If you’ve ever felt “stuck” in the downswing, hit a block to the right followed by a hook to the left, or watched a video of yourself rising up out of your posture at impact, you’ve met early extension. It’s not a rare problem. According to one of the largest data sets in golf, it’s the most common swing characteristic of all.
What is early extension?
Titleist Performance Institute (TPI) defines it as any forward movement of the lower body towards the golf ball during the downswing. That movement gets the arms and club stuck behind the body and forces the torso to rise through impact.
TPI says it usually causes two misses: a block to the right and a hook to the left (for a right-handed golfer). Players often describe feeling “stuck” or “trapped”, because the body has moved into the space the arms need.
How common is it?
In a separate TPI article, TPI says it has screened more than 90,000 golfers worldwide and found that 67 per cent early extend. Of the more than 100 tour players it tested, it says 99 per cent did not. That’s a striking contrast.
Why it happens
TPI links early extension closely to physical limitations. It highlights the inability to perform a full deep squat as one of the most common factors, because without that mobility it’s hard to stay bent forward while rotating. It also lists limited hip mobility, limited separation between the upper and lower body, and weak glutes and core.
That’s why, if early extension won’t go away no matter what you try, a physical screen with a TPI-certified professional is worth considering.
A drill to stop standing up
Most early extension drills focus on the hips, such as keeping your backside against a wall or a chair. They’re useful. But coach Eric Cogorno makes an interesting point in his video “Why Amateurs Can’t Stop Standing up”: we talk less about the upper body.
The “down and forward” feel
Cogorno describes drawing a line down your forehead and another along your backside at address. Early extension means both move away from those lines. From the upper body’s point of view, standing up means the head goes up and back.
His fix is to feel the opposite, and to exaggerate it: feel your head and upper body go down towards the ground and forward towards the ball in the downswing, as if breaking through a pane of glass in front of your forehead. He notes that many golfers need to feel as if they’re getting lower just to stay at the same height.
Crucially, he pairs this with the weight moving towards the lead heel, so you don’t tip onto your toes. He explains that this can also help the lead hip stay back.
The split-grip drill
Cogorno also uses a split-hand grip drill: lead hand in its normal place, trail hand slid down to the bottom of the grip, club head held just above the ball. From there, he makes short swings back to hip height, feeling the head go down and forward and the weight go into the lead heel.
How we’d practise it:
- Make five split-grip rehearsals back to hip height, without a ball.
- Hit ten short shots with your normal grip, keeping the same feel.
- Build to three-quarter swings.
All credit for this feel and drill goes to Eric Cogorno.
How DE-SHANK helps
Early extension is hard to feel and easy to see. DE-SHANK gives you a posture change score from 30 to 100 on every swing, showing whether you stand up or dip through the shot. It sits alongside scores for tempo, head movement and hip sway.
Try recording five swings before the drill and five after. If your posture change score improves, the feel is working. DE-SHANK keeps your history on your phone, so you can see whether the change lasts over the coming weeks. See all our features.
DE-SHANK gives estimates from one camera view. It’s designed for practice feedback, to help you spot habits and track trends.
Common mistakes
- Tipping onto your toes. Pair the “down and forward” feel with pressure into the lead heel.
- Only working on the hips. As Cogorno points out, the upper body matters too.
- Ignoring mobility. If you can’t squat deeply, drills alone may not be enough.
Our take
Early extension is common, frustrating and often linked to the body as much as the swing. A clear feel and honest feedback can make a real difference. For more drills, browse our Coaching Tips.
Try DE-SHANK free
See whether you’re standing up through the ball. Try the free DE-SHANK beta and get a posture change score on every swing. It’s free during the beta.
