Showing posts with label Fundamentals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fundamentals. Show all posts

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Golf Swing Fundamentals a Short Overview

There are really six basic golf swing fundamentals that need to be learned, and managed whether you're a beginner or a pro.

The Grip

Simply put the grip is just how you hold the club in your hands. There are three regular grips that golfers choose from, selecting the one that feels most comfortable to you is important, and then sticking with it so you don't have changing variables as you learn.

Single Overlap Grip: (assuming a right handed golfer) The pinky finger on your right hand overlaps with the index finger on your left hand. The opposite is true for left handed golfers.

Interlock Grip: The same layout as the single finger overlap grip, except that the pinky on your right hand (for righty's left hand for lefties) interlocks with the index finger on the opposite hand.

Baseball Grip: Probably not a difficult one to imagine, basically you're grippping the club shaft like a base ball bat. Without any overlapping or interlocking of fingers. All ten fingers should be touching the grip on the club shaft.

Any one of the grips described above will work well, the key as mentioned is to choose the one that feels right for you and practice using that one.

Posture and Mechanics

How you set the ball in your stance, the flex at your knee, straightening of the back, hip bend, and angle which you maintain through the whole swing. The width of your stance should be approximately shoulder width. Knees should be kept slightly bent to allow small amount of motions, and your back kept straight at about an 80 degree angle.

Be sure you're bending at the hips and not your back, keep your back straight at all times. The angle that your back maintains when you're coming through your follow through should be the same which you started with in your back swing. If you change/move the angle of your back then everything else in your swing mechanics will also change.

Pivot

Manging how your body swing through from your head to your toes, and turning into your swing with your hips is the pivot.

Hands and Arms

Hand and arm relationship or better known as coordination is a very important step to learning the golf swing fundamentals.

Picking out a Target

Where do you want the ball to go? Alignment is an important part of the swing that not everyone pays attention to. If you're aiming for the green, then you should make sure that is where you body is aimed and where it will be facing once you've followed through your swing.

Of course there is a mental aspect to choosing a target as well. If there is a sand or water hazard directly in front of you chances are guess where your ball is going to land. Either at the beach or for a swim in that water hazard. Focus on something ahead, keep your main objective in mind, and ignore hazards treat them as if they're not there.

Mental Aspect

Probably the most important yet the least physical aspect of golf swing fundamentals. Some pros say that up to 90% of their game is mental, you have to be able to get in the right state of mind, visualize the next shot, and also perform all of the above mentioned fundamentals without thinking about them. So practice is what it takes to get them down. Your body will be able to reach a point where it's all natural, and you won't have to think about the next step, until then keep practicing.

Monday, October 18, 2010

Golf Swing Fundamentals For Beginners

Golf is a game that demands determination, dedication and discipline. It is true that golf swing fundamentals goes the same for one and all but then this game may prove to be a bit challenging for the amateurs.

Hence as a beginner you need to familiarize yourself with the golf swing fundamentals or rather the methods of carrying out a perfect golf swing. While the best golf swing is there, it's elusive as it differs from one person to the other. Knowledge and practice play a major role in the game of golf. Once you get hold of the adequate golf swing, you will find yourself in a much more calm and confident position.

If you are keen on knowing about swing fundamentals, then read on...

Prefer keeping your head still and eyes fixed on the ball. This helps in straightening the alignment of your spine and set perfect aim at the ball. The spine is considered as the axis that helps you in going for a swing. What is intended out here is that you need to maintain a straight posture for best results. Ensure keeping your head straight and nose facing upwards. Prefer placing your shoulder a bit under your chin when it comes to going for a swing. Don't tuck your head into your chest. Instead it would be advisable on your part to keep everything straight as that helps to strike the ball perfectly at the center. If you keep your head straight and keep your eyes consistent on the ball, then I am sure you can over the repeated problems that you face with golf swings.

Your second step involves in assuming a perfect position for your feet as well as knees. Make sure that your feet are perfectly well fitted to the ground. Keep your knees straight so as to allow pivoting to take place. Ensure bending a bit forward towards your waist while keeping your eye on the ball. Lower hip rotation in order to prevent swaying and don't overdo your backswing. This approach of yours will allow your left shoulder to strike your chin upon swinging.

Balance and position are the key points of a golf swing as it leads to good power and consistency. Another thing where you need to focus on is relaxation. Don't be tense as it would simple worsen your golf swing. Keep your muscles relaxed and try maintaining your balance as well as flow with the swing as smoothly as you can. I agree that you may find this a bit tedious initially but with practice things are sure to turn pretty simple. You can keep yourself relaxed by breathing in and out slowly and maintain a position without tensing your muscles. Make sure to retain this position for a minimum of 15 seconds prior to going for your swing practice. Keep your body weight on your feet and avoid getting tensed.

