Improve Golf Swing - Golfing Tips - How To Break 80

First of all I want you to wrap your head around the idea that we are going to construct a building. The building is four to six feet tall and not very wide. Of course I am referring to the human body. The first place you would start is the foundation, so let's talk about the feet first. Let's see how far apart they are supposed to be and exactly where we place the weight once we get the feet planted.
The feet have to support the upper body and once the golf club, the arms, and the body get moving in the downswing there is a lot of force that the foundation has to support.
The feet have to be just slightly further apart than shoulder width. This distance is far enough apart to maintain a solid base.
As the club begins to build up speed and the left hip makes the first move down the target line before it turns backward, the width of the stance will hold up just fine. If you have a tendency to lose your balance, your stance might be to narrow.
After impact the golf club swings back around your body and up towards your left shoulder. As the golf club comes to the end of the swing your weight has moved from the right side over to the left side. The width of your feet will accommodate this move. Your weight needs to be evenly distributed between your toes and heels.

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From the feet we are going to move up the building to the knees. The knees have played a huge role in most sports- golf is no exception. The knees are going to come into play in two different parts of the golf swing.The first part is the address position.
As you address the golf ball your knees will have a slight flex in them.
You are NOT going to "sit" on your knees and they are NOT locked straight.
For a long time instructors taught students to have the feeling you were "sitting" on a bar stool. I always believed we should have been teaching people to feel as though you were "leaning" back on a stool. The last thing you would ever want to do is sit in golf. Sitting will cause the golf club to swing too level to the ground in the downswing, and you will have a tendency to hit the ground behind the golf ball.
Before you start to "straighten" your knees to a "locked" position, which is just as wrong as sitting, let me give you a bit of advice. The knee position is what I refer to as "slightly" flexed. Because we are all different heights, I cannot give you an exact degree you should flex your knees- however; if you simply relax your knees, you will find the correct amount of bend on your own.
The second roll the knees play in the swing is when the golf club is in motion. As the golf club swings back, the single most important thing for you to remember is the RIGHT knee never ever moves from the original position. If you think of the two knee caps as head lights shining in front of you as you drive along a road, you might make some twists and turns but the headlights are always in front of you. As you start the backswing the right knee does not slide, bend or straighten out- it stays very quiet and solid during the entire backswing.
Both knees must remain flexed during the entire backswing and until impact.
If your chin is in the correct position, and your spine is long (don't worry we'll talk about these shortly), and your knees are flexed the correct amount, the golf club will not sole correctly on the ground until you tilt or bend over from the hips. You do NOT want to bend at the waist. You ALWAYS want to bend from the hips.
If you bend at the hips you can maintain the spine angle and sole the club on the ground correctly.

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If you do not bend at the hips, you will not be able to sole the golf club correctly.
When you bend over from the hips you have to make sure you do not straighten out or lock your knees. When you bend at the hips you have to pay close attention to making sure you do not bend at the bottom of the spine
The hips play another role not related to their position
Your hips must be parallel to the line of the ball flight at address

If your hips are open at address you will have a tendency to open the hips too soon in the downswing. The clubface will be open at impact and the golf ball will start right. If your hips are closed at address the golf club will swing too much from the inside in the downswing and the golf ball will either start right or you will struggle with a quick hook left.At address the hips are parallel to the ball flight line. As the golf club swings back down from the top, the first move from the top is for the left hip to move an inch or two parallel to the target line and then the left hip should begin to turn backwards out of the way so the golf club can swing back to the inside after impact.

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When you arrive at the finish of the golf swing your belt and shoulders should be level to the ground. Your belt buckle will aim at the intended target and your hips are level to the ground.

The shoulders play three major roles in the golf swing. The first two roles are static and the third is a moving role. In the address position the shoulders compliment the spine angle.

If the shoulders are opened up and back at address the spine angle will be in the correct position as long as the chin is up.

If the shoulders are rounded the spine will be bent over too much.

The second role the shoulders play is they must be parallel to your intended line you want the golf ball to travel on. When you look down your toes, knees, hips and shoulders must be in line with each other. Parallel means they have to be on the same line going to the left of where you want the golf ball to start. If the shoulders are aiming to the right of the target the golf club will start too much inside the correct path in the backswing. If they are aiming to the left of the target the golf club will start too much to the outside in the backswing. For the golf club to start back on the correct path the shoulders must be parallel from the start.
The shoulders play yet another role in the backswing. As the clubhead, shaft, hands, arms and (shoulders) start moving backwards, the right shoulder has to move out of the way to give the hands, arms and golf club a place to swing to at the top of the backswing. The right shoulder does not slide back. Instead - rotates around your body.
The shoulders play a huge role in distance and direction. The shoulders have to turn as much as possible in the backswing. Once your back is facing the target (this for the 30ish and under crowd) or as much of a turn as possible, you will be in position to swing the club down with maximum club head speed.

