The swing fault encyclopedia

Every fault explained the way the app coaches it: how it is detected, what it does to the ball, its causes in order, and the drills that fix it — always with the source cited. No fluff.

Inside takeaway
The clubhead moves inside the hand line within the first 12 inches; the forearms rotate early.
Reversed sequence in transition
The shoulders and arms start the downswing before the pelvis; measurable loss of lag at the wrist.
Rushed tempo
Backswing-to-downswing ratio below about 2.6:1 and inconsistent from swing to swing.
Early extension
The pelvis moves toward the ball on the downswing; the spine angle set at address is lost.
Course management: the forced drive
Not a swing fault — it's a strategy call: reaching for the driver off the tee out of habit, not out of odds.
Weak grip (open face)
On face-on video, fewer than two knuckles of the lead hand are visible at address; the thumb-index V points at the chin or the lead shoulder.
Overly strong grip (closed face)
Face-on: 4 knuckles of the lead hand are visible and the trail hand is rotated well under the grip; the face arrives shut at the top.
Excessive grip pressure
Tense forearms and no fluid wrist hinge on the way back; the wrist set shows up late or not at all and the tempo shortens.
Ball position too far forward
Face-on: with irons the ball sits much closer to the lead foot than the center-forward reference; the shoulders are open at address.
Ball position too far back
Face-on: the ball sits behind the middle of the stance with mid irons; the shaft leans excessively toward the target at address.
Careless alignment (body and face aimed at different spots)
Down-the-line: the lines of the feet, hips and shoulders are not parallel to the ball-target line; the shoulders usually end up open.
Poor address posture (C-posture)
Down-the-line: a rounded back with the shoulders slumped forward, or over-flexed knees with the weight in the heels; the spine angle can't be sustained.
Sway (lateral slide in the backswing)
Face-on: the trail hip slides laterally outside the trail foot during the backswing instead of rotating; the head travels several centimeters to the right.
Overswing (past parallel at the top)
At the top the shaft goes clearly past horizontal; the lead arm bends and the grip loosens at the end of the backswing.
Backswing plane too flat
Down-the-line: halfway back the hands are well inside and the shaft points inside the ball line; the club gets stuck behind the body.
Backswing plane too steep
Down-the-line: the club goes up outside the hand line with little torso rotation; at the top the hands are very high, above the functional plane.
Flying trail elbow
Down-the-line: at the top the trail elbow separates from the side and points backwards instead of at the ground; the shaft goes across the line.
Reverse pivot
Face-on: at the top the weight is on the lead foot and the spine tilts toward the target; on the downswing the weight falls backwards.
Over the top (downswing from outside)
Down-the-line: from the top, the hands and club move outward (toward the ball line) before dropping; the club crosses the plane and attacks out-to-in.
Casting (early loss of lag)
Face-on: the wrist-shaft angle opens as soon as the downswing starts; with the lead arm horizontal, the angle to the shaft already exceeds 120 degrees.
Hanging back at impact
Face-on: at impact the weight is still on the trail foot and the torso leans away from the target; the hips never moved over the lead foot.
Chicken wing (bent lead elbow after impact)
Face-on: after impact the lead elbow bends and points at the target, with the arm folded in rather than extended.
Excessive hip slide in the downswing
Face-on: the lead hip slides laterally past the lead foot without rotating; the head dips toward the target.
Scooping (wrist flip at impact)
Face-on: at impact the lead wrist is cupped and the shaft leans away from the target; the hands arrive behind the clubhead.
Fat contact
The ground contact or the divot starts behind the ball; on video, the low point of the arc falls before the ball.
Thin contact (thin / top)
Contact on the ball's equator or above; on video, chest height rises before impact or the lead arm arrives bent.
Toe strikes
Impact mark toward the toe of the face (spray or impact tape); on video, the weight falls into the heels or the arms pull in toward the body on the…
Heel strikes (shank risk)
Impact mark toward the heel or the hosel; on video, the hands are farther from the body at impact than they were at address.
No extension toward the target
Face-on: after impact the arms fold in early and the club whips inside immediately; the frame with both arms extended toward the camera never appears.
Loss of balance at the finish
The player takes a step or stumbles after impact; they can't hold the finish with the weight on the lead foot and the trail foot up on its toes.
Deceleration in the chip
On video, the chipping backswing is longer than the follow-through and the clubhead visibly slows down before reaching the ball.
Scooping chips and wedges
On video, the lead wrist cups before impact and the clubhead passes the hands trying to lift the ball.
Weight back in the chip
Face-on: at chip address the weight is split evenly or back, and during the stroke the body leans away from the target.
No distance control with wedges
Shots from 30-80 m finish short or long with no pattern; on video, the backswing length changes between shots to the same distance.
Wrist breakdown in the putting stroke
On video, the lead wrist breaks down after impact and the arms-shoulders triangle changes shape during the stroke.
Poor distance control on long putts
A three-putt pattern: the first putt finishes more than a meter short or long; the backswing doesn't scale with the length of the putt.
Putter face misaligned at address
On video from behind, the putter face doesn't point at the chosen line at address; the ball starts off the read line within the first meter.
Deceleration in the putting stroke
On video, the putting backswing is long and the putter head slows down into the ball; the follow-through is shorter than the backswing.
Hitting the ball before the sand
The club contacts the ball clean (or enters the sand right at it) instead of entering a couple of inches behind; the ball rockets low into the lip or…
Face not opened in the sand
At address the sand wedge face is square or closed, as for a normal grass shot; the club buries itself when it enters the sand.
Weight back in the bunker
Face-on: at bunker address the weight is split evenly or back, and during the shot the body leans away from the target trying to lift the ball over the…
Deceleration in the sand
The bunker backswing is long and the club visibly slows down as it reaches the sand; the follow-through is short or nonexistent.
Digging the leading edge (not using the bounce)
The hands arrive well ahead of the ball with the shaft leaning hard toward the target, like a grass chip; the club buries in the sand instead of…
Putter face opening or closing at impact
The ball starts to one side of the chosen line even on short, straight putts; a tee gate barely wider than the putter head exposes the twist on the…
Timid short putts (peeking early)
On putts under 2 m the head and eyes dart toward the hole before impact and the stroke shrinks: a normal backswing and a timid follow-through that dies…
Not reading the break (slope and grain)
A miss pattern almost always on the low side of the hole; the player sets up and hits without looking at the putt from behind the ball or from the low…
Variable stroke rhythm (uncalibrated lag)
The stroke's tempo changes from putt to putt: some strokes long and lazy, others short and jabby; long putts finish at random distances from the hole.
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