During the course of a normal busy working week we golf professionals will see just about every possible bad shot. In my experience beginner golfers usually struggle with topping the ball. Higher handicappers tend to slice the ball while lower handicappers often fight a hook and there is no doubt that a shank is the the most demoralising bad shot.

As teachers we spend much of our time fixing bad grips, correcting poor postures and fixing backswings that have wondered in the wrong direction. However I would say that the most common swing fault I see in the full swing is a failure to hit through the ball to a good follow through position.

There are a variety of reasons why golfers tend to do this. Sometimes they are trying to keep their head down because a friend has told them that they lift it. Poor leg action and weight transfer will make it difficult to follow through properly. Often it is simply the fear of hitting a bad shot or an attempt to correct the last shot that leads to a feeling of guiding or steering the ball to the target.

Failing to hit through the ball as well as being very common is also very destructive. If you decelerate through impact you will certainly lose distance. When the body stalls and stops rotating the club face can arrive in just about any position at impact leading to wild shots both left and right.

The feeling of following through properly can help to cure multiple swing faults and improve distance at the same time. It can be a great thought for golfers who have lost confidence and are struggling to handle pressure. The great lady golfer Annika Sorenstam used this as her main swing thought during many of her tournament victories.

So even though you are trying to hit the ball remember that this is usually done best when the ball simply gets in the way of the swing and the player hits through to a full balanced follow through position.