by tony fiore
My length off the tee has diminished significantly. I used to be a 10-12 handicap and am now an 18. I have been told that I decelerate on my down swing by trying to steer the ball. How do I overcome this bad habit.

by Bob
Trying to follow through won't prevent you from casting, the cause of your loss of swing speed.
If the club head releases when it should...a late hit...the momentum of the club head's release will pull you up and around into a follow through all by itself. You won't have to make any conscious attempt to follow through.
When your backswing is completing you should feel tension in your body, the tension of winding up the body into a coil. That coil is unleashed when your left hip moves to the left. Your left hip and left arm are 'connected' when you are coiled. Moving your hip to the left will allow your arms to drop down into the slot without casting...or losing the angle created between your arms the the clubhead. Once your hip gets this motion started the body will unwind on it's own. You don't need to move your arms or shoulders...it will happen all by itself. As the arms drop in the slot and the body unwinds a great deal of angular momentum is built up in the clubhead. If you are thinking swing...and not hit...the clubhead will release late...right when you need it. And you will feel that release pull you around and up into a full follow-through. The first time you feel this done correctly you will be quite startled as to how effortlessly you made a full and balanced swing. I've seen it happen dozens of times with friends who wanted to learn the game of golf.
You have to learn to let the left side pull the left arm through the swing. When you start doing that you will retain the angle and steering the ball and early release will be a thing of the past.
I see a lot of 10-12 handicap players who will never get better because they have a trained swing, not a proper one. I was a shoulder swinger for years and developed decent control and outdrove my playing partners. When I learned to let the arms drop into the slot and let the left side lead every aspect of my game improved.
Then I got old and got arthritis in my hands and wrists. Gripping a golf club is painful. Teaching kids how to swing, though...that's as much fun...or more...than playing. (not everyone who wants to learn can afford a good teacher)

by thefabster
try and always follow through with a high finish this should encourage a sweep through the ball and not a hit at the ball...practice ....