So... you think you have swing problems? Are you sure? How do you know? How can you find out? The nature of this article will be to help you answer these questions and at the same time teach you a little bit about your golf swing habits.
The first thing we need to establish is the order in which you should troubleshoot your golf swing. There are basically two parts to the swing, the pre-swing (also called the set-up) and the in-swing. The first part consists of our fundamentals, alignment, grip, ball position and posture resulting in our set-up. All the part of the swing before it starts in motion. The second part, the in-swing, consists of the moving parts of the swing - the backswing, change of direction, downswing and follow-through. This is the area that we are all guilty of spending too much time in. It is easier for us to assume we are set-up correctly and start picking apart our swing.
Here is where the problem lies. We need to realize that the set-up, since it comes first, influences the shape of the swing. The way we hold the club, align our bodies, place the ball and stand dictates what happens during the in-swing. So generally when there is something wrong with our swing it is a direct result of a flaw in our set-up.
Now we can see where it would be incorrect to just start analyzing our swings without first knowing if our set-up is correct. However, because of the millions of potential swing thoughts we can have, it's easy for us to just think about the swing itself. There are so many things we have read or heard that we want to go out and try them. However, these things are all designed to help the player that is fundamentally sound.
Think about it. Why try these things if you simply are not holding the club correctly? Why try to swing correctly if you’re not even properly aimed at the target? Why keep trying to hit the ball solid when it's not in the correct place? Why try to swing correctly when you're out of balance? If you are going to keep pursuing the correct golf swing these things must be considered and maintained!
Remember not to just assume that you are set up correctly. It is impossible to correctly see yourself when you are in the set-up position. Since it is so difficult to see if you are correct some aids might come of use. Laying clubs on the ground, a video camera or a friend to tell you are just some of the ways you can correctly get this feedback.
When was the last time you spent an hour on just your posture or grip, alignment or ball position? These are the things that most top pros spend endless hours on. They work hard on maintaining their set-up fundamentally sound because they know it is the foundation for executing the proper golf swing.
So the next time you think you have a swing flaw check your fundamentals first. After all, chances are it's that fundamental flaw that is causing that swing problem!
