Basic Golf Swing Tips For The Beginners

As the golf season is soon to get underway, now is the time to get “golf ready.”  It does not matter if you are a beginner or an advanced golfer, it is always a good idea to review and practice the basics of the full golf swing.  If you take just a few minutes each day to practice, simulate and ingrain the golf swing basics whether at home, in a hotel or working out, you will find that your golf swing fundamentals will be in place when you are ready to hit the course.

Below is a quick review of the golf swing basics for right handed golfers.  Practice or simulate the golf swing basics whenever and wherever you can and get a head start for the golf season!

Golf Swing Setup

1. Assume an “athletic” position and ensure you are balanced.  Your body weight should lie in the middle of feet.
2. Tilt your upper body from the hips about 30 degrees to help set the right spine angle to the ground.
3. Flex your knees slightly and keep your back straight with your chin up off your chest.
4. Let your harms hang loosely from your shoulders.
5. Place your feet shoulder width apart for longer irons (5, 6, 7 irons), less than shoulder width apart for wedges and shorter irons and a little wider than your shoulders for longer irons (2, 3, 4 irons) and woods.

Golf Swing Backswing and Downswing

Backswing

1. Rotate your club, body and arms together in unison while shifting your weight to the inside of your back leg. Make sure to keep your bag leg knee flexed and in the same position throughout the backswing.
2. Hinge your wrists as your hands approach your waist and keep rotating back.
3. At the top of your backswing, go through these quick checkpoints: left arm is straight (but not rigid), eighty percent or so of your body weight is on the inside of your back leg. Your back leg knee is flexed.  Your shoulders are turned about ninety degrees while your hips are turned from thirty to forty five degrees.

Downswing

1. The first movement of your golf swing downswing should be a weight shift toward the front leg, followed by your hips and upper body unwinding to impact.
2. When you reach the impact position, “release” the golf club by unhinging your wrists and hitting the ball with a square club face.  Keep your hands ahead of the club face at impact.  Also, check that your head is behind the ball at impact.
3. After making impact with the golf ball, turn through toward your target. At this point, your arms and club should extend down the target line toward your target.
4. Keep rotating through to the finish position.  At the finish position, your belly button should face your target and your club should be wrapped around your shoulder.
5. At the full finish position, ninety percent of your body weight should be on your front leg while your back foot is upright on its toes.