Category: Golf Swing

How to Improve Your Golf Swing for Beginners – 5 Tips

March 19, 2023 Dan No Comments

We were all new to golf at some point. Nobody was born a great golfer, except maybe Tiger Woods or Jack Nicklaus. Jokes aside, it takes some time and dedication to become good at golf. Your golf swing is essential to learn when you get into the game. Here you can find 5 tips on how to improve your golf swing for beginners.

None of these tips will give you a magic formula that is going to solve all things you have been working on to improve.

What the tips will give you are some points on what areas of your swing you should pay attention to in order to improve it. That is going to be a starting point for you toward success.

In its essence, the golf swing is a complex set of motions that come together in one seamless move. The sole purpose of that move is to strike the ball exactly how you want it and direct it where you want it to go. Now, we often tend to overcomplicate our swing. The sooner you know what to focus on, the sooner you can master your swing to enjoy golfing even more.

1. Know Your Swing Path

Your swing path is vital for a few reasons. First, it might be the cause that your shots are going all over the place. Second, it could be causing that unpleasant slice you have been fighting. The third, and most important thing, if you can manipulate your swing path you are in a position to hit different types of shots.

You should in any case check what your swing path tendency is. The most common one which causes slicing for a lot of golfers is the outside-to-in path. Maybe you fall in the rare category of the inside-to-out path which could be causing pulls. The third option is the neutral path which is, I would dare to say, the least common one.

If you do want to be aware of how you are swinging the club, you could make a video of you swinging from behind. That will show you your tendency. Besides that, you will figure out why you are hitting certain shots more frequently. After you do that you can start working on controlling the path and improving your swing.

2. Shift Your Weight Forward

This is one of the key components for better contact with the ball at impact and hitting the ball further. Not shifting the weight forward can lead to all sorts of trouble with your swing. It can cause mis-hits in the form of fat or thin shots and even shanks. On top of that, your ball will end up much shorter than it actually could.

When you are just starting to golf, this is one of the harder things to do. It might take you some time to learn it, but it will be rewarding once you do. There are several drills you can find out there that can help you with it. The sooner you get a hold of it, the sooner your ball striking will become better.

3. Clear Your Hips

There is often a misconception about hip movement during the swing. A lot of recreational golfers slide too much or not enough toward the target without proper hip rotation. Lately, I have seen some good content from experienced golf coaches about hips in the swing. Instead of saying hip rotation they use the term hip clearance.

The main reason it is called clearing hips is that by doing that you make enough room for the downswing in order to shallow the club. Besides the better contact you get out of that, you generate more power in your swing as well. It will be well worth it if you look into it and start working on doing it properly.

4. Forward Club Shaft Lean at Impact

If you have a look at any professional golfer at impact you will notice the forward shaft lean. I bet you’ve heard this before. There is a simple reason you will keep hearing it from golf coaches and industry experts. That is the proper way to compress the golf ball at impact and get the maximum distance out of your club.

What forward shaft lean at impact does is de-loft your golf club. It basically turns your 9 iron into an 8 or even a 7. It is one of the reasons professional golfers can hit the ball so much further with all their irons and wedges. The key thing here is going to be your wrists’ position through the downswing which will help with the shaft lean.

5. Keep the Shoulder Tilt

This is the vital component for keeping the relation to your golf ball. By doing it properly you are helping all the other parts of your swing to fall into place. All that will lead to better contact with the ball for a solid golf shot. Not doing the shoulder tilt often leads to bad shots in the form of thick and thin ones.

What you have to pay attention to is for your lead side shoulder to stay below your trail side shoulder during the backswing. After you transition into the downswing the shoulders will reverse their roles. Your trail side shoulder will be below your lead side shoulder. It might feel a bit strange in the beginning if you are not used to it.

One Change at a Time

I always like to repeat this whenever I have a chance. When you start working on swing changes do one single thing at a time. The swing is complex enough even without us trying to change multiple things at a time. Working on one element will help your body to adjust to the changes better and in a shorter period of time.

Nevertheless, that does not mean you will be able to change something quickly. It will still require time and effort to do it. Always start small and slow before making it to full swing and speed. Another thing that is recommended is to do some reps without the golf ball before trying to hit it.

Even when you introduce the golf ball do not worry right away if you mis-hit it. It is part of the process. Your body has to adapt to the new move first, then you can start hitting the ball properly. All in all, diagnose what part of your swing you have to work on first, then take one step at a time. Swing it better for more fun on the golf course.

