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The Split Stance Drill That Fixes Early Extension (With Proof From Force Plates)
If you struggle with early extension, thrust, or losing posture through impact, the issue usually isn’t that you need to “turn more.”
It’s that you don’t understand how to use the ground to create rotation.
Rotation doesn’t come from spinning your hips. It comes from applying force in the right direction. That’s exactly what this split-stance drill trains.
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Why Early Extension Happens
When players try to get more open at impact, they often just spin their hips.
But without the right ground interaction, the body runs out of room… and the result is thrusting toward the ball.
This is something we can actually measure using Smart2Move force plates. With tools like those from Smart2Move we can see:
• Where pressure is going
• How force is applied
• Whether it creates rotation or just pushes the body forward
And in most early-extension swings, the force is going too vertical instead of angled.
The Split-Stance Drill
Set up normally to the golf ball.
Then simply drop your trail foot back so it lines up roughly with your lead heel. Everything else stays the same — stance width, ball position, posture.
What this does is force your lead leg to apply pressure in a direction that stabilizes your body instead of letting it thrust forward. It teaches your body how to use the ground to rotate properly.
What the Force Plates Showed
When we measured this on Smart2Move force plates, the difference was huge.
In one case study:
• Normal swing: about 18% body-weight rotational force
• Split-stance drill: jumped to 24% immediately
• Later swings: up to 28%
That’s a massive increase in usable rotational force. For another player who struggled with heel strikes and posture loss:
• Baseline swing: 13% rotational force
• With the drill: over 40%
Same athlete. Same swing speed. Just a better direction of force. That’s the power of understanding the ground.
Key Takeaway
If you struggle with:
• Early extension
• Heel strikes
• Losing posture
• Feeling stuck through impact
You probably don’t need more hip turn. You need better force application. This split-stance drill teaches exactly that.
If you want to learn more about how ground forces influence your swing, check out Smart2Move force plates.
Thanks for reading and watching!
—Ryan
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