# Half swing vs. Full swing



## koon

at first I thought the difference between a half swing and a full swing is only the distance. But recently I tried my half swing and at first only the altitude is different, and after I got warm up, there's not much of a different in neither the altitude nor the distance!
I wonder if there is something wrong with my full swing? and how can I improve that? Thanks.


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## FrogsHair

Just a guess on my part, but what might be happening is that when you use your half swing, your hands are leading the club head more so at ball impact, than when you use your full swing. With your full swing you might be "scooping" the ball just a little. In other words your hands, and club head are even with each other when you impact the ball. When the hands, and club head are even with each other at impact, the golfer will lose the rated value of the loft on the club. As an example a 7 iron would become an 8 iron so to speak. With your half swing you are using the club head the way it was designed to be used, and getting better use of the rated loft of the club. 

Another scenario might be when using your half swing, with an abrupt stop half way back, you might be swinging faster back into the ball. I have seen others do this, and done it myself. I don't know why it happen, but a good guess might be a timing issue. 

Try leading the club head with your hands more into impact with your full swing. Don't worry where the ball goes, or how far. This will come later. Just concentrate on acquiring the feel of having your hands a head of the club head at impact. Do this using a slower swing to help get the feel. When done correctly, you will see much more distance, and height over your half swing when using your full swing.


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## bredies

This is an interesting observation of your own ability and performance. People often find that a shorter backswing goes just as far as a full swing! Why? Because with a shorter backswing we tend to rotate our bodies more (as opposed to the arms) to get the club to go through the ball.
This means the hips clear quicker, the hands stay ahead of the ball (as suggested above) and the timing is therefore better. You have effectively created "lag"
It really doesn't matter how far you hit the ball - far more important to be consistent and accurate.


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## Rothenfield

My observations on this topic, as a beginner who is going through the swing development process, is that the phrase “full swing” can, and should, be different for different body types and skill levels. If a new golfer tries to duplicate the “text book” full swing by trying to get the club to parallel with the ground, it is very hard to keep the clubhead under control through impact causing more strikes off the sweet spot. I’ve experienced this during my regular warm-up routine when I start with a short iron with a half-swing and slowly start building a longer and longer backswing. I also try to consciously sense when I’ve reached a comfortable release point. I believe it is much more important to feel under control and balanced allowing you to hit the sweet spot of your particular clubs consistently, and you will be amazed how far the ball will fly with what feels like very little effort.


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