There are two approaches to achieving a better golf swing. There is improving your physical capabilities…and improving your golf swing technique.

How many times has your teaching pro recommended a golf swing technique change and you couldn’t do it no matter how many balls you hit? It’s because you didn’t have the “physical capability” to successfully make the change and repeat it.

For example, if you didn’t have adequate core strength and flexibility, you would be unable to create and maintain the “x-factor”, or the separation between the hip rotation and shoulder rotation, therefore losing force and ultimately distance.

But by implementing simple, golf exercises…it is possible to develop the ability to execute these key actions, which result in greater clubhead speed, force and distance.

Identifying your weak points, and doing golf-specific exercises to replicate the specific action will allow you to achieve the specific golf swing technique change effectively.

I’ve seen some very simple, yet effective golf exercises and stretches that when implemented and done consistently can result in substantial increases in driving distance and accuracy.

Creating specific exercises related to your teaching pros golf swing technique recommendations can give you the quickest results…that are lasting.

Suffice it to say…the development of your physical abilities…especially strength and flexibility…plays a critical role in not only improving your golf swing technique…but in hitting the ball farther and much straighter.

The bottom line…your golf swing technique is dictated by your physical capabilities.

The golf swing can be one of the most challenging things to learn and master. It requires commitment and effort on your part to put in the practice necessary to learn how to swing a golf club effectively. There are a few basic things you need to keep in mind in order to learn the golf swing and it is recommended that you take it slow and learn one thing at a time.

Once you feel comfortable with a particular aspect of the golf swing then move on to the next step. The golf swing can be broken down into the grip, stance, backswing, downswing and follow through. Let us look at each of these elements of the swing more closely.

- The Grip

There are basically three kinds of ways to grip the golf club. It is important to spend the time necessary to master your grip as this is a critical aspect of the golf swing. If your grip is incorrect it will affect your performance negatively even if everything else is fine.

The first kind of grip is the interlocking grip, this is where the index finger of the left hand and the small finger of your right hand interlock or hook each other. If you have short hands or your hands are very thick then this kind of grip may be the best for you.

The next kind is the overlapping grip. With this grip the little finger of the right hand will sit on top of the index finger of the left hand. You need strong wrists and arms to use this grip. Test each grip method and decide on the one that feels most comfortable to you.

The baseball grip is commonly used by most beginners. The index finger of the left hand and the little finger of the right hand do not overlap or interlock but they do make contact. This is basically as the name suggests the way you would grip a baseball bat.

- The Stance

The important point to remember with the stance is to keep your weight balanced and your feet position getting wider up to shoulder width as the club you are using gets longer. So for the driver you will want the most stability thus a wider stance with your legs shoulder width apart is ideal. Also the ball position should start at the center of your stance for a wedge and move up to the heel of your left foot for the driver.

- The Backswing

One of the biggest mistakes that beginners make is that they rush their backswing. Make sure that you take a slow relaxed backswing. You are better off being too slow than too fast when it comes to the backswing. Also work on keeping your left arm as straight as possible throughout the backswing.

- The Downswing

An important key to the downswing is to keep your head in the same position or as close as possible to its original location throughout the downswing. Make sure that you do not try to use your right arm to try to generate power. Instead you should get the feeling that you are pulling the club with your left arm. The power will come from the leverage that is created between the angle between the club and you left arm. The longer you can hold this angle the more power you will create.

- The Follow Through

At impact make sure that your head is behind the ball and keep your head down and let it come up with your right shoulder. Keep in mind also that at no point in the golf swing should you feel like you need to add power or strain yourself. Stay relaxed and you will soon develop an effortless swing that is not only accurate but also generates a lot of power and distance.

Take some time to learn the fundamentals of the golf swing before you go out on the course. Spend a week or two practicing your grip, stance and basic swing movements. Once you are ready to trust your mechanics then you can head out on the course and focus on your targets. When you are on the course do your best to stay away from thinking about swing mechanics and just concentrate on your targets. Train your swing and then trust it, this is the best way to get lower golf scores.