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The spine has taken on an all important part in the golf swing in the past 10 years. Not many words were written about the spine and its role in the golf swing until then.
If the spine stays long during the backswing, not rigid, you can make a much bigger turn.

If your spine is curved at address the shoulders will have a tendency to tilt and not turn. In the downswing the shoulders will have a tendency to turn on top of the golf ball instead of moving under. If the shoulders can move under, the golf club will stay on the path in the downswing (producing an inside to out swing). As the golf club swings back the right shoulder has to turn to allow the golf club to swing up, if the spine is too long the club will swing around too much and not up enough.

There is yet another role the spine plays in the golf swing. At the top of the backswing the spine supports the upper body, the golf club, the arms and most importantly the speed at which we swing the golf club. If the spine maintains its length in the backswing, you will be able to swing the arms at a greater speed in the downswing.
The golf club is at its maximum speed as it nears the golf ball and the spine is supporting the "frame of the golf swing" - your upper body. As the club head passes the impact zone the spine is at its most vulnerable position and from that point to the finish is when the spine is taking a real beating (physically).
Maintaining the correct spine angle will play a major role in club head speed and, the direction the club actually swings (swing path). The spine maintains the same angle from address to one foot past impact and it is critical that it starts from the correct position.
If you are in the correct posture at address no changes are necessary.
If you are standing too tall at address, bending at the hips will solve this problem. If you are bent over too much at the top of the spine or your shoulders are too curved, you will have to take a very serious look into changing your spine angle. Opening your shoulders and lifting your chin will be a great place to start.
After you address the golf ball there is a check-list of things you need to go through to make sure you are ready to take off. I am not going to tell you the position of the chin is the most important- however, it ranks up there for sure. The chin controls what happens to the shoulders in the backswing.
If the chin is down in your chest at address, the shoulders will have a tendency to pop up in the backswing. The right shoulder will NOT turn out of the way to make room for the arms to swing around. If you continue to leave your chin down in your chest you might have some success with the shorter clubs, but the long clubs will be very difficult to hit. You can get away with the arms swinging up and down with the short clubs, you might not be so lucky with the longer clubs.
If you have a tendency to top your shots or hit thin, your chin might be up too much.

If the chin is down in your chest at address, the shoulders will have a tendency to pop up in the backswing. The right shoulder will NOT turn out of the way to make room for the arms to swing around. If you continue to leave your chin down in your chest you might have some success with the shorter clubs, but the long clubs will be very difficult to hit. You can get away with the arms swinging up and down with the short clubs, you might not be so lucky with the longer clubs.
If you have a tendency to top your shots or hit thin, your chin might be up too much.
So now you want to know how much you should lift your chin up. I have some advice that is not the answer of all answers, but it is a wonderful starting point.

Lift your chin up just enough to get your fist under your chin and touch your throat.

When you start experimenting with this new position you will want to start with a club you like to hit. You will know right away if the correction is going to help you or not. Give it a chance. If you top a lot of shots, you have lifted the chin up too much. The first few shots you might want to start with half a fist so you can ease into it. Keep in mind it is an extension of your spine. You might have to bend over at the hips another inch or two; this will compliment the chin position.

Add amazing distance to every drive and cut your handicap by up to twelve strokes with the only instruction system proven to help almost any golfer break 80.

Fact: Over 90% of golfers will never be able to compete with you if you can do 3 things relatively simple things (disregard putting for now).

1.Stay out of trouble with your driver (notice, I didn't say smash the ball 300 yards down the center of the fairway).
2.Hit 70% of the greens you face from 150 yards in (in other words, learn to control your 8 iron and down).
3.Chip the ball within 20 ft of the pin, almost every time (regardless of what you may think, this is not that tough).
That's it. So that's what I'm going to focus on over the next few weeks.

What are these tips?

I've decided to release 10 tips regarding the above items. They'll be released once a week, for about the next 10 weeks. They have been designed in response to a growing number of questions about how to truly lower a handicap. And it's my honest belief that the above 3 items are the best places to start, if you want to truly score better.

These tips are meant to be a guide to help you lower your scores on the course through means that most people don't practice. The goal here is for you to round out your game, and for you to take advantage of the fact that I mention above.

How will these tips lower my Score?

Pretty simple really. The tips were designed to be released only once a week, so you could focus on that particular tip for 7 days, incorporate it into your game, and move on to the next.

That's the way you get better at anything, right? Implement 1 step or change at a time. Reading an entire book on golf won't do anything for your game if you don't implement any of it. That's why I designed "The Simple Golf Swing" the way I did, because it's easy to implement. So the key will really be implementing just one step to your game per week.

