The golf swing should be a controlled arc around the golfer’s body. During the take back, the golfer’s weight should shift to the back side of the body as the chest rotates and the club goes backward. The club changes direction at the top of the swing, and on the way down the golfer’s weight shifts back to the front side.
Full Answer
Why is the follow through so important to the golf swing?
Here’s legendary golf coach Hank Haney explaining why the follow through is so important to the golf swing: If you can combine good balance with proper execution in each of the four stages of the swing listed above, you’ll be on your way to some of the best ball striking of your life.
What should a golfer consider when making a golf swing?
A golfer must consider the stance, grip, swing and tempo when making a golf swing. Understanding the different aspects of the swing and practicing them on a driving range can be the key to consistently hitting accurate shots and, therefore, posting lower scores. The golf grip is the way the club is held in the golfer’s hand.
How do you limit the role of hands in the golf swing?
Professional golfers know you have to limit the role of the hands in the golf swing and let the big muscles do the work. The best way to get started on the path of fewer hands in the golf swing is with the takeaway. Need a simple drill? Take a yardstick or an alignment stick, place it on the ground, and take your address position.
What is the path of your golf swing?
To discuss the path of your swing, it’s best to use your target line as a point of reference. So, the target line is going to be a straight line that runs through your ball and out toward the target you have selected for that shot.
What is The Forward Press Golf Swing?
Mark Crossfield describes a forward press golf swing as setting up, pushing the club handle towards your front foot, and swinging. This setup reduces the loft of your club and encourages you to strike the ball with a slightly closed, aiming to optimize your distance and shape.
Pros of The Forward Press Golf Swing
According to Sam Snead, a little rhythm will help you hit beautiful golf shots. He found that the forward press setup helped trigger all kinds of smoothness on your backswing and downswing. Achieving this fluidity in your swing will alleviate any nerves or anxiety you have before each shot.
Cons of The Forward Press Golf Swing
While the pros of this swing are helpful, they all fall apart when you do not pay careful attention to the action of the hands. If you do not adjust your wrists on your downswing, your clubface will remain open through impact, prompting side spin that causes a slice.
When It Typically Makes The Most Sense to Use This Swing
As amateurs, we spend less time on the fairway than we would like, which is why you should spend your practice sessions conducting shot recovery drills. One option is the punch shot, which saves me every round. When you are in the woods and need a low flying ball to avoid the treetops, a forward press swing can help you get out.
What is the role of the shoulder girdle in golf swing?
For the purpose of the golf swing, it must be noted that the main role of the ‘shoulder girdle’ or more specifically the scapula, is to be positioned so as to facilitate required directions of upper arm movement. The range of motion of each arm is determined by the direction in which its scapula is facing. What are the expert opinions on the role ...
What is the ball and socket joint?
The thin, triangule-shaped scapula has, on one of its corners, an indented area ( the glenoid cavity/fossa), which serves as the ‘socket’, for the arm’s ‘ball-and-socket’ joint. So the ‘ball’ (the top part or ‘head’ of the humerus or upper-arm bone) has a range of motion - in three directions - which is determined by which direction ...
What is the function of the shoulder girdle?
The Shoulder Girdle, and, for that matter, all parts of the upper body, have one main function - to present the arms and thus the golf club to the ball in such a manner that the ball can travel as far, straight and high as possible.
Is there a restriction on shoulder girdle mobility?
Also, there is never any restriction of shoulder girdle mobility, AS LONG AS a golfer’s body positions the scapulae in the direction in which the arms need to move. UNLESS there is a CONFLICT of INTEREST in the roles of the scapulae and the arms, there is never a problem (with normal golfers).
Can a golfer get the right shoulder?
A mere correction of a C-Posture is not enough - even after a correction, or despite a perfectly neutral spine, a golfer can get the right shoulder (scapula) into position for poor impact. The Minimalist Golf Swing not only positions the right scapula for better presentation of the right arm at impact (even for those with an existing C-Posture), ...
What is the downswing in golf?
What the golf downswing must achieve: Regardless of what a golfer does in the downswing, in order for a ball to go high, straight, and far, the club must be delivered to the ball from an inside path, with an adequate angle of approach (attack) and at maximum speed. That’s all.
