Why Can't I Finish My Golf Swing?

That picture-perfect, balanced finish you see with the pros isn't just for show - it’s the clear signal of a swing that transferred energy efficiently and powerfully through the golf ball. If your swing putters out into an awkward, off-balance position, it's telling you something went wrong earlier in the sequence. This guide will walk you through the most common reasons why golfers can't finish their swing and provide simple, actionable steps a more powerful and complete follow-through.

So, What Does a "Good" Golf Finish Actually Look Like?

Before we fix the problem, let's define the goal. A complete, balanced finish isn't a destination you force yourself into, it’s the natural result of a sound swing. When you see a player holding their finish, poised and in control, you're seeing the evidence of good mechanics.

Here’s what we're aiming for:

• Your chest and hips are fully rotated and facing the target.
• Nearly all of your weight (around 90%) is on your front foot.
• Your back foot is up on its toe, with the heel pointing toward the sky.
• Your "belt buckle" is pointing at or even slightly left of the target (for a right-handed golfer).
• The club has finished over your lead shoulder, resting comfortably across your upper back.
• You are in perfect balance, able to hold the position until the ball lands.

If this sounds like a fantasy, don't worry. It's achievable. Your inability to get here is simply a symptom of a different problem. Let's find the cause.

The Root Causes: Why Your Swing Stalls Out

An incomplete finish is like a warning light on your car's dashboard. It's not the problem itself, but it’s telling you to look under the hood. Most of the time, the issue happens long before you even think about the finish position. Here are the most common culprits.

Cause #1: A Flawed Setup

How you stand to the ball dictates nearly everything that follows. If your foundation is unstable or out of position, your body can’t possibly make a full, rotational athletic move. You’d never try to throw a baseball while standing straight up like a pencil, and the same logic applies here.

The Common Mistakes:

• Poor Posture: Standing too tall or slouching over the ball prevents your body from turning correctly. Too tall restricts your shoulder turn, too slumped makes your arms disconnect from your body.
• Incorrect Weight Distribution: Starting with too much weight on your toes or heels makes you unstable from the get-go. Often, players start with weight too far back on their heels, making a forward weight shift feel impossible.
• Narrow Stance: A stance that's too narrow for the club you're hitting gives you a tiny, unstable base. It's very difficult to rotate powerfully and stay balanced when your feet are too close together.

The Fix: The Athletic Ready Position
Practice your address position in front of a mirror. Your goal is to look like an athlete ready to make a dynamic move - like a shortstop in baseball or a goalkeeper in soccer.

1. Start with your feet about shoulder-width apart for a mid-iron.
2. Bend forward from your hips, not your waist. Your back should remain relatively straight as you tilt your upper body over the ball.
3. Push your rear end slightly backward to act as a counterbalance.
4. Let your arms hang down naturally and relaxed from your shoulders. This is where you should grip the club.
5. Flex your knees slightly. Your weight should be centered on the balls of your feet, making you feel stable and primed for motion.

A solid, balanced setup makes a full turn through the ball feel natural, not forced.

Cause #2: No Weight Shift, No Finish

This is arguably the single biggest reason golfers fail to finish their swing. They get stuck on their back foot and try to power the swing entirely with their arms and upper body. This often comes from the instinct to "help" the ball into the air, causing you to hang back and scoop at it. The result is an off-balance, weak motion that collapses immediately after impact.

Imagine throwing a ball. You rock back, then step forward as you throw to generate power. The golf swing is the same. Your power comes from the transfer of energy from your back foot to your front foot through the downswing. If the weight never gets forward, your lower body can't rotate, and your swing dies at the ball.

The Fix: The "Step-Through" Drill
This drill is fantastic for programming the feeling of a proper weight shift. It might feel silly, but it works.

1. Set up to a golf ball as normal.
2. Before you start your backswing, take your front foot and place it right next to your back foot.
3. Begin your backswing as you normally would, balanced on your back foot.
4. As you start your downswing, step forward with your front foot, planting it back in its original position.
5. Swing through the ball and follow through to a full, balanced finish.

This motion forces you to shift your weight forward. After a few practice swings, hit a few balls this way. You’ll feel how the momentum of the downswing naturally pulls you into that complete finish position.

Cause #3: The Dreaded "Chicken Wing"

The "chicken wing" refers to the look of the lead arm (the left arm for righties) bending and collapsing through the impact zone, with the elbow pointing out and away from the body. This is a massive power killer and makes a full, extended finish impossible.

It’s a defensive move. It happens because you're trying to steer the clubface or because you sense you're coming down too steep ("over the top") and you reflexively pull your arms in to avoid hitting the ground hard. Instead of your body rotating and the arms extending through the ball, everything folds up.

The Fix: The "Towel Under the Arm" Drill
This classic drill is effective because it teaches you to keep your lead arm connected to your torso during the swing.

1. Tuck a small towel or an empty glove under your lead armpit.
2. Take slow, half-speed practice swings with an iron. The goal is to keep the towel in place throughout the swing, especially through the impact zone.
3. To keep the towel from falling, you have to rotate your body through the shot instead of letting your arm fly away on its own.
4. You'll feel how your torso leads the way and your arms stay connected, naturally extending down the target line before folding into a full finish.

This promotes extension and shows how body rotation, not arm manipulation, creates a flowing follow-through.

Cause #4: You're Trying to "Hit" the Ball, Not Swing "Through" It

Intent plays a huge role in the golf swing. Many amateur golfers have one subconscious goal: make contact with the ball. Their focus and energy are poured into the moment of impact. The unfortunate result is that their swing speed peaks at the ball and then rapidly decelerates right after.

Instead, think of the ball as a mere obstacle in the path of your accelerating clubhead. Your goal should be to swing the club to a full, balanced finish, and the ball simply gets in the way. Shifting your intent from "hitting the ball" to "making a finish" can fundamentally change your swing dynamics.

The Fix: The Rehearsal Finish
This is more of a mental adjustment than a physical drill.

1. Before you address the ball, make two practice swings where your only thought is to create a perfectly balanced, picture-perfect finish.
2. Don't even worry about where the club is or what it's doing. Just focus on rotating your body all the way through until you are balanced and facing the target.
3. Hold that finish for three seconds. Feel the weight on your front foot and the poise in your posture.
4. Now, step up to the ball. Your final swing thought should not be "hit the ball," but "recreate that balanced finish."

When you trust that a good swing motion will take care of impact, you free yourself up to accelerate through the ball, which inevitably leads to a better follow-through.

Final Thoughts

An incomplete, jerky finish is not a cause but an effect. Rather than trying to force yourself into a posed finish after you’ve already hit the ball, focus on fixing the root issues in your setup, weight shift, and swing intention. When your body moves correctly and athletically, a beautiful, balanced finish isn't something you have to create - it's something that just happens.

Getting your swing right involves a lot of moving parts, and sometimes you need an expert opinion right when you're stuck on the course or practicing at the range. Our goal with Caddie AI is to give you that expert in your pocket, 24/7. When a strange lie makes you hesitate and leads to a tentative, unfinished swing, you can snap a photo, and our AI will give you a clear strategy, allowing you to commit fully. Getting quick, clear answers to your questions removes the guesswork, which helps you swing with the confidence that naturally produces a better, fuller follow-through.