6 Golf Swing Basics that Help You "Take Your Game to the Next Level"

The first of the six fundamentals of the Golf Swing Basics system is to relax physically and mentally. Doing stretches before you play or practice will help you relax.

Have you ever tried to hammer a nail into a board with an extremely tight grip on the hammer? It's difficult and time consuming isn't it? By relaxing the grip on the hammer and relaxing your arm and shoulder muscles, you are able to hammer the nail into the board more swiftly and easily.

Well, the same fundamental of relaxing your grip on the golf club achieves the same results in hitting the golf ball further and with more consistency. This is the MOST important of all six fundamentals of the Golf Swing Basics system. Someone should be able to slide the club out of your hands fairly easily if you hold it out to them.

Think of your body as a fulcrum for a whip. As a whip becomes thinner and looser the closer you get to the tip, your shoulders down to your hands should be looser and more flexible also. If you watch the swing of golf pros on television, it looks like they are not even swinging very hard. Yet their club head speeds and ball distances are well above the average golfer's.

In order to relax, it helps to take a deep breath and exhale before and even during your swing. Try not to hold your breath during your swing as this will tend to tighten your muscles. This principle is used in many sports including martial arts.

For more information on how to have a Relaxed Swing you must see: Golf Swing Basics

Number two on the list of the fundamentals of the Golf Swing Basics system is to Watch the Ball. In order to stay your mind on the ball, you will need to be relaxed.

The best advice that I have been given about watching the golf ball is to not just stay your mind on the ball but to actually see and stay your mind on the back center edge of the ball. You could even try to stay your mind all the way through contact on a specific dimple on the back middle edge of the ball.

The task of watching the ball does not end at contact, though. The actual flight of the ball will tell you whether your swing path was straight into the back of the ball and also if your club face was open or closed. A ball that CURVES one way or another is due to a clubface that is either open or closed to the swing path of your clubhead. A ball that DOESN'T CURVE but still goes left or right is due to a swing path of the clubhead that is not on line with the intended target. So, by seeing the flight of the ball, you will be able to know what needs to be corrected in your swing so that the same result doesn't occur again.

For more information on Watching the Ball check out: Golf Swing Basics.

Balance and foot placement (setup) is the third most important of the fundamentals of the Golf Swing Basics system. You must be relaxed and be watching the ball in order to achieve this fundamental.

Balance is based on proper foot placement before the swing even occurs. If your feet are pointing straight forward rather than having them a little "duck-footed" in your address stance, then you are doomed to lose your balance during your swing. As a result, the consistent control of your shot will suffer as well as the power behind your shot. This power is generated by the rotation of your hips and shoulders through impact as well as your swing tempo.

The following exerpt from an article by Michael Lamanna on About.com will help in your understanding of the importance of proper balance and foot placement in your setup position:

"Golfers striving to improve their scores must focus on fundamentals for success. The single most important and most overlooked full swing fundamental is the setup. The setup writes the script for the swing and all too often amateur and professional golfers struggle due to poor address positions. All great golfers and teachers are aware of the importance of the setup."

Jack Nicklaus: "If you setup correctly, there's a good chance you'll hit a reasonable shot, even if you make a mediocre swing. If you setup to the ball poorly, you'll hit a lousy shot even if you make the greatest swing in the world."

Tommy Armour: "Before they ever begin swinging, I can improve nine out of every ten typical amateur golfers."

David Leadbetter: "What invariably distinguishes a good player from a poor one is their respective address positions or setups."

Here is some great information on the Proper Setup for you: Golf Swing Basics

The next most important of the fundamentals of the Golf Swing Basics system is the proper grip. The previous three fundamentals are all tied into achieving the proper grip for your own physique and flexibility.

The grip (the way of holding the club) that is most popular among professional golfers is called the Vardon grip, named after the great Harry Vardon, who popularized it. In the Vardon grip, place your little finger on the trailing hand (the one placed lower on the club - right hand for a right-handed player) and place it between the index and middle finger on the lead hand (the hand that is higher on the club). The lead-hand thumb should fit in the lifeline of the trailing hand.

With this grip you should only apply pressure with the ring and middle finger of the right hand. With the left hand, you only apply pressure with the little, ring and middle fingers.

Applying pressure with only these fingers of both hands allows the club head to move much faster than the hands. This is called "allowing the clubhead to release" and will increase power. On a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is light and 10 is tight, a pressure of 4 or 5 is recommended.
Sam Snead said, "Hold the club as if you had a little baby bird in your hand." This pressure, combined with the proper placement of the hands on the handle, will give you your greatest chance to produce longer, straighter shots.

Find great instruction about the Proper Grip here: Golf Swing Basics

The next most important of the fundamentals of the Golf Swing Basics system is the proper stroke. The previous four fundamentals are all tied into achieving the proper stroke for your own physique and flexibility.

There is not one perfect stroke for everyone. In other words, due to every individual golfer's physique and flexibility capacities, the perfect stroke for one individual golfer may not look like another golfer's perfect stroke.

There are, however, three common motions or positions found in any good swing:

The first of these is that the takeaway or backswing of the club should be started by the turning of the shoulders.
The second is that the downswing should be started by the turning of the hips only.
Finally, there should be a complete follow through so that in the finished position the shoulders and hips are facing the target and the golfer's weight should be balanced over the left foot (for a right handed golfer).

If you want to develop a Simple Swing that is repeatable see this: Golf Swing Basics

The last most important of the fundamentals of the Golf Swing Basics system is strategy. Proper "golf course management" is sometimes what this is called. The previous five fundamentals are all tied into being able to RELIABLY apply your strategy.

Strategy should be ALL that we are thinking about when we are playing the game. The other five fundamentals should be worked on in your practice sessions ONLY. This will reduce the amount of stress and frustration you experience on the course and help you to enjoy the game more.

Strategy is simply planning ahead for each shot that you make. It includes three decisions:

1. The correct club to use for the distance you need to hit the ball
2. The correct point on the course to aim your ball to go towards
3. How long of a swing to take

Your goal should be to maximize your realistic physical capability for that day and minimize the number of strokes needed to finish the hole. Your best strategy for your own ability level will many times not be the same as someone elses.

Harvey Penick, a famous golf instructor who taught great golfers like Ben Crenshaw and Tom Kite used to always say, "Just take dead aim". When you think of this only, everything else falls into place without thinking too much about what you are doing.

For more information on the importance of Strategy go here: Golf Swing Basics