Is there a more important part of a golf game than the golf swing? No, of course not. So what better area to focus on than golf swing basics. Let’s take a look at some basic and very simple techniques which in turn will improve your swing and score.

1. Visualization. Try to always “see” the target before actually hitting the ball. See yourself swinging through the ball perfectly. Visualization is an underused and critical component to a golfers success. This is a very simple tip that can really improve your accuracy.

2. Always remember to keep your arms relaxed and straight. A good thing to remember is to keep your arms under your shoulders. The bottom line is that your arms need to be within a few inches of your lower body.

3. Make sure you stand in a relaxed position over the ball with a slight bend in your knees. Your legs should be balanced with an even weight distributed between your legs. These small tips can really assist in establishing an initial approach and alignment to the ball.

4. Place a big emphasis on physical fitness. That’s right, we know how important physical fitness is to improving not just your golf swing but also your overall golf game. The most important component to golf physical fitness is the strength phase. You need to strengthen your upper body and arms so that you can generate a real good swing speed and follow through. Almost as important is the cardiovascular aspect. This may not be as relevant to the swing component of golfing but will definitely help with the overall game.

Practice these small tips and they will pay large dividends to your golf swing and all other areas of your game. Have fun out on the links.

By: George Knoechel

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I have often been asked what I think the most important part of the setup is when you’re getting ready to drive a golf ball. I dont know if there is one answer to that question.

The way I answer it is based on what Ive observed over the past 30 years of teaching.

After youve addressed the golf ball, and this is not an easy thing to see, you might have to have someone watch. Or, Ill tell you how to check for yourself.

After youve addressed the golf ball and you’re all ready to hit, I would say that 90% of the people that struggle with the driver have their shoulders aimed way off to the left.

Now, why? Its pretty simple. Oh, I dont know, 80% of the golfing public has a driver golf slice. So, if you slice the golf ball, you’re going to try to aim off to the side, so when it recovers and comes back around its in play.

Now, unfortunately, for those of you that have a driver golf slice, simply by squaring your shoulders up, that isnt going to take away the slice. But its going to encourage the golf club to swing more from inside than from outside, and it will help it a lot.

You may need a grip change. But theres no question about it, the most important part of the setup for the driver has to be the shoulders.

Make sure they’re aimed parallel to your feet, knees and hips going left of the target.

Now, if you’re driving the golf ball poorly and not very consistent, let me give you these two golf swing instruction pearls. They go hand in hand.

And I promise you this will help you find out if your problem with your driver is in the backswing.

For you to become a really good driver of the golf ball and consistent, the shoulders have to turn. The only way they can turn in the backswing is if you have your chin up and not down.

Most mistakes that Ive seen with amateur golfers in their difficulties of driving the golf ball is their posture.

Their head is too far down. The only thing your shoulders can do is go up in the air. You wont have the ability to swing the golf club around you. You wont have the chance of your shoulders turning.

So, the best golf swing instruction I can give you is, the next time out, after youve addressed the golf ball, gone through your routine and you’re almost ready to swing the golf club back, simply lift your chin up in the air an inch or two. And dont forget that your shoulder should turn in the backswing.

If you have your chin up, the shoulder can turn around it. From there, you can really let it fly in the downswing.

Again, chin up, not down, promotes the shoulders turning in the backswing.

Try that the next time out and I promise you itll help you.

Thanks.

Copyright 2006 David Nevogt

By: David Nevogt

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There are so many things to remember to try and hit the perfect golf shot that many of us are not sure where to start. The key is to try and make the swing as simple as possible so that it can be easily repeated over and over again. Practice is the key to developing a golf swing that can lower your score.

Before you ever even start your golf swing it is critical to put yourself in position to execute the swing. Your feet should be spread apart about shoulder length and your knees slightly flexed. Your upper body will be leaning forward slightly and your back shoulder a little lower than your front. Your arms should drop freely from your side and your head positioned just behind the ball.

There are a couple of different ways to grip the club with your hands and one is not better than another. Choose the one that feels best to you. One of the grips is the interlock and the other is the overlap. In an interlocking grip, the pinky finger on your top hand is linked with the index finger on the bottom hand. An overlap grip places the pinky finger on the top hand on top of the first and second fingers of the bottom hand. While it doesn’t matter whether you use the interlock or overlap, it is critical where you place your hands on the grip. It should sit in the middle of the palm on your top hand and rest in the fingers of the bottom hand. Your hands should be placed in such a position that the V formed by the finger and the thumb should point up to your back shoulder.

Now that you have the proper stance and grip you are ready to swing the club. Most golf teaching professionals recommend a one piece take-a-way. The hands start to move the club back as the hips and shoulders turn. Push the club away from the ball slowly do not pick the club up. As you move the club back, lock the wrists and stop at about shoulder height. The first move coming down should be with your legs. Drive your knees forward, turn at the waist and start the club back toward the ball; at this point the butt of the grip should be pointed straight down. As you accelerate down, roll the wrists to close the club face at impact.

