Get Back To Golf Swing Basics

Posted November 28, 2011 at 9:25 pm

Golf is a game where your mind, body and clubs combine to produce your golf swing. This is what might be called the foundation of modelling golfing excellence. The golf swing has many pieces to it from setup, to address to your backswing, downswing, impact and follow through.

Many golfers start behind the eight ball with poor physical conditioning, no set routines for pre-shot, shot and post shot.

Most golfers focus on hitting the ball and that is it. It should be simple, just hit the ball. Smash the ball should make it go a greater distance, right? Only if you play true to your golf swing plane and it is on line with the line the ball needs to move along. Assuming of course you hit it square.

Many factors make this much harder for the average golfer.

Are you playing against yourself before you even get started? Here is just a few ways you might be making it harder than it needs to be.

You are not fit, a bit or a lot out of shape, short muscles, tight joints so you are not physically capable of a full golf swing.
You guess your golf swing each time trying to find an answer on the course. You don't have each step as a solid repeatable routine.
You are having thoughts in your swing and caught up trying to think it through instead of focussing on the target.
Those golf clubs are simply wrong for you, the grip is too thin or fat. There is too much flex in the shaft or the clubs are too short which impacts your posture at address.
The golf ball you are using is second hand, out of shape or worse cold which means less distance or worse.

It is time to get back to basics with your golf swing. Here's what you can do.

Build a sequence you can follow like second nature without fail so it is repeatable. Break your whole routine down step by step and master each step one piece at a time.

Before every round or practice session warm up - stretch. This includes wrists, elbows, hands of course, your back legs and every joint and muscle in the body. Think of your golf swing and go through your golf bag one club at a time to warm up with 2 or 3 swings with every club.

Start with a solid address of the ball with your feet aligned to the target, your club face square to the ball and line. Once you address the golf ball all the decisions have been made, breathe to manage those emotions or nerves. Breathe to let go, relax, get into your body. Focus on your target and the shot you intend to play.

Build a backswing that works for you. You might shorten your swing to start with to play more accurate shots and then work on building your strength and power.

Know what starts your backswing. You want your hands, arms, shoulders and chest to move as a triangle. A slow backswing will serve you best with your arms fully extended.

Build club head speed from the top of the backswing through the downswing. Timing and rhythm comes from a smooth golf swing. Your natural rhythm can be found through the breath. Breathe in on the backswing and out through the downswing through the ball to the target.

Your spine needs to be straight as this is the axis of rotation for the golf swing. Rotation is impeded if the spine is not straight and the result is often too much movement up and down or sideways of the arms, hands or head.

It takes time to learn the golf swing basics, take your time, learn in slow motion one piece at a time so your pre shot routine, your shot routine and golf swing is consistently the same each time. Your golf swing is a combination of your mental game, your body and golf clubs working as one in a golf swing that works.