Body Stall (Stalling Through Impact)
Also known as: my body stalls, body stalls in the downswing, stalling through impact, hips stall, rotation stalls, stalled body rotation
When your body stalls, your hips and chest stop rotating before or during impact. The arms and hands then take over and whip the club past the body. It often causes flips, hooks and blocks. Keep turning through the ball until your chest faces the target.
A stall is a stop in the turn. The lower body may slide toward the target and halt, or the chest may stop facing the ball at impact. The club still has speed, so something must release it, and that job falls to the hands.
If the hands flip on time, the ball hooks. If they hold on, the face stays open and the ball blocks right. Contact also suffers, because the low point moves around.
Common causes are early extension, a hip slide, poor hip mobility, or fear of the left side. The fix is to keep the body moving: shift pressure into the lead foot early, then turn hard and finish with your chest facing the target.
Tips by skill level
Make half swings and keep turning until your belt buckle and chest face the target.
On video, check the hips at impact. In most good swings the hips are already open to the target line, while a stall shows them square.
Example
He hits hooks and blocks in the same round. Video shows his chest stops facing the ball at impact. He practices turning through to a full finish, and his miss tightens.
Why it matters
A stall is behind many two-way misses. Fixing the turn often fixes several symptoms at once.
Common mistakes
- Trying to fix the hook with the hands
- Sliding the hips instead of turning them
- Stopping at impact to watch the ball
- Ignoring a mobility limit
Frequently asked questions
What causes the body to stall in the golf swing?
Common causes are early extension, sliding the hips toward the target, or limited hip mobility. When the body can't turn further, it stops and the hands flip.
How do I stop stalling through impact?
Shift pressure into your lead foot early in the downswing, then keep your chest turning until it faces the target. Half swings with a held finish help you feel it.
Related terms
- FlipA flip is a flick or scoop of the hands at impact, instead of forward shaft lean. It adds loft, kills compression, and is a defensive reaction to poor sequencing.
- BlockingBlocking is when the arms and club fail to fully release through impact. The face is held open, so the ball flies straight right (for a right-hander) with no draw.
- Two-Way MissA two-way miss is missing both left and right, sometimes hooking and sometimes pushing. The cause is face and path compensating for each other inconsistently.
- Hip ClearanceHip clearance is the rotation of the lead hip out of the way through impact. It creates room for the arms and club to swing freely past the body.
- Early ExtensionEarly extension is when the hips thrust toward the ball during the downswing. The golfer stands up out of posture and has to compensate at impact.
Related guides & benchmarks
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