So why look for options when it comes to making your game of golf a successful one! Follow these swing fundamentals for improving your overall game.

Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Important Golf Swing Fundamentals

Golf is a game that is always challenging because there are always new things to learn and new ways to improve your game. If you are able to work on these golf swing fundamentals and really get the hang of them then you are going to be set and your game is going to be at least that much better. Good posture is what allows for balance in the golf swing and without proper posture the entire swing will be off. Whenever someone is new to golf, these are the golf swing fundamentals that they should be focusing on first.

The first place to start when it comes to the fundamentals is the grip which is how you hold the club. No matter what size you are, the rule is to evenly distribute the weight of your body on the balls of the feet and not too much towards the toes or the heels. If you do this then you will be off balance and as a result your posture is going to be off as well. Just make sure that you are aware of what your lead hand is because this is the hand that you want to be focusing on when you are gripping the club and the interlocking grip is the most commonly used and for this you have the pinky of your right or lead hand interlocked with the index finger on your left.

If you want to be able to cover the golf fundamentals and in this case posture, another helpful tip is to let your arms hang naturally down. The way that you are standing when you hit the ball is going to have a huge impact on how the ball is hit. In turn this means that you are going to be able to more easily swing your arms back and through, rather than being stuck or feeling as though you do not have enough room which is often the case. This is one of the best tips if you are trying to work on posture of the golf swing fundamentals.

Working on the golf swing fundamentals is always important and you should never feel bad because even the professionals have to work on the golf swing fundamentals now and again. That is the great thing about golf is that you can always work on your game and there is always room for improvement. At least if you have the golf swing fundamentals down you are going to find it much easier to learn other tips about golf. But with a bit of practice you are going to find that it all comes naturally and you are going to greatly improve your game.

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Golf Swing Fundamentals - How To Practice Your Way To Better Golf

In golf, everything begins and ends with your swing. If you have a great golf swing, your score will improve, if not you can only play the game so well and progress no further. So obviously spending plenty of time crafting and honing your golf swing is time well spent if you want to be a good golfer. So here are the things you should pay attention to to get the best results as you practice the fundamentals of the golf swing.

First of all, its a great idea to have a golf pro take some time to work with you on a personal level and help analyze your swing. Their unbiased critique of your swing can help you learn more than you ever could on your own or by just watching videos alone. No doubt your golf instructor will help make sure that your grip is as neutral as possible and that your equipment matches your body type in order to get the best results in your golf game. But they will also help you perfect your alignment as you address the ball, showing you a helpful pre-shot routine to make sure that you line up correctly for each shot. If you are using the right grip and aligning yourself properly for each shot you are well ahead of most other golfers out there.

Once your grip and alignment is right, your golf instruction will continue to the mechanics of the swing itself, including the takeaway, the backswing, the top of the swing, the down swing, and the follow through and finish. Once you learn all the basic components of a good golf swing and combine them with what you have already learned about how to grip your clubs and how to align your body at address, you are well on your way to being an above average golfer.

But none of this can happen if you don't practice everything you learn until it becomes second nature. In fact, a good golf swing should not have to be thought about much beforehand, it should be almost on autopilot, so that it is repeated over and over again while on the course. The memory of good swing fundamentals should be in the muscles of your body and not just in your head. In order to accomplish this, you will need to spend plenty of time in practice, but not necessarily hitting balls while you practice. A common mistake that many golfers make is to go to the range and just hit one ball after another while making slight adjustments as they go. They think that this qualifies as swing practice, but it doesn't. It usually just cements bad swing characteristics even more into our muscle memory.

So when you practice, plan on making lots of practice swings, without hitting a single ball. If you learn the swing itself, hitting the ball properly will automatically follow. So practice in front of a mirror if you can or on the range, but put more time into the swing itself than in just hitting balls.

Once you are ready to start hitting some practice balls, be sure that you use all the clubs in your bag too. Don't just favor those that you feel most comfortable with or just the ones that hit the ball the farthest. You can never get good at using a club if you don't spend time using it. If a particular club seems hard for you to master, ask your golf instructor to watch you use it and see if they have some suggestions on how to get better results with it.

Finally expect that building a good golf swing will take time. It will not happen overnight or in a week or so. Be patient and follow the guidance of your golf instructor, always asking for help as you go. If you do, and if you put in the practice time needed, you can expect to master the fundamentals of a great golf swing, and play much better golf as you do.