Golf Swing

Mickey Wright had one of the best golf swings of anyone that has ever played the game. This advice goes back to the setup. The player must setup in a balanced way, loose and, most importantly, not cramped up by holding the club too closely to themselves. Their arms have to have room to swing and if that is lacking then there will be compensations - something we really don't want to see.

That being said, you achieve your best score by practicing your weaknesses on the range, but use your strengths on the golf course. Every golfer has individual physical characteristics, strengths and weaknesses. Giving it your best means hitting your best high percentage shots on the course.

Try to arrive at the course a few minutes early to warm up and stretch. The pros don't just step up immediately to the tee box. Instead they are warming up, stretching their muscles and hitting some balls. When your muscles are warmed up you perform better, so be the early bird.

For a brief overview on the golf swing, it's not how hard you hit the golf ball that counts, but in developing a smooth effortless swing. If you're completely new to golf, a "Baseball Swing" drill will teach you to swing on plane and how to use your body correctly as you become aware how your muscle groups work.

Using the golf club like a baseball bat will teach you to swing on plane and use your body. When hitting a golf ball, you don't want to rush your swing and yank the club into a baseball bat-like swing or grip and use your golf club like it's a primitive war club.

Most professional golfers take a few warm up swings before they address the ball. They want to feel the swing before they hit the ball. Likewise, baseball players. Recreational golfers ought to learn and do the same.

Also get into a habit to take three deep breaths. Remove all the worry and tension out of your muscle. Instead, you want a relaxed approach, keeping your left shoulder, arms and wrists loose and limber so you'll release a soft, slow, powerful, smooth. You swing should feel effortless.

The idea is to STORE power until the exact right moment. Allow the pivot do all the work. Players get power from their hips. Strengthening your hips (hip abductor muscle group) helps generate more power to your swing and will knock down a golf handicap.

The average golfer's core pivot is only 1 mile per hour whereas a clubhead is moving at 100 miles per hour or more. Any increase in your core pivot will result in a large increase in your clubhead speed.

You could do a little hip bump drill to help get the movement down. As you bump your hips forward, it tilts your spine some and produces a raise in your left shoulder. Keep your right shoulder back. Your shots will be longer, straighter and look more effortless.

Ironically, if you look like your hitting hard, you'll not be; if you look like your hitting slow and easy, you won't be.

Correct swing impact is a result of proper sequential motion. This means that the feet, knees, and hips are the leaders on the downswing as the torso, shoulders, arms, and finally, the wrists and club head would follow in that order.

Again, that impact would have the weight approximately 75 percent on the left side with the hands slightly ahead of the lagging club head. Notice that this hands-leading club head position at impact will put the left wrist in a flat condition and the right wrist in a bent condition.

Beginners often make the mistake of having their left wrists bent and their right wrists flat resulting from trying to scoop the ball with their right hand leaking power and hitting weak, inconsistent drives. A scooping habit results in hooks, thin and fat shots.

One can work on their impact practicing with a backyard net rehearsing fundamentals. Making sure that: your hips are slightly open, that your weight is 75 percent on your left side at impact, your head position behind the ball, your right heel off the ground slightly, your shoulders square or only slightly open and your left wrist should be flat along with your right wrist bent, your follow through reaching it's natural end with the club ending up behind your back