Thursday, June 4, 2009

Golf Swing Basics


Golf swing basics are the fundamental steps to enjoying this every expanding sport. Learning the basic simple techniques that professional golfers use gets you off on the right foot to becoming a professional golfer yourself. Unfortunately many avid golfers often avoid golf swing basics which in the long run only complicates the learning process. The golf swing is one of the most important steps. Now I am not talking about just hitting a ball down the fairway a few hundred yards. But actually comprehending, doing and practicing all the elements that make up a successful swing. Observing professional golfers one can come to the conclusion that because they seem to swing with such ease, this is some skill you are born with. Nothing can be further from the truth. Every golfer, amateur or professional, started with learning the basics and practicing for hours at a time. You can do this to. 4 Important Golf Swing Basics Here are 4 areas where amateur and professional golfers should be learning from. 1. Club Handle Grip Your grip determines greatly how the ball will fly for you. A light grip can, under most circumstances, slice your shot. Where to tight of a grip almost always hooks your shot. Finding middle ground on this will take some practice but when you find this “sweet spot” you will remember it from then on. 2. Teeing Off In Your Mind Next after your grip comes teeing off. Here is where focus comes into play. Ever noticed during golf tournaments how focused the players seem to be? They have learned to block out every distraction, including the crowd, and concentrate exactly where they want the ball to fly to. The best way to do this is take a few seconds before you hit the ball and mentally see the ball go where you desire. I like to call it a motion picture in my head of what I really want. This technique is more powerful than you can imagine, take the time to use it. 3. Backswing and Downswing Fundamentals There seems to be a lot of confusion for players concerning an understanding of backswing and downswing. Simply put the downswing is designed to create club momentum at the ball. This is accomplished with your arms swinging in one full motion. Resist the desire to do this with your hands or wrists. The concept of the backswing has different mechanics than the downswing. The backswing should be slower than the downswing but just as powerful. Always keep in mind your downswing should be 25 to 35% faster than your backswing. Once again this is brought out in practicing your swing. 4. It’s All In The Motion During the backswings motion your left shoulder and hips need to be in correct alignment as your weight is transfered to the right. Of course for left handers this is exactly the opposite. Practicing this will eventually make this a natural movement for you. Also remember to place your hands at waist level for proper execution of this move. Remember learning golf swing basics from the start is how to enjoy this wonderful sport for years to come. With proper techniques and practice comes having better golf games played by yourself and with friends. Isn’t that one of the best reasons to learn to play right from the beginning?