The game of golf is loved by literally hundreds of thousands of people around the world. The peaceful surroundings and fantastic venues can be magical, but the frustartion of getting it right can be infuriating. Here I have listed my top 10 tips to help improve your simple golf swing technique and vastly reduce your handicap.
1. It all begins with position. At address, keep your head still. Position your head in line with your back and look straight at the ball. Keep your head raised enough to accommodate your left shoulder as you swing.
2. Simply count one at the top of your backswing and two as you strike the ball, then change the count to one-and-two to slow your downswing and give yourself more time. This tip has helped many pro players; it can help you too.
3. Keep a firm grip of your club. Forget all the analogies out there about holding it like its a baby bird. If it starts to slip out of your hand during the swing then your brain has to compensate, throwing off your whole swing.
4. Practice makes perfect. Before thinking about expensive coaching lessons, or buying books, ask yourself if you are actually getting onto the golf course enough. Some problems only need simple solutions.
5. Strengthen and improve the flexibility of your core muscles. If you have weak muscles then you wont be able to perform the movements required. Without the necessary strength to pull them off the mind will change these movements on the fly to reduce damage. You wont even be aware of it happening. Without the flexibility, your movements will be restricted, and it will take much more effort. After all, why take the time to learn these great golf swing tips if your subconscious is undoing any progress? Keeping your muscles strong and flexible will maximise your other efforts.
6. Time pressures impact your performance. Were all busy people, and you might find once youre out on the course that youre not going to get around the whole course in the time you have available. You have a choice between letting the pressure affect your game, as you worry about getting around the whole course, or you can accept that you wont manage it. If you chose the latter, simply enjoy what you are able to achieve it will cut out a lot of worries that can impact your game.
7. Having a sense of where your left arm is during the swing will help you minimise any problems with going over the top. Notice how close your arm stays to your body? Get a feel for that so that you are aware of it, and repeat. Just dont clamp your arm to your body, keep it natural. An increased awareness is enough it is simple and it will help.
8. Think of the swing in terms of coiling your body, and storing the potential energy for the purpose of unleashing that energy like a spring with the aim of driving the ball as far as possible. This analogy is helpful imagery that will help you understand the most important aspects of the swing.
9. At the top of the backswing you can make sure your arms are in the correct position with some more simple imagery. Imagine you are holding a tray in the same way a waiter would, and if your arm is holding that position then you have it right.
10. Think about the lag in your club head. In a good swing the clubs shaft will be leaning forward, the hands will be in front as they pass over the ball, then the club shaft, then the head. Both the shaft and hands lead as the head makes contact. This will occur either vertically in line with the hands or slightly backwards of the hands. By comparison an amateur will strike the ball with the hands behind the club and the club angled forwards, adding lift but reducing impact. Practice lag drills to reduce this.
These few golf swing tips will give you a good opportunity to think about your swing, whether youre an old hand or an absolute beginner. Such thought always creates the opportunity to improve.