Golf Shot Follow-Through - Why?

I still can't understand why, I am standing in well manicured grass trying to hit a little white dimpled ball. The entire concept is disturbing. I haven't even contemplated the follow through.

excellent coment! This is exactly the reason for a follow thru.

oilcan13

I'm a disc golf enthusiast and I have been intrigued by the concept and usefulness of follow-through. When "driving" in disc golf the natural momentum of the throw kind of forces you to follow through. But when throwing a shorter range shot, an "approach," I've noticed a big difference in directional accuracy if I don't follow through with my throwing motion. The reasons for this given in this discussion sound quite reasonable. So, I guess the same thing is true in both types of golf, plus any other sport that involves swings or throwing. I didn't quite get the connection between follow through and archery, though, heh.

"It's a Cinderella story" Be the ball, be the ball, nununununun.

It is true, at least in boxing, as a boy, I empyrically discovered that directing my punches "thru" the head of my oponent, would invariably cause an ugly head movement backwards and in most cases a K.O.

As per archery, I would let this enemy win, and then ask for lessons:

I know it's been seen here before, but it's surely worth a second look.

Yahlasit

"but it's surely worth a second look."

yes! fetching fletching.

"It don't mean a thing

If it ain't got that swing

Doo-wub doo-wub doo-wub doo-wub doo-wub doo-wuuuub."

Why can you only carry 14 clubs?

Why can't you move that branch out of the way?

Why can't I ground my club in a bunker?

Why don't they call it sanding the club instead of grounding?

Why can I not touch my ball on the fairway, but can pick it up and clean it on the green?

Why is it called a "green"?

Why do they call it putting?

Why do I yell FORE? and not LOOK OUT!

What is golf spelled backwards?

Godfry Daniels! Go stand over there!

That lynlynch kid asks too many questions!

I agree with you. The "finish" is relatively new to golf. The back sing should end when the club is parallel with the ground. The follow thru should also end with the club parallel to the ground.

Nothing is more important than keeping your head down until your body forces it to turn.

And finally, if you have to think about any of this during your swing, you're doomed.

I knew a duffer that ended up in the emergency room with a club wrapped around his neck.

What happened? The doctor asked.

My wife and I were looking for her ball in the pasture next to the fairway, when I noticed something white in a cows rear end. I lifted it's tail and sure enough. I shouted to my wife pointing to the ball "Hey honey, this looks like your's!"

Pepsi is bad for keyboards.....but good for cleaning old coins, surely you weren't trying to drink it!!!

"Follow through" in the RN was what happened when you thought you were only going to Fart (Bronx cheer?)!!!

Or as the Germans put it "Land (as in earth) in your shorts!" (It certainly "lands" in your shorts!!!)

It's just as well that the club was destroyed. If he had put it back into play after she used it, he would have been disqualified anyway.

Oh, how I love the game!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That's (Field) Hockey.

In order to stop the head of your stick going above waist level - illegal in hockey - one should "make a window" with your right arm on the back swing (upper arm parellel to the ground, lower arm perpendicular) and use both wrists to keep the stick level at the end of the follow-through.

I can still hear my Games Mistress: "Come on Gels, Make a window and follow th-roooough!" (for UK listeners, yes, it was that kind of school!)

My tutor at Uni, a big noise in golf club development, laughed at my first ever swing and asked why every girl/woman he'd ever taught did just that. I looked at him cockled and said "It's obvious. We were all taught to play hockey properly".

My second swing (I was helping test a new design No.1 Wood) was, apparently near perfect. I am told I have an excellent swing (the whole motion of the club being in one plane). I wouldn't know, since I've never been tempted to spoil a good walk chasing small white balls, either dimpled or hairy

On the archery front, I have watched people who allow their bow to "fall" forward in their hands after the shot, without any detriment to their score (still higher than mine). I like bare (bow) shooting with arrows with fletches missing...it screws with people's minds when you can still group them . Which reminds me, I must repair my arrows....

On the follow-through question - the same avoiding deceleration and therefore imparting maximum power issue applies in martial arts. I was taught to aim for the back of someone's head / torso when hitting them, not their nose / chest. If you're using a weapon, aim for the man not his weapon. Of course, when practicing you then have to pull your punches for obvious reasons

"I was taught to aim for the back of someone's head"

how do you get your opponent to turn around?

Chuckletastic Chris, that one grows on ya!
Maybe...
" LOOK OUT BEHIND YOU!" Then BLAMMO with a frying pan!
Del

"either dimpled or hairy"

LOL!!

My reasonably uneducated guess is that the follow-through matters only in that it reflects what you did before you actually lost contact with the ball. But remember, your club is in contact with the ball for "a while" after you contact it.

Who was it that said, "The only reason they called it golf was that all the other four-letter words were taken."?

Many years ago I bought a book in a used book store entitled, "5 Simple Steps to Perfect Golf", by Count Yogi. It was hard to find further information on him back then -- although I did find his name in a few golf book indeces. But with the resources available on the Internet it is a little easier now -- but not much. He had an unorthodox swing/method by modern golf swing analysis. But it was intriguing nonetheless.

You might also find books about/by him in used bookstores. I tried his ideas on the practice range, and I have to say, there is something to it. But like all repetitive motions, you'd have to spend some time unlearning the "modern" swing to try to see the results of Count Yogi's ideas.

For those interested, check out these links and surf for others.

http://www.countyogigolf.com/feats.htm

http://www.waggleroom.com/2007/5/10/1732/36602

http://smashgolf.wordpress.com/2010/08/05/count-yogis-five-simple-steps/ (etc.)

Addendum. A few more interesting links:

http://www.raodave.0golf.com/custom2.html

http://golfdashblog.com/the-mystery-of-count-yogi/

http://www.bookthink.com/0126/126qmr.htm

http://blog.swingmangolf.com/my_weblog/2010/05/count-yogi-golf-shoots-8under-par-on-9holes-in-palm-springs-ca.html (includes link to rare video)

I have been able to find some great info on Count Yogi on facebook and www.countyogigolf.com. There is a really nice and informative man who runs the yogi company and he knows all about him. I have the yogi golf system and it has improved my game 100%.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qPrR49qsDc