You may also like:

Golf Swing Basics for Beginners – How to Learn It Right

How to Get a Consistent Golf Swing – 5 Tips for Beginners

Categories: Beginners Golf Swing Golf Tips

Golf Swing Plane Drills – How to Swing Better

March 12, 2023 Dan No Comments

There is one name you are most likely familiar with: Ben Hogan. The reason I am mentioning him is the swing plane. He held the importance of swinging on or under the plane very high. That way your ball hitting improves and makes the swing better. The golf swing plane drills below will help you to get there.

You might be wondering what the plane is. Hogan imagined it as a glass surface that goes parallel with your golf club shaft at the initial swing setup.

If you pay attention to professional golfers, all of them swing on the plane or under the plane. When you swing above the plane, the results are usually not the best.

The main benefit of swinging on or under the plane is better contact with the golf ball. It also means that you have shallowed your club on the downswing.

If you are swinging that way already, you are doing the right thing. In case you are not, some of these drills could help you to get there.

Swing Under the Alignment Stick Drill

When you are looking for swing plane drills there is no other one that shows up as often as this drill. It is a simple and efficient drill that will help you both shallow your club on the downswing and swing from the inside out. All you need is an alignment stick with or without a pool noodle on it. Another option can be placing one of your club headcovers on the stick.

Nonetheless, there is a downside to this drill. To do it properly you need to place the alignment stick in the ground. That means you have to be at a driving range where you hit the balls off the grass. No artificial turf will work in this case. Assuming that you do have access to such a practice facility, here is how you do the drill.

Put the stick into the ground at a 45 degrees angle, facing you
It should be placed parallel to the outside of your trail foot
The end of the stick (pool noodle or headcover) should be about your wrist high
When you make a swing your club should go under the stick
You will get instant feedback while doing the drill
If you hit the stick on the downswing, it means you have to adjust your swing

Two Golf Balls Drill

This drill can be done with another golf ball or any object that you can place outside of the golf ball you are hitting. Just make sure the object is light enough so it does not break your club or hurt you if you hit it. The main objective of this drill is for you to check if you are swinging from outside in so you can fix it.

If you are swinging on or under the plane you either have a neutral swing path or you are swinging from inside out. This way you can find that out and make the necessary adjustments. The drill can be done anywhere where you can swing a club. In case you are doing it at home make sure you are hitting foam or whiffle balls and have room to swing a club.

Place another golf ball about two inches outside of the ball you are hitting
Make sure you have enough room for the club to hit your ball without hitting the other one
Swing and hit the golf ball without touching the other one
In case you hit the other golf ball in the process, some adjustment is needed

Swing the Club Loosely Drill

Unlike the other drills, for this one, you do not need anything except your club. It is a very simple drill designed to give you a feeling for your club’s natural swing motion. That way you can see what the natural swing path looks like so you can transfer it into your full swing. You can do it anywhere you want.

Grip your club more loosely that you usually do
You can set up in your regular swing position
Start slowly swinging the club in one single motion
Do shorter swings with the club continuously swinging from your trail to your lead side
Repeat that more times to get the feel of the club path

Do the Same Groups of Drills at a Time

When it comes to golf practice the most efficient way is to do related drills at a single time. That way you are focusing only on one area you want to work on. It will help you to improve faster since you are not mixing different types of drills. Make a practice plan and stick to it in order to maximize the results.

Practicing with a purpose will always generate better results compared to just going to the range and hitting balls. Whenever you do go to the range choose one part of your swing you want to work on. No matter which types of drills you are doing, it will take some time to see proper results. Have some patience, be persistent, and your hard work will pay off.

You may also like:

Driving Range Drills for Beginners – Road to Success

How to Practice Golf Effectively – Make the Most of It

Categories: Drills Golf Swing Swing Drills

How to Improve My Golf Game – 5 Tips for Beginners

March 5, 2023 Dan No Comments

Having a consistent golf swing is the golfer’s holy grail. It is something golfers at all levels try to achieve. However, even at the highest level, getting it is not easy. What consistency at the recreational level means is making as few mistakes as possible. There are some tips that can give you an answer on how to get a consistent golf swing.

That will help you make your swing as reliable as possible so your game suffers less and you enjoy playing more.

Clearly, there will always be bad shots, but the goal is to reduce their amount. It will probably require some changes and that is normal.

