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My recent experiments with 'The Swing Machine' methods of Paul Wilson and some subsequent research have convinced me that there is one element of the golf swing that has always been neglected by average golfers - the finish of the swing.

PW is big on the finish position of the body rotation swing he advocates - club shaft parallel to the eyes, behind the head, straight front leg, with the knees touching. I didn't give this much emphasis in my research - after all, once the ball is struck, who cares what happens to the arms, club, etc.

But as PW and a number of other teaching pros will confirm, the finish position of a golf swing tells us a lot about how effective the swing that preceded it actually was. An off balance, incomplete or ungainly finish usually means that the swing was rushed or off plane or too steep or in some other way less than effective.

A balanced finish to the swing - 90% plus weight on the front foot, arms high, club behind the neck or back, etc. tends to indicate that the swing was good. And while it is not a perfect measure of the success of the shot, I have almost always found that the more often I finish a shot in this way the better the shot has been.

There are a few challenges to overcome when trying to achieve a balanced finish in the golf swing. One of the major ones is the inability to transfer the vast majority of weight to the front foot at and through impact, that is, a tendency to either fall back or stay flat-footed. Another challenge is simply being willing to 'let the swing go', to swing freely, and to trust the swing to hit the ball, rather than hit at the ball or try to steer it.

Many golfers also make life difficult for themselves (and I include myself of course) by gripping the club too tightly, which tightens the arm muscles and restricts the wrists, limiting the freedom of movement (the whipping action of the wrists) that is so important in generating club head speed. Martin Hall, quoting Tom Watson, advocates as loose a grip as possible throughout the swing - a grip that is just tight enough to prevent the club slipping through ones fingers.

Another barrier to the free and full follow through to a balanced finish is the predeliction of many golfers to try to hold the club face square at impact, thereby limiting the ability of their wrists to roll over or release as they actually need to do in order to square the club face at impact. The image and feel recommended here is of touching the inside of the wrists a little after impact.

If you observe most professional golfers, the classic finish of the swing position is quite similar - hands and arms wrapped around their neck or behind their head or down their back - but with their weight almost entirely on their front foot and leg - and facing the target.

There are some good golfers who can get away with short, ugly, ungainly swings, but they are rare individuals. Most golfers should give much more attention to the finish position of their golf swing. It sounds back to front, but it is extremely important.