Building a repeatable swing is ultimately the goal of all golf instruction.

The secret to producing a repeatable swing with your irons is keeping the clubface square to the swing path. Failing to do so forces you to make compensatory moves to return the clubface square to the ball.

Five other keys to building a repeatable swing are

Staying connected:
One common factor among good players, in addition to low golf handicaps, is &’staying connected&’ during the swing. In other words, good players feature a one-piece takeaway from the ball, which I often stress in my golf tips and golf lessons. Staying connected means that everything&’your club hands, arms, and shoulders&’moves away from the ball in unison as you start your backswing, ensuring that the clubhead travels on a wide arc away from the ball.

Set the club on the correct plane

A repeatable swing sets the club on the correct plane. To do so, hinge or cock your wrists as you move into the backswing. As your arms continue to swing upward and your body to turn, the wrists point the clubhead skyward while your left shoulder replaces the right shoulder at address. The angle of the shaft to the ball stays the same and the clubhead remains square to the swing&’s path.

Swing into the top slot
As the top of the backswing, your club moves into &’the slot&’ position, where the club&’s shaft is horizontal to the ground and parallel to the target line. Also, the clubface&’s angle matches your arm angle. Known as square or neutral, this is the ideal position to aim for at the top of the backswing. In addition, your original spine angle and your head position remain the same as at address.

Your shoulders are turned 90 degrees, while your hips are turned 45 degrees. Most of your weight is over the right foot and you feel resistance in your right knee and right thigh.

Retain the force of the swing
Settle your weight smoothly back on your left side and start to unwind the upper body, as you move into the downswing. Also, drop your right elbow (for right handers) down to your side. This flattens the swing slightly. (This is Herb Pennick&’s &’Magic Move,&’ which I&’ve previously covered in my golf tips.). As you shift your weight to the left side, your right heel comes off the ground slightly. Try retaining the 90 degree angle between your left wrist and the club&’s shaft as long as possible. Your hands lead the club into the ball at impact.

Open your shoulders at impact
It&’s a common belief that your shoulders should return to a square position at impact.

I always address this point when giving golf lessons. In fact, your shoulders should occupy a slightly open position at impact, ensuring that the club has the room needed to travel on the correct path through the ball. In short, your body has to &’get out of the way&’ for consistent ball striking with your irons. Finish with a balanced follow-through.

Also, important in building a repeatable swing is striking the ball cleanly and crisply. Work on this drill to improve your ballstriking. It&’s a staple of my golf instruction.

&’ Start by assuming the ideal impact position at address with one of your irons. Start by shifting your weight onto the left side (for right-handers) and lift the right heel off the ground a fraction. The hips and shoulders are slightly open with the head over the ball, creating the feeling of a good impact position. Now, move into the back swing, shifting your weight to the right side. Return your weight to the left side, swinging the club down and through at impact. Move through the swing to a balanced position, with your weight on your front foot.

Practice this drill again and again and again until you feel yourself swinging the club the same way. Building that repeatable swing produces accuracy, consistency, and a lower golf handicap. Yours may not look like Tiger&’s but it can produce more consistent and better results.

Then, along came a 20-year-old kid who blew all these old golfers out of the water, hitting 180 mph balls off the tee. The era of Tiger Woods had come.

Suddenly everyone wanted to unlock the secrets of the Tiger Woods golf swing. It was obvious he had a different way of going about things, and eventually this young golfer would change the way we train and play.

There’s more than just the mechanics of the swing. Let’s take a look at what makes Tiger Woods golf swing so solid.

It’s All About Keeping Fit

One reason Tiger can swing like that is that he’s flexible and strong. If you need any evidence that a good overall fitness program to build strength and flexibility is essential for a great golf swing, look no further than our man Tiger.

Tiger Woods knows that golf is a full-body sport. That’s why he follows a rigorous training routine that includes the whole body and not just golf-specific exercises. He has always advocated weight training and stretching as part of a golf practice routine.

