5 common mistakes golfers make — and how to fix them

Even the most dedicated amateurs can fall into subtle traps that quietly undermine consistency, distance and confidence. I see it every day on the lesson tee when I teach. The good news is, the most common of these mistakes often have simple fixes.

Below are five of the most common mistakes — and how to correct them for more reliable ball striking.

1. Practice swings too close to the ball

A small but costly error comes in the form of taking practice swings just inches from the ball. When your rehearsal motion happens that close, you’re subconsciously teaching yourself a cramped move that often 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.

2. Setting your feet first

Many amateurs start their setup by planting their feet, then reaching for the ball. This reverses the proper order and often leads to poor posture, inconsistent distance from the ball and awkward balance. Your hands and club, not your feet, should determine your setup.

The fix: 1. Set the club behind the ball first. 2. Take your grip and posture naturally. 3. 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. Holding the club too lightly

While excess tension is harmful, gripping too softly can be equally damaging. The old advice to “hold it lightly” is often taken too literally, causing the clubface to shift, the wrists to overreact and the 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.

4. Keeping the trail arm too close to the body

One of the biggest mechanical errors I see is tucking the trail arm tight against the side of your body. It might feel controlled, but it actually restricts freedom, limits speed, and prevents a proper release.

When you trap the trail arm, you often pull the club too far inside, lose width and depth, 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.

5. Hitting the ground with your driver during practice swings

A surprisingly common mistake is brushing or hitting the ground with your driver in a practice swing. Because the driver is meant to contact the ball on the upswing, this teaches the opposite motion.

The fix: When rehearsing with your driver, practice missing the ground slightly — letting the club sweep through at the low point just before impact, with the head ascending as it passes where the ball would be. Visualize brushing a tee just above the turf or hovering the clubhead half an inch off the ground to reinforce that upward strike.

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