Even though you have already struck the ball, the golf swing is not finished. Your follow through should be low to the ground as you continue to rotate the shoulders and hips. It is very important that you do not slow down your swing immediately after impact. Accelerate all the way through the ball finishing with your belt buckle pointing toward your target and the club wrapped around your back.

By: Lee LaCasse

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Alignment is one of 4 basics of golf that you have to get master along with the grip, stance and posture. Once you have the basics right you will improve rapidly. If the basics are wrong you will find it difficult to improve. If you are not aligned properly, obviously the ball will not go where you want it to. As you can imagine if you are just slightly out in your alignment at the ball, how far will you be out when it has traveled over 200 yards. Good alignment is not difficult and here are some tips to help.

1. Take up a position behind the ball. This is your first step to achieve the right alignment. Stand directly behind the ball and make sure that you keep it between you and your target. Holding the club with the grip, pick a point on the ground that is about three feet from the ball in line with the target you are aiming for. Memorize that spot, whether it is a divot mark, small weed, broken tee peg, because you are going to use it as a reference to address the ball and to aim your club face later on.

2. Walk up to the ball and place the club head square to spot 3 feet in front of you that you had chosen earlier. Take your stance with your body square to your designated target line. Position your feet in accordance to the club, which you intend to use for the shot. The main idea here is to make sure that the lines corresponding to the tips of your toes, your knees, your hips, and your shoulders should all be in parallel to the target line. Your proper alignment, coupled with good swing fundamentals, should be enough to make the ball go straight into the hole with every shot.

3. You can make a quick check by placing your club across your shoulders and checking that they are on the target line. You can do the same with the toes of your shoes to make sure everything is square.

4. Always keep a check on your alignment, even the pros can fall into the trap of thinking they are lined up correctly when in reality they are way out.

Good basics lead to a good golf game. Don’t practice bad habits.

By: Ian Donaldson

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All golf players that that do this for a living, still look for ways to improve their golf. And they do this every day. As long as you remember that it is your golf swing the one driving the score, you have every chance of becoming invincible. Still, you also need a perfect hand-eye coordination, creativity, vision, balance and athletic ability to play golf.

One of the most challenging games one can learn during a lifetime is golf and how to play it well. You can go after many golf tips, but it is always wiser to follow simple approaches that can be applied and that can help you be a better player and improve your swing.

The easiest golf swing is many times the most effective when trying to hit the ball further and straighter. So here are a few simple but effective tips:

The Grip
The foundation of your swing stands in the grip. Developing the right grip is essential to getting the perfect swing.

Here are a few different grips: the interlocking grip (with the left index finger and the right little finger combine and interlock, especially if you have thick hands, or even shorter hands); the overlapping grip (having the right little finger sit on top of the index finger of your left hand, used by most male golfer); or the baseball grip (without overlapping the index finger of the left hand and the little finger of the right hand, but make contact with each other. It is used by the majority of beginners)

The Stance
The stance that you want is having your weight equally balanced. For this, standing relaxed over the ball is of great importance, since any tension can affect the quality of the swing. So, you have to make sure you follow this one. It’s best to bend at the hips also with a slight flex in your knees. Remember to keep your spine erect and not rounded.

The Backswing
As long as you are slow and deliberate, you can get the perfect backswing. Do not be quick about it, as the power is actually generated more on your downswing. Also keep your left arm as straight as you can while going as far back as possible.

The Downswing
Try to keep your head in the same position – it’s the key to the downswing. Begin it downswing from your hips, while keeping your head behind the ball. It is not advised to use your right hand so as to generate more power, as it will be generated by the angle formed between the clubs and the wrists. Again, do not be quick about your downswing; it is better to have a gradually increasing speed on the downswing along with good balance.

The Follow Through
It is important for your head to come up with your right shoulder, with your chin over your right shoulder while your head is facing the target. This will complete the follow through. Being patient while learning all this tips is essential. You can also practice your swings without actually hitting the ball, to start with. You will become more and more comfortable doing it like this.

Remember: relax and focus on your targets when you are on the course! And practice, practice, practice!

By: Jedda Barton

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When your golf swing isn’t getting the ball where you want it to go you often need to focus on a few different aspects in your performance. Your posture and your grip both make your swing better-or worse. The swing itself is also a factor you need to develop.

Always make sure you are calm and clear-headed before you start you set. Believe it or not, your mood affects your grip and your swing a lot! You can over strangle your club making it more difficult to swing and could even miss the ball-which might not help your mood too much.

Correctly using your golf club depends on your technique. If you have a weak frame and a too tight grip your swing will be off and you’ll very surly slice the ball. To avoid this you must practice your stance, grip, and swing. There are a few easy things you can do to make sure your posture is right every time. Slightly bend your knees and tilt your body so that you are slightly bent over-but not too much so that you can’t swing. By keeping this posture throughout your swing, you will keep a straight line allowing for a great contact.

Practice a lot! As they always say, “Practice makes perfect.” By looking up some training drills or going to your local trainer, you can practice your skill at home or on the green. If you repeat something enough times, it will eventually become instinctive to your body and you will become a better player.

By: William A Mitchell

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