1 post tagged “lists”
We'll do this in reverse order, just to keep things interesting.
10. Light grip - you should only hold the club as tight as you would a child's hand. This allows gravity and momentum to do alot of the work for you.
9. Bend your knees forward, not out - I see alot of people get in a stance like they're riding an invisible horse. Remember, golf is a sport. Keep those knees bent like you're ready to move.
8. Relax! - I know, it sounds opposite of what you think you should be doing, but if your muscles are too tight, your swing won't be a natural motion, and the ball surely won't go where you want it to.
7. Turn your shoulders - real power in a golf swing comes from the trunk. Use this part of the body to put force behind the ball. To really accomplish this, you need to turn your shoulders no further than 90 degrees. An easy way to tell if you've turned far enough is if your shoulder is touching your chin. If it is, great. If it's not, you've not turned quite far enough.
6. A full swing isn't as "full" as you think - I often struggle with this. A full swing feels like a half swing to me. What I mean is, when the club is at the peak of my backswing (parallel to the ground), it actually feels like I'm at only about 60%. What feels like 100% to me is actually way past parallel, making it more difficult for me to square the clubface at impact, which causes the ball to do not nice things.
5. Left arm straight! - this is spoken from a right handed golfer. If you're a lefty, this would be your right arm. When taking the club back, never let your left arm bend. If you have to take less of a swing because your arm can't go back anymore wtihout bending, it's probably indicative you've been taking the club back too far.
4. Thumb and forefinger creases should point to your right eye - when placing your hands on the club, your left should go on first with the meat of the palm resting on top of the grip. The grip should NOT be running along the lifeline of your palm. Then, place the right hand over the left to the left thumb is comfortably resting in the lifeline of the right palm. The creases between the left thumb and forefinger, and right thumb and forefinger should be pointing at your right eye. Reverse this for lefties.
3. Swing hard! - I think many golf coaches would disagree with me. but I remember reading an article by Nick Faldo. He made it clear that if you don't learn power early in your golf career, you may as well forget it. So, if you're a beginner, swing as hard as you can at every shot. Learn power, then focus on accuracy later.
2. Confirm your target line - this one can be tough. When you line up for your shot, your target line is an imaginary line that runs from the tip of your right foot to the tip of your left foot, then on down the fairway. You want to aim barely left of your target, since the club is just a bit away from you. If you're not sure you've got your target line right, set up as if you're going to swing, then lay your club down so it's forming a line between the tips of your feet. Then, step back behind the club to see your target line. The results may surprise you.
1. KEEP YOUR HEAD DOWN - this is easily the most critical part of the swing. Don't raise your head until your right shoulder is touching your chin. This goes for drives, field shots, chips and putts. The best way to ingrain this is to take a dozen practice swings before you ever hit your first ball, concentrating on not raising your head until your right shoulder comes in contact with your chin.
I hope these tips have helped you. If you'd like some more instruction, feel free to leave me a comment, and I'll be happy to help.