Tip #1 - Staying out of Trouble with your Driver

So what is it that's really causing problems with your driver? Is it a slice, a hook, or just flat-out inconsistency? Well the good news is that, regardless of what problem you are fighting, there are a few things to incorporate into your game that really will help you. If you're the golfer that's saying right now, "I've battled a slice for 25 years", then this is not going to be the undisputed end of your problem. But you CAN reduce the slice or hook, which will help you score better. So here the first tip is.

1.Swing Easy. Nothing can be better for your game than learning how to swing the club easier and more fluid. If you go to the range and concentrate ONLY on swinging easy, it will revolutionize your ability to position yourself for a good approach shot when you get onto the course. You will make more consistent impact with the ball, and it will reduce the amount of side-spin you naturally place on the ball because the club head won't be traveling as fast or with as much force. Again, I know you've heard it before, but I ask you to concentrate on this for 1 week. And if you can't physically practice it, visualize it at the office (visualization works great).
2.Switch to a low spin ball. Lower spin off of the tee means that the ball is going to go more straight regardless of how whether your ball moves right or left. I recommend the Titleist DT SoLo, the Precept Laddie, or the Maxfli Noodle. You can find these balls anywhere from $13 to $20 per dozen, and they will play a large role in reducing the side spin that you naturally place on the ball.
I realize that this all sounds over-simplified, but it's not. If you are having problems controlling your driver, switch to a low-spin ball, and start swinging easy. When you are on the range, ALL you should be thinking about is swinging the club easy. Incorporate this into your game this week, then next week we'll discuss how to get some more distance with your driver.

Add amazing distance to every drive and cut your handicap by up to twelve strokes with the only instruction system proven to help almost any golfer break 80.

The Top of the Backswing



The Moving Parts

As the golf club leaves the 9:00 position, it has to continue on the arc until you reach the top of the backswing. There are a number of moving parts that must be in place during this journey. First and foremost the right shoulder must continue to turn.



The right shoulder can not stop or change directions. If the right shoulder stops or tilts up, the golf club will swing up too much. If the right shoulder turns too much the golf club will not go up.



Add amazing distance to every drive and cut your handicap by up to twelve strokes with the only instruction system proven to help almost any golfer break 80.

As the right shoulder continues to turn in the backswing, the right hip must not follow it. The right hip has to resist turning so you can develop resistance. If you develop resistance in the backswing with the bottom half of your body, you will build up tension and that is where the ability to develop clubhead speed comes from.

As the right shoulder continues to turn level to the ground, the left knee will continue to turn more towards the golf ball. You have to make sure you do not allow the right knee to pass the golf ball.

As the right shoulder continues to turn, the left shoulder will move from the address position towards the golf ball. As the right shoulder continues to turn, your head will move slightly to the right (away from the golf ball). Your head will move a couple of inches as a result of the right shoulder turning out of the way. The head does not slide back and away from the golf ball with the lower body.

1. During this process the right knee never moves.
   

During the entire backswing, the left arm has remained long, not rigid. The right arm will begin to fold after the golf club leaves the 9:00 position. The reason the left arm remains long is to provide you with plenty of width in the backswing. Width in the backswing is the reason you can develop clubhead speed. If the left arm remains long you can swing the clubhead on the arc, and by swinging it on the arc you will be able to build clubhead speed in the downswing.


Arriving at the Top


When the golf club arrives at the top of the backswing there are four parts that have to be in the correct place. The first thing that is extremely important is for the golf club to be pointing towards the target or slightly left of the target. Now what does this mean? When you address the golf ball, the ball is on what we refer to as the "intended ball flight line", and your feet are parallel to that line. At the top of the backswing the shaft has to aim parallel to your heel line or parallel left of the target.


Important Stops Along the Way


Getting to the top of the backswing is no easy feat. Now that you have reached the top let's check to make sure all of the moving parts are in the correct place. Your checklist should start at the bottom of your feet and go all the way to the top of your head.

At the address position the weight is evenly distributed between both feet.

The arms and hands start the golf club back in a one-piece-take-away which includes the right shoulder turning.

As the right shoulder continues to turn, the left knee will turn slightly towards the center of your body.

Don't forget, the right knee never leaves its original position. As the top half of your body is turning, the right knee must remain in the exact same position. When you are addressing the golf ball, the right knee has a slight flex. During the back swing, the right knee can not slide backwards nor can it straighten out and it can not flex more. The right knee is the foundation of the backswing, it takes on all of the force of the right shoulder turning and the hips resisting from turning. The right knee has to maintain this rock solid foundation so you can continue to turn the top half of your body against the bottom half.

When the golf club has reached the top of the backswing, the right knee will be there to support the upper golf club, arms, hands and upper body. If there is one part of the body that has to be in the correct position at the top of the backswing, it is the right knee. The function of the right knee is not only the foundation of the backswing. In the next section you are going to find out the value of the right knee in the downswing as well.