Golf swing instruction starts with an understanding of the different segments of the golf swing. Understanding the golf swing segments will give anybody a firm foundation to learn all the tricks of the trade from others and thus be able to understand any golf swing instruction aimed at helping them improve their game.

There are actually three segments to the golf swing. The segments are the backswing, the downswing and finally the impact and follow through.

Dividing the swing into these 3 segments helps to apply every individual golf swing instruction or tip to the particular segments where they apply. It also helps the golfer focus on one segment at a time in their golf swing instruction making it easier for them to remember what they learn and also to be able to work on improving their game systematically.

There is another bigger advantage to this approach. And that is the ability to be able to draw ones attention to the many different parts of the body and the many muscles involved in a proper golf swing.

This is important in helping a golfer involved in a golf exercise program to be able to appreciate the different exercises they do in the program and what particular muscles the exercises focus on.

All this makes it a lot easier for any golfer to link their exercises to golf swing instructions they receive as they seek to improve on their game.

Actually it is not possible to divorce the basics of golf swing instruction from golf specific exercises. The two go together and chances of improving your game improve dramatically when you combine the two. On the other hand progress is bound to be much slower when you work on golf swing instruction only.

So, you want to play golf like you have some knowledge and respect for the sport? First, you need to know the basics associated with the playing dynamics to showcase what type of knowledge you actually have about the sport. If that is not enough, try reviewing the article listed below to assist you.

Always remain sober while playing golf, no matter the circumstance. Some guys at the country club like to throw back a few cocktails before hitting the links. That’s OK, for them at least. You want to improve your overall game. Don’t have a horrible day out there and then develop the yips. Keep your mind clean and sober.

One thing that holds women back as golfers, is the fact that they are multi-taskers by nature and by demand. Because women are so used to having to think of a million things at once, it is very difficult for them to attain the singleness of purpose needed for successful golf. Taking up yoga and meditation may help a woman attain a state of quiet mind that will improve her golf game.

A helpful tip when it comes to golf is to consider investing in golfing gloves if you find that your hands are developing blisters. This is important because if your hands are injured then you will not be out there practicing. Golf can definitely wear on sensitive areas of your hands, so be sure to take care to protect them.

Triangulate your legs to your shoulders when you swing to make better contact with the ball. Just as how you hold the club is important, squaring your body up offers a likewise important factor in the outcome of your shot. When you are lopsided in either direction, it will skew your shot to favor that direction.

It is helpful to know that some days your game will be great, and other days it will be terrible. This is inevitable, and if you let yourself be bothered by a bad golf day, then you might not be motivated to practice and continue playing the sport.

Gripping the putter is very important not just at address, but throughout the putting stroke. Maintain soft but sufficient pressure at address, and keep your pressure constant throughout the address and stroke. This will help prevent any jerky movements that may cause you to push or pull the ball at contact.

When you are on the green and have to remove the flag stick be sure to not throw it down. The act of throwing it down can damage the surface of the green. When you take out the flagstick put it down gently and make sure that it is near the edge of the green and not the cup.

Before you take any shot from the tee, fairway, or rough, double-check to see the whereabouts of the group in front of you. Don’t assume that if they aren’t in the fairway or on the green that they are out of reach. They may be in the trees or behind a hill, and if you don’t wait you could hit them with your shot.

This article should have provided you with a proper foundation of what it takes to become a better golfer and what areas of the sport you can improve upon. Should any inquiries still remain, review the article again.

Conditioning for golf sounds like an oxymoron doesn’t it? But let me ask you this. Do you feel stress in your body during or after a golf swing? I’m referring to physical stress. The muscles tightening; the lower back stiffening; the joints aching; or just plain physical fatigue. The reason I ask is to make you aware that conditioning for golf will help eliminate all the above.