Whenever you make some changes to your golf swing it takes time for them to work. It is all a process that requires time and effort. The good thing is, the sooner you start implementing changes, the sooner you will get there. Without further introduction, check below the tips that could help you reach your goal.

1. Nail Down the Basics

I can’t emphasize this enough. If you want to have a consistent swing you absolutely have to work on the basics. By that I mean you have to be really good with basics. When you start golfing and building your swing it is very easy to go off the path. There are so many things that you can start doing wrong.

Once you start doing certain things wrong, it gets harder to fix them. That is why basics are so important. If you start doing things properly from the beginning, it is easier later. When you have solid foundations it is easier to build on. It will depend on how much time you have for how fast you can improve.

The bottom line is, it does not matter how much time it takes as long it is done right. It is the end goal that is important and that is building a consistent swing. That is exactly what you are going to get with solid basics. There are a lot of resources available out there that can help you, embrace them and get going.

2. Have the Right Clubs

There are many golfers that do not pay much attention to the golf clubs they play with. That is fine as long as they do not care about consistency and better result. In case you fall into the category of golfers who care, you should give this a thought. Even if your swing is consistent, the wrong clubs might not show the best results on the course.

In other words, wrong clubs could make your swing look more inconsistent than it actually is. Numbers are possibly the most reliable way that can show you what your clubs are doing for your swing. If you have access to a launch monitor then you can have a look yourself. In case you don’t, you could consider custom fitting.

Golf club fitters can see what is happening when you swing and suggest you different club options. They go through the process with you and at the end make a suggestion for which clubs work the best. The right clubs will definitely contribute to consistency and help you to get your game where you want it to be.

3. Focus on Technique

I know this seems obvious, but there is a reason why this is important. Let’s say you are just focusing to hit the ball as far as you can. While doing that, you completely neglect how you are hitting the ball. There is a good chance that your ball is not going to go a long distance no matter how hard you try to hit it.

The simple reason is you are most likely hitting it wrong. That has all to do with your swing technique. When you focus more on how you swing instead of how you hit the ball the results are better. Once your technique is better you will discover you don’t even have to hit it so hard in order for it to fly further.

Having a solid swing technique will help you become a better golfer faster. Even if you are hitting it shorter than you want in the beginning, as long as the technique is good the distance will come. On top of that, you will be able to hit all kinds of different shots when needed. Work on your swing technique and golfing will be more fun than ever.

4. Play to Your Strengths

There is a good chance you have a tendency when you are swinging your club, just like the majority of golfers who are natural drawers or faders of the ball. Granted, there are probably way more natural faders out there compared to drawers. No matter which category you fall in, you should use it as your strength.

You can notice that easily by paying attention when hitting the ball. If you are slicing it more, then you are a natural fader. In case you are hooking it more, you are a drawer. When you embrace that and adjust your swing to your preference, it will be easier for you to get a more consistent golf swing.

5. Practice With Purpose

This is extremely important if you want to obtain the best results possible. There are way too many recreational golfers that hit the ball without any purpose when practicing. Just have a look next time you go to the driving range. They just hit ball after ball executing the same shot time after time.

That is one of the reasons you might feel you are hitting it way better on the range than on the course. The reality is every shot in your round of golf is going to be a different one. Therefore, you should hit different shots with different clubs each time you practice. Mix it up, hit different length shots with each club, and try different ball flights or different shot shapes.

Make a plan for when you are going to practice. Have different targets on the range to hit. When it comes to drills, do drills for the same area you are working on at once. Don’t mix different drills in the same practice session. Doing the same types of drills will help you improve what you are working on faster. When you finish one area, move on to the next one.

Enjoy Golfing More Than Ever

The process of getting better at golf is awesome. That is especially the case in the very beginning when you can see big improvements on a regular basis. The better you get, the longer it takes to get to the next level. Nonetheless, it is not impossible. Everyone wants to get better, even professional golfers at the highest level.

One of the key things when it comes to improvement is a consistent golf swing. But it is not all in just grinding to become a better golfer. A lot of it is in enjoying each and every moment on the golf course. The fact is, the better you get, the more you will enjoy playing. Get working on your golf swing to have more fun while playing.

