Ok, hopefully by now you’ve got yourself situated with the initial tasks I’ve shared in the first step of the Beginner Roadmap, and you are ready to begin. Let me just say that I am not a swing expert, nor do I claim to be. There are some amazing golf teachers online, at your nearest golf course, or golf clinic class. Trust me, golf instructors have seen it all before. They know what to focus on to help you learn the fundamentals properly. Learning how to build a reliable consistent golf swing from the get go will minimize having to learn the swing all over again years from now. Some of my good golfing friends have never had a teacher and taught them selves. I am going to break down what is one of the most complicated, unnatural, and non intuitive body movements I’ve learned. I will give you the golf jargon and what it means to ensure you won’t get lost learning.

You will notice that there is a lot to think about as you stand over the ball with your club. Beginner golfers tend to have a long checklist of body positions and thoughts loaded up in their mind. If the checklist items are not put in the correct sequence, there will likely be a misfire. Remember, practice and repetition with the correct fundamentals will create a consistent and reliable swing. Let’s break the 4 basic parts of the golf swing down to build a good foundation.

The 4 parts of the Golf Swing

1. The Address
2. The Back Swing
3. The Down Swing
4. Follow Through

The Address

You’ll notice in the picture above what my address looks like. My feet are about shoulder length apart. Both of my feet are square to the ball. The ball is slightly forward in my stance to compensate for the longer club I am using. The longer the shaft of the club the more forward the ball should be. The driver is the most forward and should be aligned with the logo on my shirt. Shorter shaft clubs like your irons means placing the ball in the middle of your stance. Why? Ball placement at address will ensure you hit the ball first and make good contact. Many beginners tend to hit the ground before they hit the ball. Proper ball placement will help you become a good ball striker.

Posture

Creating the proper setup involves something that many beginners over look. Posture is probably the most overlooked component. Creating a swing that doesn’t involve making adjustments at any point in the 4 parts of your swing will help you be consistent. You will find you won’t miss hit the ball. Making a conscious adjustment during any part of your swing will be very difficult in the beginning. My observations watching my wife Michele learn the swing has taught me a lot. I’ve realized how far I’ve come in my own golf swing, and how much I don’t have to think about. Learning to explain the basic concepts to a beginner helps experienced golfers too. Share your knowledge and you will learn even more to improve your own game.

Things good golfers have forgotten and beginners will learn

• It’s not easy to make good contact with the ball.
• Making the ball go up in the air is a challenge
• Swing muscle memory isn’t developed
• Hitting the ball far isn’t about swinging hard
• Beginners tend to stand over the ball for a long time
• Core strength takes time to develop
• Flexibility in the upper and lower body is a big factor
• Managing emotions and expectations is a journey

My address in the picture above you will notice several key things to pay attention to. First, my back is flat. Second, my knees are bent. I am not standing too far away from the ball or too close. My chin is not resting on my chest. My hards are resting somewhat even with my waist. My posture is not perfect, but it works for the length of my legs and arms. I have a shorter torso than most and I have longer legs. Your personal challenges with good posture may involve things like height, weight, flexibility, or coordination. Don’t worry too much if you have a funny looking swing at first. Eventually, you will the find right posture for you. Take a look at PGA Tour professionals Jim Furyk and Matt Wolff’s swings below. They both have a lot of movement and non-conventional aspects to their swing signatures.

It may be difficult to emulate your favorite PGA Tour player swing. Be careful with this approach! It’s more important to learn the fundamentals to build a reliable swing. Trying to look like a good golfer before you can reliably hit good shots will make it harder to learn the game. Just be you and what you can do. Don’t worry about how you look. The game of golf is not about how. It’s about how many. At least in terms of keeping score.

The Back Swing

In the picture above you’ll notice a few things. The shaft of the club is not parallel to the ground. The left knee is bent to accommodate my lack of flexibility in my core. My left arm is not completely straight. My right elbow is high and away from my body. Both of my feet are flat and pointed straight ahead. I am looking down directly at the ball, but my chin is out in front of my shoulder.