It’s All About Energy

Tiger uses every little bit of energy he can. When he swings, he turns his body fast while gently pushing his right leg (the back leg in his swing) forward. The result is that no energy is wasted. All the potential energy he’s built up in the backswing gets released, and the full force of it hits that ball.

He can do this because he has a strong core. The study of biomechanics has taught us the ways in which all the parts of the body work together to give you a good golf swing. The core is your lower body and torso. When you swing at a golf ball, your core is like the axis, and the rest of the body rotates around it.

A perfect golf swing like Tiger’s involves efficiently winding up and storing your body’s natural energy, then releasing it in a natural and controlled way.

It’s All About Smooth, Natural Movement

But, it’s not over when he hits the ball. After he smacks the ball, he lets his body follow through and finish that rotation. The club ends up behind his back. He lets it swing freely around him, allowing it to follow its natural course.

Tiger swings all the way through the ball. Stopping the full rotation before it reaches its natural end tenses up your body, and can have a disastrous effect on how you hit the ball. Swinging all the way through adds distance to your shots. This is why he lets the rotation follow all the way through.

It’s All About Your Mind

Finally, Tiger Woods keeps relaxed. It’s hard enough to keep yourself relaxed when you’re making a shot with your friends, but imagine when the entire golfing world is watching! But, keeping cool is essential in golf, more than any other sport, and Tiger never loses it out on the green. For more info see http://www.getgoodatgolf.com on golf course.

If you follow these tips, you’ll be just as good as Tiger Woods in no time. Just kidding. But seriously folks, watch Tiger Woods golf swing and you’ll see your own game improve.

Imagine if you could sit with Tiger for a few minutes and pick his brain to help improve your game. Here are some great golf tips from Tiger Woods.

It’s All About Rhythm

Every player has their own natural rhythm. Some players are energetic and full of motion; others are stoic and deep in concentration.

Tiger says that when he’s playing his best, everything he does is just second nature. He just goes with the flow, and there’s little else involved. That’s because he’s found just the right groove that suits his natural rhythm.

If the rhythm’s off, Tiger misses a swing or two. When things are flowing for him, he has to work a little to get it back into a natural rhythm.

So, how do you learn to keep your natural rhythm? There are a few ways Tiger suggests to help you find your groove and keep it.

Stick To Your Routine

Rhythm and consistency are important, so how you get ready both physically and mentally for the game is essential. Tiger has a practice routine that he does before every single game. He uses the same clubs, and the last club he uses for his pre-game warm-up is the one he plans to use for the first hole.

The point isn’t to practice swinging, but to get into your groove.

The First Hole Is The Most Important

Long before he swings for that first hole, Tiger plans the whole game ahead. He prepares himself for the game mentally and emotionally. This involves relaxation, and deciding his game plan beforehand.

An awkward, uncertain first shot is a sure-fire rhythm-killer.

Keep Things Steady

To keep your rhythm going, you have to keep the tempo steady. When you get stressed, you start to speed things up. All that nervous energy makes you hurry to the next hole, and you end up making silly mistakes you wouldn’t have made otherwise.

The next time you watch Tiger play, pay attention to the way he walks to the next hole. Even after a great shot, you’ll never see him rush on to the next one. He’ll pump his fist, smile, and stroll to the next hole with the same leisurely pace.

Tiger recommends a good pre-routine warm-up that helps you get into a relaxed frame of mind. This will get you started on the right foot. For more info see http://www.getgoodatgolf.com/ on golf course.

Posture Means Perfect

When asked for practical golf tips, Tiger Woods always mentions posture. Tiger always stands straight and tall, a decent distance from the ball so that he can keep his chin up. Lots of golfers (including Tiger when he was a beginner) put their address position too close to the ball, and end up having to bow their head down too much. Tiger says to keep a good distance away so you don’t have to lean over the ball.

Tiger Woods is not only one of the best players, he’s also one of the most reflective. Perhaps the key to his success is his ability to look at his mistakes and shortcomings, and work to improve them, instead of getting frustrated. This is why his golf tips are so helpful to his fans. When you blow it, think about why you did it. Then, correct it next time, and you’ll see improvement.