You may also like:

How to Practice Golf Effectively – Make the Most of It

Most Common Golf Swing Mistakes – How to Avoid Them

Categories: Beginners Golf Swing Golf Tips

Golf Swing Impact Drills – How to Hit It Pure

February 19, 2023 Dan No Comments

Here is a fact. No matter how you swing your club at the end of the day the most important part is contact. Don’t get me wrong, you should still pay attention to how you deliver the hit. Otherwise, even with good contact your ball can end up anywhere. Here we will focus on golf swing impact drills you can do to improve your ball striking.

How you hit your ball and where on the clubface you hit it can make a difference between a great shot and a bad one.

Another thing that will improve with solid impact is distance. More distance usually means better chances for lower scores.

I am sure you know exactly when you hit a good shot. There is no feeling like the one when you know you have hit that ball purely.

That gets even better when that ball does exactly what you wanted it to and goes the distance you have envisioned.

Granted, even professionals do not do it every single time. However, the drills below can help you do it more often.

Impact Bag Drill

This is one of the most popular impact drills you can do. To perform it as intended you will need an impact bag. If you do not have an impact bag you can use something that will serve the purpose. That could be a regular duffel bag or even a backpack you can fill up with something like towels to make it firmer.

Place the bag just ahead of where you would place the golf ball
Start with shorter swings at first then work your way to longer ones
Every time you hit the bag make sure you move it forward
Keep your position at impact for a few moments so you get the feel for it
It is important that you keep the wrists quiet through impact without flicking the club

The drill will help you to get the sensation of your body motion at impact. More importantly, the way the impact bag is designed will show you the golf club position once you strike the ball. It might be different from what you are used to so it might be weird at first. There is a reason this drill is so popular among golf instructors.

Tee Peg Behind Golf Ball Drill

All you need for this simple drill is a tee peg. It will help you make better contact with the ball by forcing you to shift your weight forward. Besides that, it will help you strike the ball while you lean the club shaft forward. You can do it at the driving range, at home, or anywhere else where there is enough room to swing a club.

Place the tee peg about one clubhead length behind the golf ball at the setup
Start with shorter swings and gradually work toward a full swing
The goal is to miss the tee peg in order to hit the ball first then the ground
It will give you instant feedback depending if you miss or hit the tee peg

Tee Peg Behind Golf Ball by golfballsworld.com

Press Clubface Against Object Drill

The main purpose of this drill is to get you used to the impact position. It will help you get the feel of the moment when you strike the golf ball. You can do it anywhere as long as there is a firm object you can use to press your clubface against. It is a drill you can easily do at home or anywhere else.

Find a firm object like a wall, a desk, a bookshelf, or even a sofa
Place your golf clubface against the object and assume the impact position
Now press your clubface against the object to get the feel of your body in that position
Make sure you are in the right position in order to get the right sensation

This might feel different from what you are used to. It might feel a bit odd, but the objective is for you to feel the right impact position. You will see which muscles activate during the impact and how your body has to be positioned.

Short Swing Drill

This is a drill that is straightforward and self-explanatory. The goal is to feel the proper impact position while actually hitting the ball. It is a good way to get used to the feeling of delivering the club in a solid manner. Because it is a shorter swing it will help you slowly build up your impact sequence in your swing.

Set up for your regular swing
Bring your club until parallel to the ground in your backswing
Pause briefly before swinging
Swing until your club is parallel to the ground in the downswing
Make some dry swings until introducing the golf ball

Clubface Against Object by golfballsworld.com

Don’t Forget to Play

Drills are a great way to improve or sharpen your golf skills. I would always recommend them even as occasional reminders when it comes to technique. They can help you with straightening your game and take you to the next level. This is especially the case with basics which should always be learned thoroughly.

On the other side, sometimes you could get caught up in too many drills and too much time spent practicing. You have to remember that golfing on a course is something entirely different from practicing. Go out and golf as much as you can because that is the only true way of experiencing different situations.

While you might enjoy going to the driving range, nothing compares to playing. It will put you in all sorts of scenarios that are hard to replicate in a controlled environment. You will only truly improve by golfing more. Do drills and practice, but try to golf more in order to see real improvement.

You may also like:

How to Get a Consistent Golf Swing – 5 Tips for Beginners

Most Common Golf Swing Mistakes – How to Avoid Them

Categories: Drills Golf Swing Swing Drills

Golf Swing Basics for Beginners – How to Learn It Right

February 5, 2023 Dan No Comments

When you start learning something new there is always a lot of excitement. That is especially the case with golf where you can see the progress week after week. Nevertheless, getting solid golf swing basics for beginners can be tricky. It is common to want to move on as quickly as possible and neglect the fundamentals for building a solid golf swing.

