Golfing Basics - Improve Your Golf Swing

Ask any golfer on the green for some golf tips and they will tell you, "everything matters." The course matters. The air matters. The grass matters. The clubs, shoes, humidity, noise and tee time all matter. But the thing that matters most is the swing. Golf begins and ends with the proper golf swing.

Golf swing instructions are essential to learning not only the basics of the sport but to achieving any kind of success on the course. If you go into any pro shop, whether they offer free golf tips or paid professional golf instructions, you are going to learn about the swing. A proper golf swing involves the entire body working towards a unified purpose.

Head and Shoulders:

"Keep your eye on the ball," is one of the most famous free golf tips you will ever hear. However many professionals providing golf swing instructions advise the golfer to fix their eyes at a point near the ball that aligns directly with where they want the ball to go. To provide maximum energy to the arms your head should stay still and move only during the natural follow-through of your swing.

Observing the physics of a golf swing would indicate the power for forward motion comes from the shoulders. However the power in a proper golf swing comes from the abdomen and is transferred through the shoulders to drive the ball forward. Golf tips often stress the shoulders should keep the chest in an open posture and roll through the swing not bend or jerk. Restrictions or stiffness in the shoulders can cause the golfer to pull up on the swing and reduce the distance traveled by the ball.

The Grip:

A functional and comfortable grip is required for the perfect golf swing. New golfers often find the correct grip to feel awkward however golf swing instructions never waver on the point. Depending on your dominant hand the club should rest against the palm of your opposite hand and be held somewhat loosely at the fingertips with the heel of your hand providing pressure. The dominant hand should then be placed in the same position creating a V with the thumb and index fingers.

In a proper golf swing the dominant index finger is the one that guides the club directionally through the swing. The physics of the swing works in such a way that the V created by the grip should point between your right shoulder and your chin. This helps align the head and neck and focus the power of the swing. A common theme in golf instructions is that the grip should never be tight but strong enough to adequately hold the club.

Posture:

Essential to maintaining linear energy in a proper golf swing is correct posture. The golfer should ensure that they are bending at the waist and not the back or the shoulders. A golf swing driven from the back or shoulders is one of the main reasons for injury when playing golf. Golf instructions advise participants to bend foreword from the hip socket until the arms can swing freely through the chest area.

Another mistake new golfers make in attempting a perfect golf swing is to stiffen their legs as they approach the ball. The legs should be held loosely and the golfer should flex at the knee slightly to aid in the physics of the swing. The knee should never cross the tips of the foot but be flexible enough to allow smooth body movement. On the follow-through of the swing the knee should be able to pivot to allow the body to stay aligned.

Pace:

Golf instructors frequently remind golfers than a faster swing does not equal a farther drive. There is a pace to golf that relies more on a slow and steady tempo than a fast, jerky motion. One of the most common golf tips you will hear is to not jerk your swing.

The way to set your tempo for a proper golf swing is to start with the backswing. A slower backswing with a fluid even motion will result in concentrated force as it comes forward to meet the ball. After your body is aligned correctly in front of the ball, bringing the club back at a slow enough pace that you can see the club head leaving the surface area. As you are raising the club through the backswing, concentrate the physical power from your abdomen through your aligned body to the shoulders which then roll forward extending the power through the club to the ball.

The follow-through should maintain the same even tempo as the energy is released driving the ball forward. At that point the shoulders roll through the body and the head can rise to allow the neck and arms to release the momentum.

By mastering the basic elements of a proper golf swing a new golfer will soon find themselves enjoying their sport and achieving success on the green.