Tips to help your golf swing

Control your golf swing and ease your frustration

EASY AS 1-2-3

Golf is hard.  No wait, I thought you said it was easy.  What I meant to say is that “It can be easy and it certainly is a challenge”.  Using my simple 1-2-3 framework of viewing the golf swing will ease the frustration of how to fix your swing and your golf game.  Sometimes we over analyze the golf swing, which can make things much more complicated than they really are.

Sometimes “controlling your swing motion” can be a better way to improve than “changing your swing motion”.  There will be adjustments as we learn, along with a need for patience and focused practice.

I offer this simple framework below for viewing the golf swing, intended to help you gain a better understanding of your swing and help you improve your golf game.

#1: THE SET-UP

A majority of swing faults are a direct result of a weak or faulty set-up.  This is the least physically demanding part of the swing which, unfortunately, is usually overlooked.

Your set-up preferences will determine the type of swing you shouldhave.  It is important that you understand how your set-up affects your swing, and constantly monitor and practice your proper positioning.  Experiment with your set-up and learn the many variables and options.

#2: THE BACKSWING

There are many moving parts during the swing, but I would like to group them into two parts:  body turn and arm/hand action.  Using these two parts properly will set the club in a good position.  With proper coordination, you can create a strong swing that has good path, pace, shape and balance.

• Body turn involves footwork, hip turn, shoulder/chest turn. 
• Arm and hand actioninvolves arm swing, hands hinging or setting.

#3: THE FINISH

Returning the club on the proper path with good acceleration and finishing in balance facing the target.   A good, athletic finish position is the result of all the motions before being controlled and coordinated.  The two moving parts, as with the back swing, are body turn and arm/hand action.  These movements need to be properly coordinated and balanced.  If your finish is in control and balanced, all the things that were going on before were probably good, resulting in a well balanced finish pose for the TV cameras.

YOUR GOLF MUSCLE

I look at your golf swing as a golf muscle.  When you practice and play you are basically trying to strengthen and improve (the shape) your golf swing.  Hitting balls and practicing is like going to the gym.  I use the same format as if I were going to the health club to work on my biceps that I would going to the range to improve my golf swing.

• Warm-up first.  Get your blood pumping, your coordination working, get relaxed and loose. Warm ups are nice and easy.
• Do your specific exercises for the body parts you’re trying to strengthen (golf swing areas you’re trying to strengthen).  With your personal swing, your #1 might be a little weak while your #2 is strong and your #3 needs some help also.
• Specific final burn to really “kill” the area you are working on.
• Cool down and leave.  Take a few full swings with easy effort to cool down and relax everything you have tightened and strengthened.  Leave, don’t try this…or maybe this might help…or what if I do this.  Just leave, you’re done, good job.

As with regular exercise, when working out your golf muscle, start light.  Nice and easy, work on proper form.  Then, when your form is proper, add weight while maintaining your proper form.  Over time your golf muscle will start to get stronger, you will need to “add more weight” and then look for more challenging stimulation to keep your golf muscle growing.