Why do golfers have no need to think about ground up sequencing?
Imagine a golf swing with no need to think about ground-up sequencing because the pelvis cannot help put rotate early in the downswing. Imagine a golf swing where the depth of the divot can be manipulated merely by the height of the hands; or the plane of the swing merely by how closed the shoulders are at address.
What muscle is the trail side lower?
It is two-jointed muscle, connected at the spine and also at the upper arm. So when the “trail-side-lower” of the MGS backswing keeps the muscles active at the spine, by keeping the spine in side bend, the lats are not able to be stretched as much at the upper arm, and so do not aggressively pull the trail arm towards the body while ...
Why does my shoulder get pulled down and forward?
OTT happens because the start of the downswing is predominantly downwards rather than rotational (as with less skilled golfers) or because the pelvis rotates so early and so fast (as in more skilled golfers) during the downswing that the trail thigh or shoulder gets pulled down and forward as well - too much too soon .
What is the marriage of anatomy and the ball flight laws?
A marriage of anatomy and the ball flight laws: If the club must be delivered from the inside (the most important of the five ball flight laws - but see the note at the bottom to understand current thoughts on the subject), then the arms and trail shoulder (right for the right handed golfer) must also be “arriving from the inside” by being ...
Is OTT a par for the course?
Thus, OTT has become “par for the course”.
Can a golfer hit straight down?
With all these powerful muscles stretched in an upwards direction, a less experienced golfer who has not developed sophisticated lower body movements will simply hit straight down. He/she cannot help it - that is all that his/her muscle-positions at the top will permit, during the downswing.
What is the path of a golf club?
What is Golf Club Path? When the club moves through the hitting area to strike the ball, the direction that the club is travelling is known as the swing path or swing direction. To discuss the path of your swing, it’s best to use your target line as a point of reference. So, the target line is going to be a straight line ...
What is face angle golf?
Face angle is the direction that the face of the club is pointing when you strike the ball. Only when you combine control over your swing path with control over your face angle will you be able to predictably send the ball in the right direction over and over again. To produce a straight shot toward your target, ...
How to neutralize takeaway?
Try neutralizing your takeaway by keeping your hands and wrists quiet as you turn your shoulders away from the target. This type of quiet takeaway should keep the club head close to the target line early in the backswing, which will help you to find that target line once again when you swing down.
What is the difference between an inside out swing and an outside in swing?
An inside-out swing is one that has the club moving farther away from the body as it goes through impact, while an outside-in swing does the opposite.
What happens if your face angle is closed?
If your face angle is closed relative to the swing path at impact, you will hit a draw. If the face is open at impact as compared to the swing path, you’ll hit a fade. via TrueGolfSwing.com. Of course, if the face is opened or closed too dramatically when you strike the ball, those fades and draws will turn into slices and hooks.
Where is the target line on a golf shot?
So, the target line is going to be a straight line that runs through your ball and out toward the target you have selected for that shot. The target line could run right down the middle of the fairway on a tee shot, for example, or it could be off to one side or the other depending on your plan for the shot. If you were to swing the club on ...
Is swing path the only variable in the equation?
But swing path is not the only variable in this equation – you need to consider face angle, as well.
What does a golf swing look like?
When performed correctly, your golf swing should look like one smooth, continuous motion that culminates with you holding a nicely balanced finished as the ball sails through the air. Within that motion, however, is a series of techniques that each must be executed properly in order to strike a good shot.
What is the backswing of a golf swing?
While the takeaway is technically part of the backswing, this section is referring to the portion of the swing between the takeaway and the transition at the top. This is when the club gets lifted up into position, and when you finish your shoulder turn.
What are the different parts of golf swing mechanics?
Golf swing mechanics can be broken down into five general sections: The Takeaway. The Backswing. The Transition. The Downswing and Impact. The Follow Through. The following is a quick review of each of these key fundamentals to help you better understand proper golf swing mechanics.
How to hit a quality shot in golf?
If you want to hit a quality shot, you have to have a clean transition in your swing – it is just that simple. The club has to change directions from backswing to downswing, and that moment in time is known as the transition in the golf world. Your main focus in the transition should be the motion of your lower body.
How does speed work in golf?