I’ve written many articles pertaining to the traumatic effect the golf swing can have on the body. Swinging a 3 foot plus lever (club) at up to 100 mph in a very dynamic and sometimes uncomfortable position (golf posture) will abuse your body quickly if you have not prepared your muscles from both a strength and flexibility standpoint.

Physical breakdown of the body is a common occurrence for golfers. Many golfers don’t realize the intense pressure the golf swing causes, and yet they’ll deal with aches and pains through their entire golfing career.

It doesn’t have to be that way!

Golf is an athletic movement and you should physical prepare your body to perform, like any other athlete would for his or her sport.

Doesn’t that make sense?

I see golfers every day on the range and the golf course who are physically broken. They have locked up shoulders, inhibiting their ability to rotate fully; they have no core strength (most golfers are sporting too many pounds in the middle) to produce power and distance; poor hamstring flexibility, making it impossible to maintain golf poster; the upper back muscles are weak and tight causing the rounded upper back, eliminating any chance of proper spine angle.

I could go on and on, but I think you’re getting the picture.

I don’t know if golfers are in denial of the importance of conditioning for golf, or just don’t want to put any effort into that aspect of the game. But either way, it is inevitable that a weak and restricted body will have no chance at maximizing potential. It’s a physical impossibility.

Conditioning for golf should be taken seriously!

When you do a program specific to golf, it can be fun. Boredom is one of the biggest causes of consistency and results. But if you knew you were doing something not only for your personal health, but to benefit your golf game, wouldn’t that motivate you to stick with it?

We’re not talking about going to a gym for 2 hours with all the muscle heads. We’re talking about 20-30 minutes a day in your home. Simple and fun exercises with tubing, handweights and a stability ball. Your complete golf fitness gym for under $60. No gym memberships. Just a fun routine in the privacy of your home.

Evaluate where your golf swing and game are currently and ask yourself this question. “Would I play better if I could move my body more fluidly and powerfully?” The answer is a resounding YES! You’ve got to realize this sooner or later. Prepare your body to perform and the sky is the limit.

Get started right now on your conditioning for golf!

The stance is important to golfers that are trying to make the best golf swing. It is important to get in position and make sure that you use proper posture when playing golf.

The back should be straight at all times to protect your back against injuries. The arms and hands must hang down below your shoulders. Most players will assess their location of the arms and hands before they set up their ball. The left arm should hang loosely.

The posture or stance is not negotiable. To make a good golf swing, the posture must be correctly in position. All professional players make sure they have the proper stance down in order to progress.

It has two aspects, which on the motion side, creates the best way to get a good golf swing, and it also protects the players’ back when he has the proper structure.

While standing still, a professional will focus on his posture and grip. All other aspects of the game require more concentration and time. This is because the player works on golf swings and other aspects during his swing. Once the player checks his posture and grip, he then moves on to make a good golf swing.

Most professional golfers use several methods to produce the best golf swing. Often the players will focus on the most important aspects of playing golf, including posture. The player will also pivot or stand in position with the back straight and the legs slightly bent.

Golf swing exercises are the missing link to adding tremendous power to your golf swing quickly. To be able to execute an effective golf swing…golf swing exercises will enhance your bodies abilitiy to move throughout the required ranges of motion…enabling you to hit drives you know you are capable of.

The other reason why golf swing exercises are so important is in the fact that a golf swing by its’ very nature is a very unnatural and awkward movement of the body and muscles. It therefore stands to reason that the body will usually resist the golf swing action and this is why it appears to be so difficult to master.

However when you implement golf swing exercises to strengthen and condition the relevant muscles, the golf swing becomes less awkward to the body.

Let us now take a closer look at the movements involved in a golf swing so that we come up with the most effective golf swing exercises that will impact most dramatically on the quality of your game.

The golf swing is actually a turn back (rotate) and turn through (rotate). Most of the movement is pure rotational in nature. This means doing golf swing exercises like a seated twist holding a dumbbell straight out in front of you is a very effective exercise in strengthening and conditioning the muscles used in the golf swing.

