I've reviewed many golf swings over the years, and there's one mistake that shows up constantly — early extension.

If you're standing up out of your posture before impact, you're losing power, consistency, and accuracy. Your body is literally compensating to avoid hitting the ground.

How to spot it: Film yourself from down the line. If your hips move toward the ball during the downswing instead of rotating, that's early extension.

Why it happens: Usually it's a setup issue. If your weight starts too far forward or your spine angle is off at address, your body has no choice but to stand up to make contact.

The fix that works for most people:

• At address, feel like your weight is mid-foot to slightly in your heels

• Practice half swings where you maintain your spine angle all the way through

• Focus on rotating your belt buckle toward the target, not thrusting toward the ball

It's not glamorous, but fixing this one thing can easily drop 5-10 strokes.

If you want me to look at your swing and give you specific feedback, that's exactly what I do inside SwingLab.