Try swinging 'through,' not 'at' the Ball

How' your follow-through? On a full tee shot, does it sling your club naturally, inevitably, round behind you and bring your hands opposite the left ear at the finish? Without you being able to stop it?

On most short shots -- and especially bunker shots -- is your follow-through longer than your backswing?

If so, you must be playing very good golf a already. But if not, then I advise you to practice a full follow-through again and again and again and again until it becomes completely habitual. It's vital to the swing.

When making a full follow-through one must stay perfectly balanced. On a full shot one comes up onto the right toe-cap (if right-handed). The sole and heel of the right shoe face straight behind one. And this must not be done deliberately; it must happen.

This foot action also needs to be practiced. Indeed, the whole follow-through can readily be repeated without a club, anywhere, anytime, until it becomes a built-in part of your swing.

It is then necessary almost to forget the ball. One doesn't hit at the ball, except in special circumstances when some obstacle restricts one's swing. No, one swings "through" it.

In actual fact one collects the ball with the club face and slings it out into orbit so that no "hit" is involved.

Some people have been helped by getting a plastic practice ball, cutting it in half, and attaching one half to a practice club with sticky tape. Then this feel of slinging the ball out is more easily gotten into the systems.

It's wiser to base your game on your follow-through than on your backswing. Remember that.