Most people would say that when you learn something, you have to start at the beginning. But in the golf swing, that’s not always true. To promote long, straight drives, take a practice swing that starts with the follow through, then work your way to the backswing. In other words, knowing where you want to swing to (your follow through) will show you what to do with your back swing.

Here’s how it works:

In the golf swing, the essential element is the moment of impact. This determines the speed, direction, and spin of the ball. The club transfers its energy by its velocity, acceleration, angle of the face, and drift/lateral motion. Even though all of these factors, in a real golf swing, are determined by the backswing, the follow through is a key indicator that everything has gone well in your swing.

When you start working on your follow through, rehearse the feeling of releasing the club through impact and driving through the ball in a long graceful upward arch. Keep the club face square long after you’ve hit the ball. Don’t roll over the clubface immediately after impact. Make sure your club comes slightly from the inside and continues straight through the ball and down the line. Slices and hooks are caused by the clubface swinging across across the face of the ball.

If you wearing the Pause-N-Throw while you rehearse this motion, you can feel it guiding you through a powerful release. Now, look at the position of your lower body after your follow through. Is your weight on the left side. For reference, study how the pros are set up after they hit, and make sure you end up that way too.