How to Analyze a Golf Swing

Analyzing your own golf swing can feel like trying to solve a puzzle with a blindfold on, but it unlocks the door to real, lasting improvement. Forget chasing a perfect, one-size-fits-all swing, the goal is to understand your own unique motion so you can make it more efficient and repeatable. This guide breaks down how to look at your swing, piece by piece, helping you spot the easy fixes that lead to better contact, more consistency, and lower scores.

First Things First: How to Record Your Swing

You can't analyze what you can't see. Your smartphone is your most valuable tool here. But how you record your swing is just as important as what you record. For a complete picture, you need two specific camera angles.

The "Down-the-Line" (DTL) View

This is the classic view from behind the golfer, looking straight toward the target. It's the best angle for checking your swing plane and club path.

• Setup: Place your phone on a tripod or lean it against your golf bag. Position it so the camera is about hip-high.
• Framing: Stand back far enough so the camera can see your whole body and the entire arc of the club. The camera should be positioned on an imaginary line that extends from the ball directly back through your hands.

The "Face-On" View

This angle is filmed from directly in front of you, like you're standing in a mirror. It’s perfect for analyzing posture, ball position, weight shift, and rotation.

• Setup: Position the camera hip-high once again.
• Framing: Center yourself in the frame so the camera captures your full swing motion. Make sure the phone is perpendicular to your target line, not angled left or right.

Once you have a few swings recorded from both angles - preferably in slow motion - you’re ready to play detective.

The 6-Checkpoint System for Swing Analysis

Don't try to look at everything at once. The key to effective analysis is breaking the swing into a sequence of checkpoints. Go through your videos and pause at each of these moments to see what's really happening.

Checkpoint 1: The Setup

Your swing is often made or broken before you even start moving. A poor setup forces you to make complex compensations during the swing. Here’s what to look for in your address position.

From the Face-On View:

• Weight Distribution: Is your weight balanced 50/50 between your feet? For iron shots, you shouldn't be favoring one side over the other.
• Stance Width: For mid-irons, your feet should be roughly shoulder-width apart. This gives you a stable base for rotation without restricting your hip turn. Too narrow and you'll be unstable, too wide and you can't turn.
• Ball Position: With a short to mid-iron (think 8-, 9-iron, or wedge), the ball should be positioned in the center of your stance, directly below your chest sternum. For longer clubs, it moves slightly forward toward your lead foot.

From the Down-the-Line View:

• Posture: Are you bending from your hips, not your waist? Your back should be relatively straight, tilted over the ball. A good thought is to feel like you're pushing your bottom back. This creates space for your arms to hang down naturally from your shoulders.
• Grip: While hard to see in detail, a good checkpoint is the V's formed by your thumb and index finger on both hands. Are they pointing roughly toward your trail shoulder? This indicates a "neutral" grip that won't force you to manipulate the clubface. When you look down, you should be able to see two knuckles on your lead hand.

Checkpoint 2: The Takeaway (First Move Back)

The first couple feet of the backswing set the tone for everything that follows. Pause the video when the club shaft is parallel to the ground.

From the DTL View:

• Club Head Position: The club head should be covering your hands or slightly outside them. A common mistake is rolling the club too far inside (behind you) right away. This often happens because the hands and arms are acting independently of the body.
• The "One Piece" Move: Do your shoulders, arms, and club move away from the ball together, as a single unit? A good-looking takeaway is quiet and connected, powered by the rotation of your torso, not a manipulation of your hands.
• Initial Wrist Hinge: As your torso begins to turn, a slight and natural hinge of the wrists should start to occur. This sets the club on the right path and is vital for building power later.

Checkpoint 3: The Top of the Backswing

This is where you store your power. Pause the video at the very peak of your motion.

From the Face-On View:

• Weight Shift: Have you loaded your weight onto your trail leg without swaying? Your trail leg should look "braced" while a good portion of your weight has shifted onto it. Think "coil," not "slide." A great self-check is to stay within the "cylinder" of your feet and not move side-to-side too much.
• Head Position: Your head should remain relatively stable. It's okay if it moves a little, but it shouldn't drift significantly away from the ball.

From the DTL View:

• Shaft Position: Ideally, the club shaft should be pointing parallel to your target line, or very close to it. If it points a long way to the right of the target, you’re "laid off." If it's pointing well left, you're "across the line." Both positions require corrections on the way down.
• Shoulder Turn: Has your back turned to face the target? A full shoulder rotation is a primary source of power. Everyone's flexibility is different, so don't force a turn longer than what's comfortable, but aim for a full coil feeling in your upper body.

Checkpoint 4: The Transition and Downswing

This is the most dynamic part of the swing and where athletic sequencing shines. The right moves happen in a fraction of a second.

From the Face-On View:

• Lower Body Lead: This is a big one. Does the downswing start from the ground up? Watch for a slight lateral "bump" of your lead hip towards the target. This happens before the arms and shoulders start to unwind. Top players move their hips first, which pulls the arms and club into a powerful delivery position.
• Weight Transfer: You should see a clear shift of weight from your trail foot to your lead foot. By the time you reach impact, most of the pressure will be on your lead side.

From the DTL View:

• The "Shallowing Move: As your lower body starts to unwind, do your arms and club drop slightly behind you into the "slot"? This move keeps the club on a powerful inside path, preventing an "over-the-top" move which causes slices for most amateurs. This happens naturally when your hips lead the downswing correctly.

Checkpoint 5: The Impact

The moment of truth! Pause the video the precise frame where the club meets the ball.

From the Face-On View:

• Hand Position: Are your hands slightly ahead of the club head at impact (for an iron or wedge)? This is called forward shaft lean and is a signature of great ball-striking. It ensures you hit down on the ball, compressing it into the ground for a crisp, satisfying sound.
• Hip Rotation: Your hips should be noticeably open to the target. This is evidence you used your body as the motor, not just your arms.
• Weight Shift: The vast majority (70-80%) of your weight should now be firmly on your lead foot.

Checkpoint 6: Follow-Through and Finish

Don't ignore what happens after the ball is gone. A good finish position is the result of a well-sequenced and balanced swing.

From the Face-On View:

• Body Rotation: Your chest, hips, and belt buckle should all be facing your target. The trailing shoulder should rotate through so it ends up closer to the target than your lead shoulder.
• Balance: Can you hold your finish until the ball lands? Your weight should be almost entirely on your lead leg, with your trail foot used just for balance (up on its toe). If you're falling backward or stumbling, it's a sign that you didn't transfer weight correctly.

Final Thoughts

Analyzing your swing with these six checkpoints breaks an overwhelming task down into small, manageable steps. Remember, the goal isn't to look like a Tour Pro, but to create a solid, repeatable motion that works for you by addressing one or two key areas and leaving the rest alone.

I know this can still be challenging to interpret from your own video. That's why we built a tool like Caddie AI to take the work out. My app acts as your personal AI golf coach that's always on, ready to give you expert-level feedback instantly after your round or at a midnight practice session. You get personalized analysis always a click away so you know what to practice and what to ignore.