I do not want to say you will not learn how to swing the club. You have to do that in order to golf to start with.

What I mean is you might move too fast trying to do things before you master the basics. At that point, it will be harder to fix potential swing issues.

The sooner you build solid foundations, the sooner you will be able to develop your game in the right direction. There are so many different shots you will be taking during rounds. In order to be able to execute all of them, you will have to learn everything the right way. Now, let’s see which areas of your golf swing you should pay extra attention to in order to have a reliable golf swing.

Setup

Every time I think about the golf swing, setup is the first thing that comes to mind. Why? Simply because there is no solid swing without a solid setup. This is where it all starts. It is the first thing you do before hitting every ball when you golf. For that reason, you have to nail down the setup if you want to get good at golf.

Now, your setup will be slightly different for every single club you use and for every different shot you are hitting. In essence, it has the same basics just a bit altered. For you to get to a higher playing level, you will have to learn all those little differences. Don’t worry, once you get the first one it will be easier to get the others.

To start with it would be best if you learned one setup position. Let’s say with a short or mid-iron. Learn it really well until you feel confident to move on. From there it is going to be easier to move to wedges, long irons, fairway woods, and hybrids. The driver setup is again slightly different from the others due to the side bend.

It should not take long to get a hold of all the different setups. Once you have mastered all of them your swing is going to have a great foundation to build on.

Don’t Rush It

Believe it or not, you will not necessarily hit the ball better and further if you swing faster. What you should be focusing on when working on your swing is the tempo. The key is to have solid contact and a good tempo will help you with that. When you strike the ball properly it will go far and in the direction you want it to go.

Rushing your swing will make it much harder to execute it right and can lead to all sorts of trouble. I noticed some time ago my swings turn out pretty bad when I try to rush my swing and hammer the ball. The important thing is to find that sweet spot on the clubface, you can always increase your swing speed gradually as you become more confident.

There are tempo training apps out there that can help you with it as well as numerous other sources available for free. Be patient and learn to swing with a nice tempo. It will help you improve your swing and become a solid ball striker.

Under the Plane

The first time I learned about the plane was in the book “Ben Hogan’s Five Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf”. Despite the book being published in 1957, all the lessons can be applied to today’s golf. One part of the book speaks about the plane. The plane can be described as the line your club shaft forms at your swing setup.

There are a couple of ways you can swing your club for better results. One way is to swing on the plane and the other way is to swing under the plane. What you should definitely avoid is swinging over the plane. Swinging over the plane usually leads to poor shots. This is when you can see slices that end up way off the target.

The easiest way to know if you are swinging over the plane is if you film your swing from behind. Once you have a look you will know what needs to be fixed. As for everything else, there are a lot of resources available to find the drills to help you work on it.

Keep the Relation to the Ball

It might not be the first thing you look at when you mess up a shot, but it tends to be one of the major reasons for poor outcomes. What I mean by keeping the relation to the ball is to keep the same distance from your upper body to the ball through your swing. If anything you can get a touch closer to the ball, but in no scenario, you should get further.

Losing the relation to the ball can lead to thick and thin shots. There is a good chance you have experienced that and you know the feeling is not so good. Early extension is among the reasons you lose the relation to the ball to name one. Basically, it is any time you stand up and distance your upper body from the ball before you hit it.

Work on keeping your upper body from moving up before you make contact with the ball. It is going to pay good dividends once you get used to it. There are dills you can find that can help you fix it if you are among golfers experiencing it.

Different Ball Positions

If you have ever read or watched anything about golf ball positions at setup you know there are different perspectives out there. There is a general theory that you move the ball from the center toward your lead foot as the club length increases. That is fine and it works when the ball position is the right one.

The thing is, it does not have to be exactly the same for everyone. The same ball position for a 7-iron does not have to be identical for you and your friend. Sometimes a slight tweak can produce better results. The ball can also be moved depending on what type of shot you are trying to hit.

What I am trying to say is that you can follow the general rule. However, don’t be afraid to play around with the ball position in order to find your sweet spot for each club. Go to the driving range and experiment a bit. See what results you get when you move the ball around. You may discover something that works better in the end.

