Even the most dedicated amateur can fall into subtle traps that quietly undermine consistency, distance, and confidence. I see it on my desk every day during class. The good news is that these most common errors are often simple to fix.
Here are five of the most common mistakes and how to correct them for more reliable shots.
1. Practice swing too close to the ball
It’s a small but costly mistake to make your practice swing just inches from the ball. When your rehearsed moves are so close, you subconsciously teach yourself a narrow move, which often affects your actual swing, limiting width and rhythm.
repair: Make your practice swing a foot or two away from the ball – plenty of room to move freely. This can help you rehearse your ideal motion and establish a rhythm before you start hitting the ball.
2. Get a firm foothold first
Many amateurs plant their feet first and then reach out to catch the ball. This reverses the correct sequence and often results in poor posture, inconsistent distance from the ball, and poor balance. It’s your hands and club that should determine your form, not your feet.
repair: 1. Start by placing the club behind the ball. 2. Use a natural grip and posture. 3. Then place your feet at the end and adjust slightly until you feel balanced. This ensures a setup built around your natural swing – not a setup you have to achieve.
3. Hold the club too lightly
While too much tension can be harmful, holding too lightly can be just as harmful. The old advice of “grip the club lightly” is often taken too literally, resulting in clubface movement, overreactive wrists and a breakdown in rhythm.
repair: Maintain a firm but relaxed grip—enough pressure to control the clubhead without strangling it. Imagine holding a tube of toothpaste without squeezing out any of it. This stabilizes your wrist angle and keeps your movements consistent through impact.
4. The trailing arm is too close to the body
One of the biggest mechanical mistakes I find is keeping the trail arm too tight against the side of the body. It may feel controlled, but in reality it restricts freedom, limits speed, and prevents proper release.
When you jam the drag arm, you often pull the club too far inward, losing width and depth, and making it difficult to square the clubface at impact.
repair: Allow your trail arm to naturally “float” away from your body during the backswing. This promotes width, strength, and freer, more dynamic movement.
5. Hit the ground with the driver during your practice swing
A surprisingly common mistake is to scrape or hit the ground with the driver during a practice swing. Because the purpose of the driver is to make contact with the ball on the backswing, this teaches the opposite motion.
repair: When rehearsing with the driver, practice lost Slightly tilt the ground – allow the club to sweep low before impact and the clubhead rises as the ball passes where it is. Think of brushing the tee above the turf or hovering the club head half an inch off the ground to enhance an upward shot.