Be careful not to use very heavy weights in this golf swing exercise. 3-5 pound dumb bells are ideal. Remember that a golf club is not heavy; in fact it weights less than a pound.

Repeating golf swing exercises like this as many times as you can within a 30-minute session without straining yourself. Do remember to warm up before you begin the session and also to warm down when you are through.

Warming up ensures that you do not start with your muscles cold. Stretches involving the muscles that you are going to use can also be extremely useful before you go into these golf swing exercises.

We as golfers have heard the term swing plane many times during our golfing careers. But do we really know the definition of it and the bearing upon our golf swing?

Recently, I had a conversation with Dean Reinmuth (top 30 teaching pro ranked by Golf Digest) and I think he described swing plane the best. Dean suggests to think of the swing plane as an imaginary circle. The imaginary circle that represents the swing plane is set at an angle. It is the path on which it is necessary for the club to travel in order to execute the swing correctly.

Beginning at address, the clubhead and shaft should be positioned at the “bottom” of the swing plane. During takeaway into the backswing and at the transition point of the swing, the clubhead and shaft are to remain on the swing plane. These three phases of the swing represent the club traveling “up” the swing plane to “top” of it. Keep in mind the visual of the circle and the shaft of the club dissecting the shoulder during these phases of the swing.

Once the transition is complete, the downswing begins and the clubhead is moving down the swing plane. The path on which the club is traveling down should be the same as on the backswing.

Continuing on with the swing plane, the club is to travel to again the “bottom” of the swing plane for impact with the golf ball. Once impact has occurred with the golf ball the follow-through of the swing occurs, and it is still necessary for the club to travel upon the correct swing plane. This assures that you are releasing the golf club correctly.

The swing plane on the follow through is essentially a “mirror image” of it on the backswing. The golf club, again, must travel up an imaginary circle that dissects your front shoulder up into the finish position.

What does the swing plane represent?

The swing plane represents the path on which your golf club should travel upon during the swing.

Why is it so important for the golf club to travel upon the swing plane?

The golf club must travel upon the correct swing path in order to impact the golf ball correctly. Impacting the golf ball correctly provides the greatest possibility of delivering powerful, accurate, and consistent shots on the course of play.

Oftentimes the golf club does not travel upon the correct swing plane. What happens in such instances?

The path of the club becomes and “outside to in” move resulting in a slice, or an “inside to out” swing plane resulting in a hook. Overall, the club’s not traveling on the correct swing plane results in poor shots.

Now that we know what a proper swing plane is within the golf swing and we can visually create a picture of it, how do we develop the proper swing plane?

This is the hard part, and there are no secrets about it. Referring back to my conversation with Dean Reinmuth, he suggests that it is a process of creating “feel” for the proper swing plane. Creating “feel” is a process of knowing where the clubhead is on the swing plane. This allows you to know where your golf club is in regards to the proper swing plane required of the golf swing.

How do you go about creating “feel” within your golf swing?

It is a process of understanding the mechanics of swing and developing the proper swing mechanics within your golf swing.

This allows you to know what the golf club should be doing, where it should be during each phase of the swing, and when it is not where it should be when you are swinging the golf club.

Overall, it becomes a process of recognition. Recognition of what is the right and the wrong movements/positions within the golf swing. Once “feel” is developed within your swing, I would definitely say you are close to mastering the golf swing.

This does require time and effort on your part. But if you are willing to put in the time and effort, rewards on the course will be well documented.

Sean

Would you say you have a fast looking swing or a slow swing? (If you don’t have a fast swing show this article to a playing partner who does). You would think that a recreational golfer’s fast swing would hit a golf ball a long way wouldn’t you? After all, it looks fast! Yet the ball doesn’t go as far as a slow swinging pro’s ball. I wonder why…

If you think about your body for a minute, you know that it moves much slower than your arms in real life. So if your body can’t turn all that fast, how do you get a fast looking golf swing? You get a fast looking golf swing when you try to hit the ball as hard as you can with just your arms. This means that your arms are moving independently from your body.

