Your Golf Swing Guide - Plan Your Swing to Fit Your Game

2009-03-19T08:30:00.000-07:00

When you swing a club, do you hit the ball left, right or not at all? Do you spend ages in the bushes, looking for lost balls you've sliced or hooked?

If you do any of these things and have tried to 'fix' the problem, you've probably tried to analyze you way out of trouble. You start over-analyzing your swing; you probably tried to correct the supposed problem by doing the opposite. This may cause your game to worsen to the point where you quit entirely. You need to identify where the problem is and treat that. Once you do, you can then develop and maintain good practices.

There are no quick fixes. Everyone wants to hit the ball farther and straighter. When you improve the fundamentals of your swing, you’ll hit the ball farther, and you’ll also hit it straighter. People learn by imitation. Don’t watch struggling players. You don’t want to pick up bad habits. Watch professional tour players and notice the consistency of their game. It will vary with the character of the player, but the swings will be fundamentally similar.

Here are a few points to bear in mind:

Grip - your hands should be fixed on the club; they don’t move. There are three conventional grips; overlap, interlock and ten finger or baseball grip. Any of these grips are fine as long as you keep the backs of both hands opposite and the palms facing each other. The thumb is extended right down the center of the shaft; the “V” formed by your thumb and index finger points towards your right shoulder, or somewhere between your chin and your right shoulder. Grip pressure needs to be medium, wrists must be relaxed.

Posture is the key; problems here may show up in your swing. This, and your grip, should be your concern as you set up to the ball. Feet should be at shoulder width, slightly flared, toes pointing out. Lock your legs, then unlock and slightly bend them to give flexibility to your stance. Don’t come out of your posture by raising your head when you move into your back swing, but don't worry about keeping your head from moving. Your head will move to facilitate a steady swing, that is natural.

Alignment is important, especially in putting. Align your body just to the left side of your target. When you’re setting up to make your shot, make sure you’re focusing on your target. If you’re thinking about the hazard instead, your body will focus on that point. If the distance is too great to take in in one glance, use an intermediate point between the ball and your target, such as a patch of rough grass.

Good golfers enjoy practising putting. Work on 3-foot puts until you sink them consistently. Read the green; which way will the ball break? When you have mastered 3-foot putts, work on 5-foot putts and so on. Chipping is very similar to putting as the movement required is confined to shoulders and arms.

If you hit your ball into the bunker, try to hit it out a few times. If you can’t get it out with your club after two or three shots, pick it up! Don't waste time on one hole - when you learn the correct technique, you won't take long to play the shot, so give yourself a chance at the beginning, and play for experience and enjoyment.

To plan your perfect swing, why not start with the Golf Swing Guide?