It Is Ok to Make Mistakes

Achieving perfection in golf is next to impossible. There is always something you could have done better, always a shot that should have been better executed, and always a putt that had to go in. This is true for all golfers no matter if they are professionals or recreational golfers. That extends to the golf swing as well.

The only difference is professional golfers’ swings are a touch closer to perfection. Mistakes while swinging are always going to happen. The sooner you accept that the sooner you will be able to have a good time on the course. The goal is to make fewer of them, but they are inevitable. What you can do for your game is to learn from those mistakes in order to improve.

Relax and enjoy the great time you are having while golfing.

You may also like:

How to Get a Consistent Golf Swing – 5 Tips for Beginners

How to Manage a Golf Course – 5 Tips for Beginners

Categories: Beginners Golf Swing

How to Get a Consistent Golf Swing – 5 Tips for Beginners

January 8, 2023 Dan No Comments

New golfers have one thing in common. They want to improve as fast as possible. The reasons are simple; play better and lower the score. The most important thing that leads to the promised land is a consistent golf swing. Once you have that nailed down, the doors start opening. Below you can read 5 tips on how to get a consistent golf swing.

Don’t get me wrong, there is no secret formula or anything like that. You will still have to work to improve your swing.

Golf is a game that will punish your inconsistency and reward your consistency. There will always be some hiccups no matter what, but that is a part of the game.

If you were to start gathering all the information about the golf swing, you would spend a long time doing it. Because of its nature, a lot has been written and said about it. That is all fine if you want to do it. However, there are some tips you can focus on that can help you to become more consistent.

1. Solid Setup

This goes without saying, a solid setup is crucial for a good swing execution. Basics play a big role in any sport and golf is no exception. Among the golf swing basics, setup is number one. The reason is, it all starts from there. Imagine building a house and having a bad foundation. It will probably not turn out well.

Your golf swing setup is the foundation you build your swing on. For that reason, you have to make sure the setup is in check for every type of shot you are trying to hit. There are several things you have to pay attention to when setting up your swing. All of them are equally important to make it work.

Ball position – make sure it corresponds to the club you are using for the shot
Feet width – this is important for both clubs and distance
Feet alignment – it will affect which way your ball is going to go
Grip – how you grip your can impact the contact and where the ball is going to go
Relation to the ball – be aware if you are standing too far or too close to the ball

2. Straight Lead Arm

When it comes to solid contact, keeping your arm straight through impact is very important. It can make all the difference between topping or chunking the ball and hitting it solidly. The fact is there are some professional golfers that get away with slightly bending the arm at the top of their backswing. Nonetheless, most experts recommend keeping it straight.

That translates to not overswinging. In other words, you should ideally end your backswing at the point before your lead arm starts bending. It helps with more power in the swing and leads to solid contact. The same goes for the follow-through. You should try to keep your lead arm straight as long as possible when finishing the swing as well.

3. Trail Elbow Tucked In

I would say the trail elbow position in the swing is often overlooked. Yet it plays an essential role in the swing outcome. Any situation when you extend your trail arm during the swing can lead to mis-hits. Not just mis-hits, but also loss of power and distance. It is equally important during the backswing, downswing, and at impact.

During the backswing, it helps keep your lead arm extended and helps get the club in position to store energy for impact and release. When it comes to the downswing and impact it helps the club to lean forward for solid contact. Keep the trail elbow tucked in at takeaway and the second part of the downswing and your striking will improve.

4. Side Bend Through the Swing

One of the biggest reasons for mis-hitting the golf ball is loss of relation to the ball during the swing. That is most often seen in the form of early extension. Every time early extension happens it leads to thin or fat shots. In order to become a consistent hitter, you have to keep the relation to the ball during the swing.

Side bend through the swing, more precisely through the downswing, impact, and follow-through, will improve your hitting. There are two key things that can help you to achieve that. One is the tucked-in trail elbow I mentioned above, and the other is the trail hand extension. If you do both those moves properly you can hit balls better than ever.

5. Swing Tempo

Now, this is a segment that recreational golfers rarely ever think about. It is easy to focus only on hitting the ball and swing parts. When you do only that, you are missing one of the key components of consistent ball striking. I used to fall into that category as well. Then I started noticing almost every time I was rushing my swing, the results were not good.

The point is not to swing as fast as you can, but actually to do it with a flow. When your swing tempo is moderate there is a better chance your strike is going to be better. Next time you are at a driving range, try to slow down your swing, especially the takeaway. Find a nice swing rhythm and you will improve your ball striking.

