This week we are going to look at a number of basic swing moves that all golfers need to make to produce a good golf swing. We all have tendencies, some good and some bad. The key is to identify those swing tendencies that lead to bad shots and work on eliminating them from your swing.
There are five basic moves that most golfers need to make to produce great golf swings. They include maintaining good balance, setting the club correctly, achieving maximum coil, maintaining your spine angle through impact and swinging with good tempo.
Good balance starts with a good stance. The distance between the insides of your feet should be the same as the distance of the outsides of your shoulders. The weight should always be on the insides of your feet to prevent your lower body from “swaying” when you swing. Your arms should hang naturally down at address and you should never feel tension in your shoulders. You can improve your balance through impact by trying to keep your head behind the ball through impact. To help achieve this balanced position think “belt buckle to the target” and not your eyes.
To set the club correctly during your back-swing you need a good grip. A stronger grip with your target hand will help you achieve this. The key to this move lies in your ability to set your wrists in a 90 degree angle position in your back-swing and to maintain this position as long as you can to impact. To learn this move simply focus on the grip end of your club. As you start your back-swing point the grip end towards the ground. At the top of your back-swing the grip end should point away from your target. Holding the club softly and trying not to squeeze the club too tightly in your palms will also help you to set the club correctly in your back-swing.
Maximum coil means maximum power. To achieve a good coil you need flexibility as well as a good hip and shoulder turn. Before you play always stretch. Place a driver across your shoulders and take your starting setup position. Keep your head down and practise making a back-swing and turning your hips and shoulders so that you back faces the target. Your front shoulder should move into the position where your back shoulder was at address. If you achieve a full coil you will start to feel all of you back, shoulders and abdominal muscles stretching as you reach to the top of your back-swing.
To make consistent contact with the ball, you need to maintain your spine angle. This basically means that you cannot change your height from address to impact. You can practise this indoors by making swings in front of a wall. Without a golf club stand 12 inches away from a wall and take your starting position. Place your forehead against the wall and practise making swings while staying connected to the wall. If you can do this, you will not only feel improved balance, but will also be able to successfully maintain your spine angle from address to impact.
The most important move in golf involves swinging with even tempo. Fred Couples has one of the most “rhythmic swings” in the game. He never forces his swing and his beautiful tempo produces long and straight and accurate shots. They say that in life “one good turn deserves another”! When I am on the range working on my swing tempo, I simply think turn, set, and turn. My first turn involves turning my back to the target as I get my weight fully loaded onto my back foot. My grip end points away from my target at the top of my back-swing, and then I simply focus on a full hip turn where my belt buckle finishes facing my target.
Work on these basic moves this season and you should start to see some major improvements in your game!
Next Week: Finding Your “Wheelhouse”
Cameron Burechails (Teaching Professional), The Georgian Bay Golf Academy @Meaford Golf Club (705) 441-0865 baygolfacademy@bell.net www.meafordgolf.com
