Full Swing & TempoBeginnerFixes: Poor Weight Shift

The 4 Quadrants Weight Shift Drill (Stop at the Top)

Curated PGA Drill by Danny Maude

Focus Area

Full Swing

Rep Guidance

3 sets of 10 slow rehearsal reps

Equipment

Golf club, alignment stick (optional)

Skill Level

Beginner

Video walkthrough by Danny MaudeWatch on YouTube ↗

Why This Drill Works (Kinetic Mechanics)

Visualizes the swing in four specific quadrants to monitor pressure stages. Stopping at the top ensures connection from the ground up, loading pressure into the inside of the trail heel while maintaining a flexed trail knee to load power rotatably without sliding.

How to Perform the Drill

Follow these step-by-step instructions. Rehearse slowly to build proper motor patterns before adding full swing speed.

  1. 1

    Step 1

    Setup Tip: Ensure weight is positioned on the balls of your feet at address (0:51, 4:27). Avoid starting on heels, which causes disconnection (0:56, 7:17).

  2. 2

    Step 2

    4 Quadrants Visualization: Break the swing into four quadrants to monitor where your pressure is at each stage of the swing (2:07).

  3. 3

    Step 3

    Stop at the Top (Hideki Drill): Pause at the top of your swing to feel ground connection and balance (2:36).

  4. 4

    Step 4

    Inside Trail Heel: As you initiate your turn, allow weight to naturally move toward the inside of your trail heel as a result of your turn (4:46, 6:27), not an active slide or sway (4:53, 6:30).

  5. 5

    Step 5

    Trail Knee Flex: Keep your trail knee slightly flexed throughout; do not straighten or lock it (5:11) so you can load your quads/glutes for power (5:18, 5:46).

  6. 6

    Step 6

    Hold top position in slow-motion to train balance and proper loading (3:14).

What Good Feels Like

Focus on smooth tempo and maintaining body connection through impact. Your body and club should move as a single synchronized unit.

Common Mistake to Avoid

Rushing transition before completing backswing or lunging upper body forward towards ball at impact. Keep movement controlled.

Swing Faults & Ball Flights Addressed

Poor Weight ShiftHanging BackSlideSwayReverse PivotBalance

Comprehensive Guides Featuring This Drill

How to Improve Weight Shift in the Golf Swing

Improve weight shift by loading pressure into your trail foot early in the backswing, then shifting it to your lead side to start the downswing: before the arms or club move. Most golfers do this backwards: they reverse pivot going back, then hang on the trail foot at impact. Fix the sequence with step and pressure drills, not a lateral slide.

Not sure this is your real fault?

Upload one swing video and our AI will identify whether poor weight shift is actually what's costing you strokes, using physics-backed metrics and a practice plan matched to what it finds. Your first analysis is free.

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