Golf is one of the most humbling games on the planet. No matter how gifted an athlete you are, the margin for error in a golf swing is so small that even the pros occasionally hit baffling shots. The good news? The most common swing mistakes often have surprisingly simple fixes. Here’s a guide to the most frequent faults I see on the lesson tee—and exactly how to correct them.
1. The Out-to-In Swing Path (The #1 Mistake)
According to GOLFTEC’s Director of Teaching Quality Josh Troyer, the No. 1 mistake among high handicappers is swinging the club too far out-to-in. This steep, outside-in path creates a glancing blow instead of compressing through the ball, robbing you of both power and accuracy. It’s the primary culprit behind those frustrating slices that send your ball curving weakly to the right.
The Fix: Make a bigger turn during your backswing than you normally would. When you initiate your downswing, try to feel like you’re keeping your back to the target a split second longer as you begin the transition with your lower body. “Really exaggerate the amount of turning that you get,” Troyer says. “Then as you start down, move the club down before you start opening your shoulders. That’ll make it easier to keep the club traveling on a more in-to-out path”.
2. Setting Your Feet First (The Setup Error)
Many amateurs start their setup by planting their feet, then reaching for the ball. This reverses the proper order and leads to poor posture, inconsistent distance from the ball, and awkward balance.
The Fix: Your hands and club—not your feet—should determine your setup. Follow this order:
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Set the club behind the ball first
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Take your grip and posture naturally
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Then set your feet last, adjusting slightly until you feel balanced
This ensures a setup built around your natural swing motion, not one you have to reach for.
3. Early Extension (The Silent Swing Killer)
Early extension occurs when your pelvis shifts excessively toward the ball during the downswing. This limits the space your arms have to swing freely, causing inconsistent contact and a lack of power. Many recreational golfers struggle with this without even knowing it exists.
The Fix: Check your setup first. One root cause is having the base of your spine too far away from the target at address, which forces you to slide and stand up during the swing. Feel like the base of your spine is directly underneath the top of your spine—this means your lead hip should be bumping slightly toward the target at address. Also, maintain an athletic posture where your shoulders are directly over your toes.
4. Holding the Club Too Lightly
The old advice to “hold it lightly” is often taken too literally. Gripping too softly causes the clubface to shift, wrists to overreact, and tempo to fall apart.
The Fix: Maintain a firm but relaxed grip—enough pressure to control the clubhead without strangling it. Think of holding a tube of toothpaste without squeezing any out. This stabilizes your wrist angles and keeps your motion connected through impact.
5. Keeping the Trail Arm Too Close to the Body
Tucking your trail arm tight against your side might feel controlled, but it actually restricts freedom, limits speed, and prevents a proper release. When you trap the trail arm, you pull the club too far inside and struggle to square the face at impact.
The Fix: Let your trail arm “float” naturally away from your body on the backswing. This promotes width, power, and a freer, more dynamic motion.
6. Hips Hanging Back (The Topped Shot)
If you’re topping the ball, one of the biggest culprits is poor hip movement. Instead of shifting the hips toward the target, golfers hang back, leading to poor low-point control. The best players in the world have their hips about 3.1 inches toward the target at impact—golfers who top the ball tend to be away from the target.
The Fix: Pre-set your hips a touch closer to the target at address. Bump your hips a couple inches closer to the target. Then make some smaller half swings, focusing on shifting your hips toward the target and keeping your arms extended through impact. “Try to squeeze your elbows really close together as you go to hit the ball while you push your hips towards the target,” Troyer says.
7. The Hook
While the slice gets most of the attention, a hook can be equally frustrating. As Lee Trevino famously said, “You can talk to a fade but a hook won’t listen”. The two main causes are a swing path that’s too far in-to-out and a closed clubface.
The Fix: Focus on rotating your body more during the downswing rather than swaying or sliding toward the target. Also, check your grip—if it’s too strong (hands rotated counterclockwise), weaken it just a bit, and try to keep your wrists and arms quieter through impact.
8. Practice Swings Too Close to the Ball
Taking practice swings just inches from the ball subconsciously teaches you a cramped move that carries into your real swing, restricting width and rhythm.
The Fix: Make your practice swings a foot or two away from the ball—enough space to move freely. This helps you rehearse your ideal motion and establish rhythm before stepping in to hit.
Final Thoughts
The golf swing involves countless moving parts, and even small errors can compound into big problems. The key is to identify which of these common mistakes is affecting your game and address it with the specific fix provided. Start with your setup—so many issues trace back to poor address position. From there, work on one change at a time until it feels natural.
Remember, the old bad move feels normal because it’s so ingrained. Be patient with yourself, practice deliberately, and soon those frustrating misses will become a thing of the past.
