Golf Swing Fundamentals

It’s when you make that first great hit on the course or on the range and you feel how effortless it is to make that ball move beautifully through the air to the target. At this moment all the golf swing fundamentals have come together to create the perfect shot Its an exhilarating feeling and as one friend said to me “it’s a better than sex” However unlike sex that perfect golf swing is seldom repeated but now you are hooked and on life time journey of trying to repeat the perfect golf swing.

Just as in any sport the basics don’t alter they are the same for every player. However the individual differences of body build type, personality temperament, and commitment to practice means each individual must adapt to get that easy golf swing. For some it will be an inside out golf swing others of shorter build may develop a flat golf swing and others still will have a natural slice or fade. The idea of a simple golf swing that fits all is not really so simple because we are all so different.

So given that you recognize your natural dispositions now you have the task of embedding your best swing into your muscle memory so that you are not on the tee thinking, “ what do I move first” or “how fast should my hands move” and a thousand other thoughts. With practice and visualization you can have a proper golf swing and it will be just like driving a car – you won’t have to think where the gears or brakes are you will just know. This will not happen overnight but it starts with learning the golf swing fundamentals and then practice and more practice. This brings confidence and enjoyment to what can be a very tough sport.

Basic Principles

Perhaps the most fundamental principle to apply for success in the good golf swing is to keep your head steady but not rigid and focus on the ball. When you do this you straighten your spine's alignment, which in turn gives you a true aim for the balls flight path. Because the spine is your axis for your swing path you must keep yourself straight in order to get a good ball flight result. You can Keep your head straight by raising your nose while Your left shoulder should be under your chin by the time you are ready to swing the club. Make sure you don’t tuck your head into your chest for this will restrict the shoulder movement and free flow of the swing. Just keep everything straight so that you can hit the ball from the center of the clubface.

Of course if all else fails you can use the old-timers method (for men) of having a fishhook in your scrotum and the line attached to the forehead – they say this was the greatest cure for moving the head during the golf swing. It gives a comic picture doesn’t it but then the golfer has always been the butt of jokes and fun.

So If you have practiced the head position (without the aid of the fishhook) and are able to keep steady and balanced as an axis of the golf swing circle you should now check out the position of your knees and feet. Your feet should feel firmly planted and with the weight slightly to the balls of the feet and never on the heels. Now bend at the waist with a small flex in the knees with your eyes focused on the ball - in all this you should feel comfortable and balanced. Now comes a most important move of the golfers swing. It should be a natural turn from the hips and it should not be overdone or exaggerated so now when you swing your left shoulder may touch your chin as you move on the backswing However you must prevent this left shoulder contact by lifting your head just enough to clear the shoulder and feel comfortable on the turn. The best backswings are most always a slow unhurried movement. When you see someone do a violently quick backswing you can be certain that the downswing will be disastrous.

At this point you have the option of a gentle practice swing to get the feel of everything working together. By doing all this you will have a feeling of being in the right position and being balanced and you will feel that there is no hurry to get back to the ball on the downswing. If you feel you must hurry the downswing it generally means you are in the wrong positing on the backswing and are trying to compensate by hurrying. So get yourself into position at the top of the backswing and hold it feeling and checking your balance for 10 or so seconds. By achieving all this you will have the golf swing fundamentals in place ready to crunch that ball with ease.

By: Leonard Greenhall

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