When you first begin to golf, you may think it’s impossible to ever learn how to swing successfully. There are a lot of factors that go into having a good golf swing and that’s the primary reason it’s hard for beginners to determine where their swinging problems are coming from.
There is no doubt about it, without a good golf swing you won’t be very successful at golf—and you probably won’t stick to the game. The only thing that will improve your skills is patience, practice, and possibly enlisting the help of a professional to give you pointers.
What new golfers often fail to understand is that the body must be relaxed to perform a successful golf swing. If you are tensing up in frustration, or because you are nervous or trying too hard, the chances are high that your golf swing will suffer.
Try your best to relax. Keep in mind that being tense and stiff will hinder your golf swing—and learn to recognize when you are tense and stiff! You’d be surprised at how quickly your golf swing will improve when you approach it in a relaxed and comfortable mind-set.
Most beginning golfers want a quick fix and they want to learn how to master their golf swing on day one. While some beginning golfers may pick up the golf swing quick, the truth is that the majority of new golfers won’t.
It takes time to learn how to swing correctly—this means practice, practice, practice!
No doubt you’ve watched professional golfers and you’ve seen how different professionals swing, but to put it simply, no matter how different these swings may look to you, all professional golfers have mastered the fundamentals of the golf swing.
The fundamentals are:
- Grip
- Posture
- Pivot
- Correct Hand/Arm relationship
- Alignment
Grip
To master the grip you should know that your hands should be set on the club. This means they don’t move on the club or move the club. All they do is hold on.
You should also know that you hold the club in your fingers, not your palms. The pressure shouldn’t be overly tight, either, or you’ll develop blisters. Likewise, if your grip is overly loose you could develop blisters.
To grip, hold the club in your left hand so that it is across your fingers, right beneath your palm. Next, grip the club with your right hand so the club is across the fingers. Cover your left thumb with your right thumb.
You should work hard to get your grip right from the beginning. Once you have found the correct grip, don’t deviate from it.
Posture
If you have a problem with your posture it will show up in your swing. Having correct posture is as crucial to golf success as having the correct grip.
When you set the ball, place your feet shoulder width apart with them slightly flared. The toes of your shoes should be pointing out five to ten degrees.
Don’t lock your knees. Your knees will need to be flexed to perform a proficient golf swing. Most golfers will lock, then unlock their knees, and then slightly bend them to get the correct flex in the knees.
Your back should remain straight. Having a straight back will allow your back to be protected when you take your swing. So, keep your back straight and shoulders back, no slouching.
Your hands and arm position is also crucial. Most golfers will check themselves by standing up straight with their shoulders back. They will then let their arms hang. If they are in the proper position their arms will hang directly below the shoulders. Wherever the left arm hangs is where the club should be positioned.
The easiest things to conquer in a golf swing are finding the correct grip and posture. All of the other aspects of the swing can be developed over time. However, they will never develop properly if your grip and posture are off.