One of the most common patterns I see in golfers, especially those over 50, is failing to shift their weight to the lead side early enough in the down-swing. Instead of transferring energy forward, many golfers stay back on their trail side too long and end up flipping their hands or losing balance at impact.
Why this matters for distance!
Golf power isn’t created by swinging harder with the arms. It comes from the efficient transfer of ground forces through your body into the clubhead. think of it like throwing a ball- your weight naturally shifts forward before your arm every releases the ball. The same principle applies in golf.
If you delay or minimize your weight shift:
- You lose ground reaction forces that generate speed.
- Your hips and torso stall, leading to casting or early extension.
- The club arrives at the ball with less compression, robbing you of distance.
When you shift early and effectively, your body works like a coil: loading into the trail side in the backswing, then powerfully uncoiling into the lead side to deliver maximum energy into the ball.
How to train Early Lead-Side Shift
Here’s a simple progression you can do at home or in the gym to train your body to move efficiently:
If you try these exercises and find them to be too challenging or uncomfortable, do not continue until you have consulted with your physician. All exercises for golf should be customized to your needs after a proper evaluation.
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The workout breakdown:
1. single-leg golf address with torso rotation
- Stand in golf posture on your lead leg.
- Cross arms over your chest or hold a club across your shoulders.
- Rotate your torso back and through while maintaining balance.
- This builds stability, awareness, and control of your lead side during the swing.
2. LIGHT LATERAL BOUNDING
- Stand on your trail leg, then bound lightly to your lead leg.
- Stick the landing and hold for 2-3 seconds.
- Focus on absorbing force and staying balanced.
- This teaches your body the rhythm of shifting and controlling weight to the lead side.
3. Explosive LATERAL BOUNDING
- Perform the same motion, but with more speed and distance.Â
- Land on the lead leg and stabilize quickly.
- This develops explosiveness and power– key for gaining clubhead speed.
4. medicine ball bound to side toss
- Hold a light medicine ball.
- Bound explosively from trail leg to lead leg, and as you land, release the ball into a rotational toss against a wall.
- This integrates balance, rotation, and power transfer in one drill- very close to the demands of the golf swing.
Putting it all together...
Training your weight shift isn’t just about balance drills- it’s about teaching your body to move athletically, like throwing, jumping, or sprinting. by practicing these exercises 2-3 times per week, you’ll retrain your movement patterns, improve efficiency, and unlock the clubhead speed you thought was gone for good.
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