Speed in the golf swing is created through rotation, and you can’t rotate aggressively if you are off balance at the top. If you wish to hit the ball as hard as possible – and who doesn’t – you will be best served to focus on balance, even if it means cutting your backswing just a bit short.
Why is impact called the moment of truth?
Impact is often called “the moment of truth,” because it is the only point in the golf swing where the club actually meets the ball. All of the work you have done in the previous three sections will be wasted if you are unable to arrive at a good impact position.
What happens if you take a bad takeaway?
The way you start your swing has a lot to do with how successful the swing will be in the end. A bad takeaway will set you off on the wrong foot for your swing – and you may never recover.
EXERCISE OF THE MONTH
This dual purpose posture exercise strengthens the rhomboids in the upper back while stretching the muscles across the chest. Excellent for rounded shoulder posture, which will rob you of distance and set you up for shoulder and neck concerns.
WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT "THE CLINIC"
If your Club, resort, organization or golf team would like to host THE CLINIC, contact Bob at [email protected] or 336-509-4610.
What is the role of hands in golf?
The role of the hands in the golf swing is important, yet often misunderstood concept. Most of what you’ll find in golf instruction literature will focus on the configuration of your hands on the club, and how certain types of grips affect the ball flight, etc. However, the hands do so much more than just grip the club.
Why do pros swing golf clubs so smoothly?
One of the reasons pros swing the golf club so smoothly is because the club swings with no correction or compensation with the hands.
How to get fewer hands in golf?
Need a simple drill? Take a yardstick or an alignment stick, place it on the ground, and take your address position. Take a club and place the sole on the stick, and work on keeping the hands quiet for those all-important first 18 inches of the takeaway. Practice the takeaway 10 times, then hit 5 practice shots, focusing exclusively on your takeaway. Repeat the process three times.
What is the next step in golf?
Once you’ve established a grip style that is comfortable to you and suits your game , the next step is to understand your hand’s role in the golf takeaway. With the exception of a few specialty shots (i.e. buried lies, divots), the hands will passively follow the shoulders and arms as you initiate the backswing.
What is the commonality between bad players and good players?
Aside from years of practice, one commonality between all of them is their use of the big muscles, rotating back and through, and their hands do nothing more than holding the club during the swing. It’s not an easy skill to develop, and it very well could be the one thing that separates bad players from good players.
Do golfers have one in a million reflexes?
But unless you have one-in-a-million reflexes, the results of hand manipulation are usually sub-par at best. Professional golfers know you have to limit the role of the hands in the golf swing and let the big muscles do the work.
Where should the next checkpoint be on a wrist?
Once the wrists have hinged comfortably, the next checkpoint will be at the top of the backswing.
Why do you release the club a bit earlier?
And if you’re a player who stays quite centered over the ball, feel free to release the club a bit earlier, simply because by staying more centered you moved the bottom a bit forward and now you may have to move it back a bit. A good golf swing has a repeating low point.
Why do you need angle retention when you pivot?
The reason is that when you moved off the ball, you moved the bottom of your arc back, and you’ll need to move it back forward coming down.
What is a Sweep Release?
A “sweep” release imparts every bit as much force as a “snap” release if delivered at the same speed, as evidenced by Jason Zuback. We cannot discount the importance of the release, however, because it serves another, vital function in your swing.
Why do golfers swing hard from the inside?
This is because an inside path makes a golfer get to impact earlier, that is, the bottom of the swing arc is much farther back. So a golfer who swings hard from the inside needs to retain his angle slightly longer to avoid hitting fat shots and hooks.
What is lag in golf?
Lag is a way of describing the relationship of the hands and club head, where the hands are leading and the club head is “lagging” behind in the downswing. While lag does serve a very important function in the swing, it is NOT one of speed. I work with some very good players, two of whom swing in excess of 120 mph with their driver.
Why do golfers release their clubs earlier?
That’s because golfers who swing over the top reach impact “later,” which means their motion moves the bottom of the swing arc well forward. Because of this, golfers are forced to release the club head earlier to to complement the later bottom.
Which swing plane should release be earlier?
Now with swing plane, if you’re one who swings more upright or vertical, your release should be earlier than those who have a flatter, or more horizontal swings. Upright swings are narrower and tend to move the bottom of the swing arc more forward, and an earlier release complements that move.