Practice and Patience

As we all know golf is a lifelong learning process. What we also know is that it usually takes a certain amount of time to get good at golf. I know, good is relative because it can mean different things to each golfer. Not everyone has the ambition to become a scratch golfer, and there is nothing wrong with that.

At the same time, I am certain everyone who golfs wants to become better at it. To do that requires practice. Not any type of practice, but practice with a purpose. To make it work, in every practice session, you should have a plan. Work on certain swing parts at a time, the results will be better. Most importantly, have patience and have fun while doing it.

You may also like:

How to Create Lag in a Golf Swing – Simple Tips

Most Common Golf Swing Mistakes – How to Avoid Them

Categories: Beginners Golf Swing Golf Tips

Most Common Golf Swing Mistakes – How to Avoid Them

December 18, 2022 Dan No Comments

The golf swing can be described as one of the most complex continuous motions in sport. In other words, it is pretty hard. There is no universal formula to follow that will make you swing perfectly. Just ask the professional golfers on the PGA and LPGA Tours. However, the most common golf swing mistakes are avoidable.

On average, recreational golfers do not have much time to practice nor access to world-class coaches and training equipment.

For that reason, there are some swing adjustments you can do yourself to make it better. It may take some time, but improvement will happen.

If you go into details, there are many things you can work on when it comes to your swing. Among all those things there are some caused by common mistakes that are avoidable. Once you know what they are, you can see if they are happening to you. When you identify one or more, you can start working on fixing it and improving your swing.

Trail Side Slide

This move happens often, especially when you just start playing. It is basically when you slide toward your trail side during the backswing. Your body follows the club weight as you move it and causes the rest of the body to follow it. As the consequence, you have to compensate on the downswing to get back into a balanced position.

That sequel of events contributes to a lot of mis-hits in the form of thin or thick shots. In order to change that you can try some exercises that will keep your lower body steady. For one of them, position yourself in the initial swing setup, just without the club. Now, without the club, put your hands across your upper body and rotate without sliding.

There are different variations of this and similar exercises you can find. The key is that you get the feeling of separating your upper and lower body during the backswing without sliding. Once you get that feeling without a club, start introducing it slowly into your swing. Go slowly in the beginning and as you become more comfortable start increasing the swing speed.

Outside to In Club Path

One of the two causes for slices is very common, particularly among new golfers. Besides the ball going in the rough or out of bounds it also contributes to less distance. It is hard to detect unless someone sees you swinging or you film your swing and check it yourself. There are a few possible reasons the club moves from outside in.

The first reason can be if your backswing ends too much inside and to compensate your downswing moves your club too much outside. This can be solved when on the takeaway you move your club and arms in sync without your club moving behind you. As the outcome, your downswing will move the club from inside out or on a more neutral path.

The second most common reason is when your arms detach from your body during the swing. That causes your club to travel too far from your body ending up in an outside-to-in path. The fix here is to keep your arms close to your body, especially in the upper arm area. Try to tuck in a piece of your shirt under your lead armpit and keep it there through the swing.

No Forward Shaft Lean

This is the cause of less power in the swing and lack of distance. If you look at any professional golfer’s swing, you will notice the forward shaft lean at impact. It is one of the things all of them have in common. That way they are de-lofting their club and adding distance to their shot.

There are a couple of main reasons preventing forward shaft lean. Those reasons are early club release and no weight shift. The early club release usually happens when the weight is shifted too much to the trail side at impact. Another thing that can cause it is the early extension. That happens when the golfer stands up before the impact.

When the weight is not transferred properly or when is not transferred at all, there is no shaft lean at impact. That way the ball goes shorter distances and too much in the air, especially with shorter short irons and wedges. Ideally, the club handle is inside the lead thigh area at impact which creates enough shaft lean for solid contact.

Too Long Backswing

Yes, this can actually happen. You can have a too-long backswing. It does not mean you should not swing long, it only means it should have some limitations. What I mean by that is that the backswing structure should be solid. More precisely, as soon as your lead arm bends too much in the backswing it is not going to produce the best results.

A lot of times recreational golfers overcompensate for the limited flexibility by overly bending the lead arm in the backswing. That is a big cause of less power and inconsistency in the swing. You should not try to have a longer swing that way, but instead, have a solid swing within your limitations.