This fast looking swing can be understood by imagining a clock. If you look at a clock, you will see that the little post in the middle tells the minute hand how fast to swing. If the little post moves slowly, the minute hand moves slowly. If the little post moves faster, the arms move faster. The center post and the minute hand are relative to one another. If you compare your golf swing to the movement of a clock you will see your body as the center post on the clock and your arms as the minute hand. Having a fast looking swing would be like the little center post of the clock turning slowly yet the minute hand is moving very fast. This, of course, would never happen because they are connected to one another.

What happens to your shots when your arms outpace your body?

First, won’t make solid contact with the sweet spot on the clubface because swinging with your arms alone will cause you to manipulate the clubface as it swings through impact.

Secondly, the harder you swing, the tighter your wrists and arms will be through impact. Tighter wrists release slower than looser wrists and looser arms extend more than tighter arms (which increase the width of your swing arc).

To slow down a fast looking golf swing, we first have to think logically about it. Pros have a slow looking swing and they hit the ball a long way and you have a fast swing that hits the ball shorter. So why do you insist on hitting the ball harder than the pros do?Unfortunately, human nature usually takes control of us when we go to hit a golf ball. It says that the harder you swing the further the ball will go. This does not allow us to see the logic behind swinging slower. Swinging slower feels like you have less power so you cannot see how you can actually hit the ball better and farther by not using your arms. You must convince yourself that you must swing slower to hit the ball better. Once you slow down, you will make better contact in the middle of the clubface, widen your arc and release the club faster. All of these things add up to more distance with less effort.

I like my students to try this drill in order to take the arms out of their swing. All you have to do is hold the club at about waist high and feel your body swing the clubhead. Remember the clock. If the post turns faster the arms swing faster. As you swing, listen to the swishing sound the clubhead is making as it swings through impact. Now, try to make the club swing faster by shifting your body weight from the right leg to the left leg allowing your body to turn at the same time. If you let your arms swing freely you will hear the club swish faster as you increase the speed of your body.

As you go to hit the actual golf ball, you must relate the same new feeling of using your body to hit your shot. This means that you cannot think of hitting the ball. If you think about hitting the ball, it will speed up your arms up again. You have to now think about turning and shifting your body weight. This will turn your body and allow your arms to swing down because they are connected to one another. If you feel your swing getting fast again just step back, hold the club off the ground and do some more practice swings feeling your body making the club swing. It takes some practice and concentration but once you slow your swing down you will not only gain a feeling of effortless power but you will start to look like a pro when you swing.

Until next time,

Paul Wilson

The perfect golf swing. Aren’t we all look for it? Now the educating part. The perfect golf swing is not attainable! Did that get your attention? Let me say it one more time. The perfect golf swing is not attainable! Unless…you have a higher level of strength and flexibility specific to golf.

I know you’ve probably heard this before…but the question is…did you take it to heart? Or did you just shrug your shoulders and continue on the same frustrating path to your hopeful golf improvement?

When we break down the golf swing mechanically and physically…it’s amazing to see what the body goes through when a near perfect golf swing is performed. There is an enormous amount of core strength and flexibility. Upper spine and low back strength. Then hamstring strength and flexibility. Shoulder stability from a rotation standpoint. Quad strength to maintain adequate knee flex and posture. I could go on and on.

Are you getting the picture?

To achieve a near perfect golf swing takes a physical approach. One that focuses on your current limitations and how it is affecting your swing. Once you realize what limitations are causing your swing faults…you’ll be well on your way to a perfect golf swing.

How many times have you made an attempt at a golf swing only to fall off balance and mishit your shot badly? How your backswing? Have you tried and tried to make that 90 degree shoulder turn like your pro said, only to create such a tense and powerless you were ready to give up the game?

I’m here to tell you…you’ve got to change your approach if you want to achieve that perfect golf swing. Start with YOU and you’re on your way!