Getting Stuck in the Golf Swing? (Easy Fixes!)

As a recreational golfer, there are so many things that you need to think about when setting up and addressing the ball correctly.

Something that affects many golfers is getting stuck in the golf swing, which can lead to slices, hooks, and other errant shots.

Thankfully, there are various things you can try at home or on the range to help you improve your swing, and we introduce a number of easy fixes in the following sections.

Is Getting Stuck a Common Golf Swing Fault?

Getting stuck in the downswing is a common fault that many amateur golfers experience, particularly when they’re just starting out. It means that a player has taken the club too far back or too close to the inside of their swing, making it difficult to execute the follow-through correctly.

When you get stuck in the swing, it affects your impact position when you strike the ball, which will almost certainly cause the golf ball to fly off in a direction that it’s not supposed to travel in. 

You might not even know that you’re getting stuck in the golf swing, but it’s a common affliction if you find yourself hitting a disproportionate number of hooks or slices.

Although they’re very different, they are often caused by the same issue – an improper setup.

To help you identify and then overcome getting stuck in the golf swing, we explain the situation in detail below and help you work on the necessary drills out on the range.

What Causes Getting Stuck in The Golf Swing?

There are several potential reasons why you might be getting stuck in the golf swing. One of the most common issues that recreational golfers result from standing too close to the ball or placing too much weight on the back foot.

This is extremely common where amateur golfers are concerned, and as soon as you get a lesson with a pro, they will encourage you to stand further back at the point of address.

The reason that some people stand too close to the ball is that it feels more comfortable, but it’s best to move that little further back if it means hitting a more solid shot.

You also need to think about how you distribute your weight at the address. While you might think that you need to plant all of your weight on your back foot to get the ball airborne, this isn’t actually true.

You should evenly distribute your weight to ensure you don’t get stuck in the golf swing.

The good news is that these are relatively common issues that you can fix easily, and you don’t need to make significant adjustments to your swing to rectify them.

Why Does the Golf Club Get Stuck Behind Me?

There are several reasons why the golf club might get stuck behind you. One thing to consider is how open or closed you are at the address. Some recreational players close things up too much as far as alignment is concerned, which means your front foot is too far forward.

When your feet aren’t correctly positioned and are too closed, it can cause your hands to rotate too much, which leads to the sensation of getting stuck in the downswing.

Also, if you’re too closed in your setup, you will almost certainly hook the ball if you manage to get it airborne at all.

Correcting a closed setup is straightforward, as you simply need to open your clubface slightly and readjust your stance to ensure you’re square on at address.

You will be amazed at how effective these simple adjustments can be when it comes to improving the fluidity of your golf swing, and you will find that your club doesn’t get stuck behind you anywhere near as often.

How Do I Stop Getting Stuck in the Golf Swing?

The trick to stopping getting stuck in the golf swing is to set up the correct distance away from the ball. If you find that you’re getting stuck in the golf swing more often than not, set up as normal before shuffling back ever so slightly.

However, it’s important to try this out on the range before taking it to the course! Fixing getting stuck in the swing isn’t as easy as stepping back, but it could certainly help you swing the club more fluidly.

Another thing to try is to ensure your weight is forward at impact.

Watch as Clay Ballard explains how to get unstuck with this good video:

As mentioned, many people assume that shifting the weight to the back of the stance will help get the ball airborne, but you need to transfer your weight from front to back to execute the golf swing correctly.

If you don’t transfer your weight from back to front, it’s all too easy to get caught in the downswing, and the clubface at impact will suffer as a result.

Down the Line: Does Getting Stuck Cause Shanks?

So many golfers aspire to hit the ball down the line as it results in a straight flying shot more often than not. But hitting it down the line is easier said than done, as your setup needs to be fluid and well-paced to ensure you achieve the impact you desire.

If you get stuck in the swing, it will be incredibly difficult to execute a down the line sequence as planned, and the ball is likely to fly off in an undesired direction. For some, this will be a hook, and for others, it might be a slice.

The key to achieving a down the line swing is ensuring that you play through the ball and throw your hands out at the point of impact, which is really difficult to achieve if you get stuck on your way down to the ball.

So, there’s no doubt that fixing your address and swing can help you eliminate some of the shanks from your game.

How Do I Get My Elbow Unstuck?

A great way to stop your elbow from getting unstuck is to push your trailing hand away from your head at the very top of your backswing. You can do this by straightening your elbow ever so slightly when the club is in the air.

When you try and make your swing longer and faster, you might find that your elbows quite literally get stuck behind you. They’re typically tucked in and can’t return to the proper position before the point of impact.

The reason that this is so effective is that you are pushing the club away from you at the top of your backswing, which means your elbow moves back into the correct position.

While it might sound like an overly simple solution to a significant problem, try it out on the range and see if it works well for you.

How Do You Shallow a Club without Getting Stuck?

To shallow a golf club without it getting stuck, you need to use your trailing arm and wrists to move the shaft from a steep to shallow position, ensuring it is horizontal to the ground.

As a result of dropping the trailing arm and hinging your wrists at the top of the swing, you’re able to create a shallower swing position that prevents you from hitting down too much on the ball.

Shallowing the golf club is advantageous, as it helps you hit the ball longer and straighter and results in less movement in your golf swing.

Getting it right requires work out on the range, but you will soon find that you’re hitting the golf ball much more consistently in the long run.

So, to successfully shallow the club, make sure you’re standing the right distance away from the ball at address and ensure you’re not too closed at the point of address.

Are There Any Golf Drills I Can Practice to Get Unstuck?

There are several drills you can try out on the range to help you get unstuck in the golf swing. One of the best drills is the arms hang drill which is a simple, but effective, 3 step golf drill designed to help your game.

1. Setup in front of the golf club as you ordinarily would before resting the golf club against one of your legs.
2. Relax all of your muscles from your shoulders down to your fingertips, and let your arms hang naturally into position in front of your body.
3. Leave your arms hanging for a few seconds, and this is where you should grip the golf club.

This is an excellent drill for ensuring you are the right distance away from the golf ball, and it will help you start your backswing from the correct location.

As well as the arm hang drill, you can subscribe to various golf instructional channels on YouTube and follow some of the drills introduced by pro golfers to help you get unstuck in the swing.

Conclusion

Getting stuck in the golf swing is something that lots of recreational players struggle with. Thankfully, as we’ve explained above, there are a number of steps you can take to fix your golf swing, ensuring you can execute your ball striking as desired.

If the quick fixes introduced above don’t help you in the way that you had hoped, it’s a good idea to schedule a lesson with a golf coach to go through the specifics of your swing in detail.