Some things I would recommend to myself would be, experiment with my opening either my left or right foot a bit more instead of straight ahead to allow more turn in my core. It would also allow me to bring the golf club further past parallel at the top. I would also advise to keep my right elbow pointed down and closer to my body. I would also hold my chin up to make more room for my shoulder. I am loading my lower body spring to my right leg to create coil and width. Power comes from using the ground in combination with your lower body and upper body timing in the right sequence to create power.

The Down Swing

You’ll see that my left leg is now straight. My right hand is turned over. I am still looking down at where the ball was at impact. My right foot is lifted off the ground as I begin my follow through. Flexibility is key in the golf swing and affects club head speed significantly. Assuming I’ve got my timing correct, the fastest point of my swing will be at impact with the ball.

Follow Through

The follow through is a beautiful thing to see when it’s done well. Watch a professional golfer posing after hitting a shot. They are relaxed, balanced, and watching the ball fly through the air like a ballet dancer completing a leap. The follow through is the completion of a well timed sequence of the 4 lower body and upper body positions to transfer energy at swing impact to a golf ball towards a target.

Of course, there are other factors in play about getting the golf ball to where you want it to go. One of the key factors I haven’t mentioned is getting your body ready before you play.

Warming up

I have to admit I am probably the worst practitioner of warming up before a round. I have several friends who arrive at the course an hour before they tee off. First, they hit the range to hit a small to medium bucket to get their swing ready and work out any kinks. Second, they practice some chipping to get a feel for the grass and focus in on touch and feel of their short game. Third, they practice sand trap shots. Hitting a dozen or more balls out of the sand helps to get a feel of what they may encounter on the course. Finally, they will hit the putting green, where they will hit long putts, short putts, and hopefully get an idea about the speed of the greens.

The trouble comes with an assumption. The practice range and the course often don’t match up. The range often uses mats, the sand may be different on the course, the greens may be slow or fast depending on when they were watered or if it rained the night before. The rough may be thick and difficult to hit out of. If you have played a course and know it’s layout well, you will need to be prepared to face the shot you’re about to hit . The point here is that you can’t control many of things you’ll encounter on the course including the wind and weather.

There are two things you can control. Mindset and preparing your body are completely in your control. Getting a good warm up before you hit the practice range will ensure you don’t spend the front nine preparing your muscles, locking in your swing, and getting your joints ready for the hundred or so golf swings you will make that day. Preparing your body for the round will also put you in the positive mindset and give you confidence to play your best.

I am completely guilty of arriving 2 minutes before my tee time. I rush to find a parking spot. I grab my golf shoes and quickly slap them on my feet. I grab my golf bag out of my trunk. If I am walking the course, I quickly put my clubs on my push cart as fast as I can. Then, I run to the pro shop to pay my green fees and then sprint to the first tee. No warm up, no stretching, no preparing my mind to be my best on the course that day. There are my buddies laughing at me, looking at their watches, and giving me hard time about how consistent I am about showing up 2 minutes before tee time.

I have no idea how my golf swing is working that day. I quickly do some practice swings with my driver. I do some basic stretches for my core, arms, and lower body. I am not warmed up. My muscles are cold and not ready to fire properly. When I was younger I could get away with this approach. As I’ve gotten older I can’t skip this step and expect to play my best. Not warming up means I end up spending the front nine doing what I should have done prior to teeing off.

The golf swing can be learned by anyone. It can be the greatest asset to your game, or your nemesis for 18 holes of golf. Learning the fundamentals for a good golf swing should be your top priority for practice. I have been caught in the grocery store or at work practicing my swing without a golf club. For non-golfers it’s amusing to see, but for the dedicated golfer it is a passion and love affair.

Below is part two of the 3 part series about Swing Basics. Enjoy!