weight transfer should be like. While standing with your feet together, move one foot forward as far as possible. Now take your backswing and follow through with the same movement that you did when you were standing still. 

There is a simple way to help you get the feel of shifting your weight so that it’s much easier to do in your golf swing.  

Position one foot about a foot from a wall, then take two steps backward so that your backswing has one foot in contact with the wall. Now take your backswing and notice how you have to move over the other leg because it is now supporting most of your weight. 

Common Mistakes When Doing a Weight Transfer in Golf Swing Drills

The most common mistake people make when shifting their weight is to rush through the movement. Doing this creates an imbalance due to one foot being further away from the intended plane of travel than the other at the address and throughout your backswing and downswing.

Another way that many golfers go wrong with a proper weight transfer is by swinging too far with their upper body during their backswing while letting their feet drag behind them.  

This can cause interference during your downswing as well, just before you contact the ball, so don’t forget to pay attention to how you move your hips and knees as well!

As you practice various positions (fore-aft, side-to-side) of your body during practice rounds or drills, you can ensure that your weight shift is the correct one by focusing on the left-to-right side transfer. 

This will allow you to make sure that each and every golf club has a balanced amount of power behind it when you hit the ball.

The Two Meanings of the Term “Weight Transfer” in Golf Swing Drills:

1- the movement of your body from one foot to another (as in “weight shift” but as in golf swings).

2- The proportion of weight borne by one side of your body or the other (“transferring the weight” but as in golf swings).

It is important to know this difference!

A “weight shift” is the movement of your body from one foot to another and a “transferring of weight” is the proportion of weight borne by one side or the other.

Benefits of Shifting Your Weight

Shifting your weight will allow you to make sure that each and every golf club has a balanced amount of power behind it when you hit the ball. 

Knowing how to perform this golfing drill correctly will help guarantee that maximum power is generated during each swing, including at contact with the ball. This, in turn, results in increased distance and an improved score.

It will become part of the golfing mechanics that create a fluid swing path when you shift your weight properly.

Correct shifting of body weight is also critical to maintaining balance throughout the entire swing. By doing this, you can avoid any loss of power or control over distance or direction.

There are many ways to achieve a good weight transfer when swinging a golf club, but practicing with different clubs can help make it easier for you to shift your weight effectively from one side of your body to the other while striking the ball. 

Focusing more on left-to-right side transfer during practice rounds or drills will allow you to make sure that each club has a balanced amount of power behind it when hitting the ball, resulting in increased distance and a lower score.

Get into the habit of shifting your weight properly during practice rounds or drills, and you’ll have an easier time doing it when swinging for a real golf ball on the course. 

Remember to shift smoothly as well (don’t let your backswing be too slow) so that you don’t end up with problems such as interference from one side to the other back down at the point of contact.

Weight Transfer in Golf Swing Drills – Conclusion

By shifting your weight onto one leg and making sure that your body isn’t leaning too far forward or backward during your backswing, downswing, and follow-through, you are ensuring that all of your muscles can work together to deliver a smooth golf swing with maximum power.  

Remember not to shift so much from one side to the other that you don’t look like a drunk driver trying to keep his car between two lines while parallel parking!