Swing is the main and the most important part of every golf game, and the ability to perform it on the highest level frequently determines success. The modern golf training suggests a variety of swing techniques, and newcomers become confused, as they just want to learn the correct swing, but cannot choose which of the techniques is the best. However, taking a closer look at the swing, you can notice that it is based on several key movements that are the same for each of the techniques. This paper will illustrate the basic steps of how to swing a golf club and prove that they are the same for all swings trained by various golf instructors. Remember that they are described for the right-handed player; for the left-handed players, the positions are inversed.
According to Anderson, there are eight key moves to learn a proper swing of the golf club (Anderson, 2015). The first thing you need to know is that your body should move free, and for this, it should be balanced, and your weight should be in-between your feet. To establish good posture, you need to push your hips back and to bend your spine down to the ball at an angle of about thirty degrees. To increase stability, you should flex your knees; also, do not forget to check that your right shoulder is lower than the left one, and the clubface is aimed at the hole. To train your balance, you can try a bowling ball; the preparing position for bowling is almost the same as for golf.
Next, you should learn the right positions for backswing. The first checkpoint is the ninety degrees backswing; your swing set should follow the pattern clubhead-hands-arms-shoulders-hips, and your right arm should be close to the right part of your body. When your hands with the clubhead pass your right leg, you should start to shift your weight to the right foot, and when the club is at the ninety degrees in parallel to the ground, you should check that it is also in parallel to the target line and that the arc is correct. At this moment, the clubhead should remind thumbs-up. The whole position reminds the moves of quarterback at the moment when he pitches the ball. The second checkpoint is the backswing located perpendicular to the ground. Continue to shift your weight to the right foot; it creates the momentum of the swing that, together with the flexion of your right elbow, helps to reach the ninety degrees between your left arm and your club. Make sure your left arm is located a bit above your right arm to exclude the domination of the right arm in the swing. The club starts to get along your body, and under the influence of the swing, your hips follow your shoulders, and you should feel a loading action in your right leg and right hip. This position is close to movements of the basketball player during a bounce pass. The last checkpoint is the location of the club behind your back and your maximal backswing. It strongly reminds about the moves of the tennis player when he returns a ball. Check that your wrists are fully hinged and are located at the half of your back and turn your shoulders; during the swing, they should be at eleven o’clock. Also, check that your hips are turned half from the turn of your shoulders. Your left arm is relaxed but straight, and your right elbow is directed down to the ground. While swinging, check that your arms and hands are under the club. Your muscles should feel like you are ready to jump.
Finally, you should learn the correct positions for the downswing. The first checkpoint is the beginning. The swing starts with a small lateral movement: your left knee and hip should shift to another side of your left foot. At the same time, your arms go down, and your right elbow draws to the front of your right hip. Your lower body moves forward, but your head locates behind the ball, and your shoulders stay fixed on the target. The position reminds of a karate chop. Next, you should check your position at the moment of the strike. The right side of your body continues to move forward, and your left side remains strained. Check that your head is behind the ball, your chest is oriented to it, and your shoulders follow your hips. Your hands should be in advance of the club to perform a more powerful strike, and your right wrist should be crouched. To understand this position better, you can consider the position of a hockey player just before the performance of the slap shot. Now, you should learn how to move just after the strike. It goes almost the same way as the batter moves while hitting the ball. Check that your arms are straight and your right shoulder is below your left shoulder to the maximum. Your arms should move to the inside, and your right knee should get closer to your left knee to hide the gap; at the same time, your left leg should remain straight and act like a firm brace. See after your wrists: they should not flip, and the club should be located under your hands. The final position to check is the end of the downswing; it is similar to movements of a pitcher while finishing the dash. Your left leg should remain in the same position and continue to act like a firm brace that takes the weight of your body, and the upper part of your body, right hip, and right leg should rotate till your right shoulder becomes the part of the body closest to the target. Because of the momentum, your hands are after your head, and your arms are bent at the elbow. The gap between your knees is closed, and they are located in perpendicular to each other. Check that your shoulders are turned to a greater degree than your hips, as it proves that your upper body is fully released. Moreover, remember about the balance that is important for all the mentioned positions of the swing.
All described swing positions constitute the fundamentals of the correct swing. They can slightly vary from one swing technique to the other but are the key to reaching success in playing golf for beginners. It is important to find and follow your natural tempo of performing swing, as its slowing or fastening often result in the failure of the whole process. I strongly recommend training without an excessive amount of the viewers first, as it can make you nervous and hinder your advancements. Moreover, remember to be patient; golf is a complicated game that combines a lot of movements from the other kinds of sports, and the slow progress is also considered to be the progress.
References
Anderson, T. (2015). How to swing a golf club. Golf Digest. Retrieved from http://www.golfdigest.com/gallery/todd-anderson-fix-your-swing-fundamentals
