Improve Your Golf Swing

So how can you put this all together for a correct, effective golf swing?  Here are some things you should remember:

• When you approach the ball, let your club be your guide for how far back you need to stand.  Lay the club head down next to the ball facing it squarely.  Drop it into your hands lightly at a 45 degree angle and then adjust the distance between you and the ball according to your club length.  Do not walk up to the ball and then hold your club according to how far away you are.  Your club length should determine where you stand, not the other way around.
• Get into the proper stance.  Your shoulders should be square across but relaxed and rounded.  While you’re standing over the ball, your posture should be good with only a slight bend at the waist.
• Grip the club correctly.  This should be loose but firm.  If you’re developing calluses, you’re probably holding it too tightly.  If the club feels like it’s going to fly out of your hands during any part of your swing (or if it ever has flown out of your hands!), your grip is not firm enough.  Your thumbs should be aligned, one behind the other, both pointing straight down the shaft and at the ball.
• Keep your arms straight.  Your golf swing originates from the shoulders, not the elbows.  If your forearms move before your upper arms, you’re not originating your swing from the shoulders.  Your entire upper body moves as one.
• Your elbows need to be in alignment as well.  Unlike in baseball, you do not keep one above the other and should not be pulling them up toward your body as you roll into your swing.  This is very important because if your elbows are out of alignment when you start your swing or at any time during the swing, the club will be pulled out of its proper arc.
• Remember the illustration of swinging inside a barrel.  With your entire upper body, you need to roll around, not sideways, into your swing.  You are not reaching above you and shouldn’t be pulling the club away from your body but are just making a round movement that originates from the shoulders and involves the whole arms and upper part of the body.
• As you come back down from your swing, the arms should remain in that barrel roll.  You are not coming straight at the ball; if you try to do this you may just hit the ground on your way down!  Your entire swing is in an arc, not a choppy motion that is trying to whack the ball.
• Your wrists should cock only at the last moment as you strike the ball so that your arms can continue in their arc.  Don’t make the mistake of locking them or getting them out of alignment when the club is above your head.
• During your follow-through, you need to continue in that arc.  Remember that your navel should be pointing at your intended target when your swing is done.  If your belly is still pointing forward at the end of your swing, you’re probably tossed sideways and your upper body will put your entire swing out of motion.  That last part of your swing is vitally important as it determines the trajectory of the ball.  Those that hook or slice often find that they’ve gotten out of that good barrel roll, not during their back swing but in their follow-through.  Remember that the swing isn’t over until the club is across the body, not when it hits the ball.
• And of course you need to keep your head down through this entire swing.  Would you believe that many golfers actually not only jerk their head up but have a tendency to close their eyes during their swing?  If you do this you may be trying to put too much power behind your swing, closing your eyes against the force of the club hitting the ball.  You need to keep your eye on the ball throughout your entire swing.
• Make sure everything is smooth and relaxed.  Golf is not about power and strength but the easy skill of the swing.  Resist the urge to “jerk” your club around or “smack” the ball upon impact.  Notice how smooth and fluid the swings of professional golfers are; there’s no overpowering the ball or pulling the swing too far with them.

If you keep everything in the right arc and remember to start from the shoulders and keep your entire body working together, you’ll notice your swing improving immensely.  Most poor golf swings are caused by one or two elements working against each other, such as the midsection not moving during the follow-through or the arms moving before the shoulders.  A simple, smooth swing will win out every single time!

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