Early Extension – Is Your Timing Late or Early?
Early Extension can be one of the most stubborn patterns to break. While it is often attributed to movement limitations or a poor deep squat pattern, I believe there is a large percentage of players who fall into this category due to inefficient swing mechanics.
Thankfully, if we pay attention to when this pattern occurs in the downswing, we can get a good idea of the “cause and effect”. Typically, players who early extend late into the downswing are struggling to manage the path and/or face. If the club is overly steep or open coming into impact, going into extension is a great (but inefficient) way to quickly shallow the club AND close the face. On the other hand, players who early extend immediately into the start of the downswing are often struggling to utilize the proper “power sources” and sequencing. In these cases, doing a bit of core and rotational based training in the gym can provide a huge boost.
