Your Guide To The Perfect Swing
Jun 4, 2020
Golf is one of the most difficult sports to master, at worst it’s frustrating and can drive you crazy if you’re not careful. Perhaps similar to Tennis. For those who want a faster learning curve, try playing Padel. Many golf fanatics end up throwing their new clubs into trees or bending them by driving them into the ground in a fit of rage. One the upside when you play well there’s no feeling like it.
If you choose to go with a collarless shirt, do not just turn up in a bog-standard t-shirt, make sure it’s made by a premium golf brand clothing manufacturer. You also have the option of a ¼ length zip-top or button-downs.
Holding Your Golf Club – A Beginners Guide
As a beginner you really need to learn to hold the club correctly, without understanding the basic fundamentals you cannot progress. If you play other sports such as tennis you will know that a tiny adjustment on the angle of your grip can be the difference between the shot going into the net or over it. I would always advise using a pro golfing coach to teach you the basics, as you don’t want to get really good at doing the wrong thing.
1. Suitable length club
First of all, make sure you have a suitable length club, or it will be an uphill battle from the start. It should be comfortable to hold. If you have to extend outwards to an uncomfortable position you will never be able to make a clean swing.
2. Firm grip
Hold the lower part of the grip with your left hand and ensure you have a firm grip. Hold the club with your left index finger. If you can comfortably hold the entire club, you’re on the right track. If you have a problem in keeping the balance of the club, change the position subtly until you get the right balance.
3. Hand position
Then place your right hand just in front of the left thumb. Use both your middle fingers on your right hand to pressure down on your left thumb. Use the right-hand little finger to place on the central gap of your left-hand index and middle fingers. This will help you generate a strong grip for when you take the shot.
Getting The Right Posture
There are many different views about the standing position while setting up for a shot or a swing. Once you have been shown the basic stance, gently adjust it so it allows you to play and take a swing comfortably. Unless in the right posture and applying good basics the club will not have the correct swing motion. A great golf swing is a combination of good basics and incremental small adjustments of your posture and technique.
1. Stand in a bending position with your feet shoulder width apart. When you are standing with the golf club, you should bend a little bit from the small of the back with your hips pushed forward. Your knees would be facing forward slightly.
2. Make sure your back is not dead straight. If the back is too rigid, you will not be able to generate a smooth swing and follow through.
3. Drop the ball on the ground and position it in a central position between your feet and roughly two feet in front of you. This is the ideal starting point for a great swing. Again, you can make minor adjustments as you practice on the driving range to find the perfect swing position for you.
Alignment Of Shoulders, Arms and Body
These three parts of your upper body need to be working perfectly together, operating as one unit. The more moving parts you have in your body as you build up a swing for the shot, the more inaccurate and unreliable the shot will be. You need perfect alignment of your shoulders, hands and body.
1. Your shoulder needs to move alongside the hands. When you take the shot, place more emphasis on the hands and do not synchronise with your shoulders, you will not have a reliable and stable swing.
2. You need to remember; your arms and hips are taking the shot. For a straight accurate shot the upper body needs to move as one and the hips need to rotate in a forward motion in the direction of the target.
The Swing Position For Shots
Think of a circle on a golf swing when powering up for the backswing of the drive, and then driving through the ball and then entering and finishing the follow through, you have completed a near circular motion. One of the mistakes a beginner makes is hitting the ball in a downward motion, instead of a circular motion.
1. To get a hard stroke to cover a long distance, hold the golf club and take it to a 90-degree angle with your left shoulder. Now bring down to the club in a circular motion to hit the golf ball.
2. 50 yards or less, you should hold the club from your shoulder point and follow the same procedure, this should get the result you are looking for.
3. Preparations for stroking a ball into a hole is a far simpler process only requiring a small swing and less speed.
Hit The Ball With The Perfect Swing.
Now all you have to do is hit the ball perfectly in the middle of the club. This is far more difficult when going for a long-distance drive and having to generate speed and torque, than when you are going for a short distance putt. Only lots and lots of practice will make you perfect
1. As a beginner, always try to hit the ball from the centre of the club, don’t try to be clever and run before you can walk.
Top tip: Chalk up your club head and see how centred your strike on the ball actually is.
2. Start with a smaller backswing and gradually increase it until you start getting the results you're looking for, and your confidence on the ball increases.
3. Last but not least you must learn to relax through the back swing, strike and onto the follow through. I always say to my students when you have mastered your swing you will find it's an effortless process with no tension throughout the muscles used.