When you finish the backswing with the lead arm straight or just slightly bent in the elbow, it will give you the best results. Even if that means your swing is shorter, it will produce the best outcome. Your swing will have more power and it will be more consistent.

Open Clubface at Impact

Unless you are trying to hit a specific shot, an open clubface at impact will lead to unwanted results. Those results will usually be uncontrolled slices missing the fairway. There are a couple of possible reasons the clubface is open at impact. The reasons are related to the grip and to the wrists’ position during the swing.

When it comes to the grip, a weaker grip will lead to the opening of the clubface. If your hands at setup are turned more toward your lead side, you have a weaker grip. There are golfers who have weaker grips and that works for them. If you are in the category where that does not work, it is time for an adjustment. Try turning your hands toward your trail side until you find a grip that works better.

Even if you have a neutral grip, your wrists’ position through impact can open the clubface. That happens when your lead wrist is cupped and your trail wrist is bent. Ideally, your lead wrist is straight or slightly bent at impact in order for the clubface to be squared. Again, the best way to find the sweet spot is to try until you find the best position for yourself.

Lifetime Learning Process

Golf is hard, that is reality. That is also something that is never going to change no matter how hard we try. However, we can make it more enjoyable if we keep working on our game. You might not have a lot of time to practice, but always try to make the best of it. When you do practice do it with a purpose.

Make a plan and stick to it. Do not jump from drill to drill, do one until you master it then move on. Have a positive attitude and set realistic objectives. Even professional golfers try to improve each segment of the game their entire careers. It is a lifetime learning process for both them and us. That is also never going to change.

You may also like:

How to Fix a Golf Swing Slice – Hit It Straight

How to Master a Golf Swing – Is There a Formula?

Categories: Golf Swing

Proper Hip Rotation in the Golf Swing – Do It Right

November 27, 2022 Dan No Comments

If you listen to golf coaches and professionals, there is a good chance they will eventually mention the importance of hips in the golf swing. Proper hip rotation in the golf swing can improve the execution quite a bit. It affects a lot of swing elements including the backswing, downswing, follow-through, and impact. That contributes to more power and consistency in the swing.

Starting to rotate the hips the right way will not only give stability to your swing, but you will also start seeing more distance with your shots.

It is not just rotating them, there are also the elements of sliding and extending. All that blends in a motion that will make you swing like a pro golfer.

Certain mechanics of hip motion have to be done in a specific way in order for everything to work out. It will take you some time and practice to get used to it. Does anything related to golf not take time and practice? You already know the answer to that question. Now let’s see what needs to be done regarding the hips rotation in the golf swing.

Categories: Golf Swing

How to Create Lag in a Golf Swing – Simple Tips

October 30, 2022 Dan No Comments

The simple definition of lag as a verb is to “fall behind in movement”. In the case of your golf swing, it translates to your club lagging behind your body and arms in the downswing. You can hear a lot of coaches out there talking about creating it in your swing. I will give you some simple tips on how to create lag in a golf swing.

When you are swinging, you want to create more lag which can give you more power and eventually distance. There are a few key parts of the swing where lag is created. It starts from the backswing, then the transition, and ends with the downswing.

More lag means that your club is closer to your arm during the downswing before impact. Usually, at the top of your swing, your club and arm form a 90 degrees angle. Once you start the downswing that angle narrows.

The narrower the angle gets, the more lag you create. Sounds easy, right? Like everything in golf, there is more to it than meets the eye. Doing this can make a significant difference in the total distance for your shots. There are certain things you can work on that can help you with that. You can check what those things are below.

Categories: Golf Swing

Hand Action in the Golf Swing – How to Do It

October 16, 2022 Dan No Comments

Mastering the golf swing takes time, a lot of time. The truth is, you may never really master it to perfection. Just ask the professional golfers on the PGA or LPGA tours about it. Nonetheless, you can get it to a decent and enjoyable level. Hand action in the golf swing is more important than you think in that process.

It affects every single part of the swing, you name it. Swing speed, yep. Flight trajectory, affirmative. Distance, for sure. Contact, absolutely. Amount of spin, you guessed. I am trying to say that hand action controls many elements in your swing. Therefore, it has enormous importance. The better your understanding of your hands in the golf swing the better your swing can get.

Now, I am not saying that each and every golfer out there must do identical things. Everyone will have a certain style and do things in a way that works for them. However, there are certain things that can help you get a bit more consistency. How you use your hands during your swing is definitely one of those things.

Categories: Golf Swing