Beginners Golf Swing Blog

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Do you make this mistake and cost yourself 15 yards off the tee?

In an effort to hit the golf ball harder to pick up a few more yards on your drive, do you grip the club really hard on the downswing, thinking that if you could just put a little more power into the shot you could launch a bomb? Only when you get out to your ball you find that it is actually shorter then your normal drive? (that is, IF you can even find your drive?)

Extra Grip Pressure Kills Swing Speed

Your extra grip pressure may be costing you 15 yards or more off the tee – particularly if you squeeze with the thumb and forefinger of your right hand.

The “secret” to driving the golf ball as far as you can is to increase your clubhead speed. For every 1 mph increase in clubhead speed you add about 2.5 yards of distance to your drives.

Anything you can do to speed up your clubhead speed will improve your distance.

Conversely, everything you do that slows down your clubhead speed will cost you distance.

To Swing Faster, Allow the Forearms to Rotate Through Impact

Maximizing your clubhead speed at impact involves allowing the forearms to rotate through the impact zone. Your right forearm should cross over your left forearm after contact with the golf ball.

Physiology May be Working Against You

You may be making a physiological mistake that is robbing you of forearm rotation, and therefore robbing you of distance!

If you have your right thumb on top of the shaft – what I call a 12:00 position – it is a quite normal reaction during the downswing to push with the thumb and squeeze with the right forefinger to control the club.

The Right Thumb at 12:00 Prevents Forearm Rotation

The problem is that using the thumb and forefinger activates a set of muscles on top of the forearm that prevent rotation, thus slowing down club head speed!

One of my students has taught woodshop for 30 years. When we discussed grip and the right thumb position, he related it to the way students are taught to hold a hammer. For precise nailing in fine woodworking the thumb is placed on the top of the hammer handle. He had always thought that lining the thumb up at 12:00 was more accurate because of the alignment. He had never considered that placing the thumb along the top of the handle activated muscles that worked to limit forearm rotation!

Bing!

You could see the light bulb go on.

His forearms were not rotating through the impact area in his golf swing because his thumb position was activating the forearm muscles that prevent forearm rotation.

Move the Right Thumb from 12:00 to 10:00

When we moved his thumb to a 10:00 position the results were immediate. His distance and his accuracy improved dramatically.

But there was more.

Through long habit with his thumb on top of the grip he had learned to squeeze with the right hand thumb and forefinger on the downswing. We used the “finger-wrap” drill to finally get him to stop squeezing.

Finger-Wrap Drill to Eliminate Grip Squeeze

To use the finger wrap drill, take your normal grip and address the ball. Without changing your hand position on the grip take your right forefinger from underneath the grip and wrap it around the top of the grip. Leave your right thumb in position on the grip (forefinger will rest on top of the thumb). The grip will now be between your right forefinger and middle finger.

Make your normal swing. It looks and feels awkward, but the results may surprise you.

Relaxed Thumb and Forefinger Adds 15 Yards

Pay attention to the way your grip pressure feels, particularly through the impact zone. Keep the pressure from your thumb and forefingers light. The finger-wrap drill is an easy way to learn how to keep from squeezing with the wrong muscles that slow down swing speed. Your golf ball will fly straighter and your drives will be longer. I’ve had students pick up 5-6 mph in swing speed and 12-15 yards immediately without any other changes to their golf swing, and the answer was right at their fingers!

By: Eric M Jones

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Nobody likes to slice the golf ball as it results in both loss of distance and accuracy which in turn costs you strokes on the golf course. The way to get rid of that nasty slice is not really difficult but will require you to analyze your current swing and fix some of those mechanical errors that are causing the slice. Here are a few tips that can help you hit straighter shots more often:

Tip 1: Keep the right hand passive (right handed players)

Many players in their efforts to hit the ball far use their dominant right hand to try to muscle the club through the hitting zone. The problem with this strategy is that it usually results in poor shots since using the right hand tends to cause a problem known as casting.

Casting is simply releasing the club too early which result in an outside to in club path that imparts slice spin on the golf ball. One good way to eliminate this is to focus instead on pulling the club with your left hand on the downswing. This will help to almost naturally cause the clubhead to move in an inside to out swing path which is ideal for straight golf shots.

Tip 2: Use less wrists during the swing

It is best to avoid using the wrist too much during the golf swing. Think of your wrists as simply a support mechanism. Focus on making good shoulder turns and hip movements that produce an inside to out swing path. Using the wrists too much during the downswing will cause the club to usually release early which results in loss of power and slices.

Tip 3: Move the hips laterally rather than turning them during the downswing

Turning the hips too much on the downswing can cause a slice shot since it throws the club head to an outside to in path. Your hips should slide slightly towards the target through impact so avoid turning them too early. The hips should turn after impact when the momentum of the follow through naturally causes them to rotate.

Tip 4: Keep the head down through impact

This is a common tip given to all new players but it is important nonetheless. Raising the head up too early can cause the club to come from the outside and cause a slice shot. Make sure your head stays down through impact and comes up naturally with the right shoulder as the follow through completes.

Tip 5: Be sure the club is square at the address position

If the club head is open (pointing to the right of the target) at address then this will cause slice spin. Check the club head during address and make sure that it is facing the target.

Tip 6: Slow down your tempo

Tempo is unique to every player. Some players will naturally have a fast tempo and others a slower one. However, if you are always slicing the ball then try to slow down your tempo slightly especially on the downswing. Swinging too fast can throw off your mechanics in many areas that can result in slices so slow things up a little to help in your efforts to hit the ball straighter. Try some of these tips to help you reduce slicing the golf ball and shoot lower golf scores.

By: Marla Paulsone

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Have you ever wished you had a checklist that you could mentally run through in your head to ensure you’ll hit the ball 350 yards every time you teed off? Here it is…

1) Line up with your shoulders, knees, and hips parallel to the line you want to hit the ball. By doing this, you are setting yourself up to hit the ball down the line. if you slice, do not aim left. Your body will automatically try to compensate, leaving you will drastic consequences.

2) Bend your knees and keep your feet about shoulder width apart. In addition, place the weight of your body even spread on your feet. Don’t put it on the balls of your feet or the heels. You’ll lose balance if you do.

3) Keep your head down and always look at the ball. The minute you take your eyes off the ball, you’ll hit it off-center, leading to less distance.

4) Turn your shoulders and your hips, allowing yourself to use the maximum amount of momentum stored in your body to transfer to the golf ball.

5) Keep your left arm straight. Always, always keep your left arm straight (for right handers). If you bend your left arm, you will give yourself and outside-in swing, leading to a wicked slice.

6) Snap your wrists halfway through the downswing. Snapping your wrists makes your clubface close, taking out the possibility of slicing the ball.

7) Extend your arms and turn your hips when you strike the ball. Once again, this will impart the maximum amount of momentum on the ball.

Swing through the ball, visualizing the perfect swing. By doing this, your mind will automatically manifest body swinging through the ball instead of stopping short. This will give you a good, fluid, swing that will impart the maximum amount of power.

By: Brad Jeffreys

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Slicing a golf ball is a common problem faced by many amateur golfers. The problem with slicing a golf shot is that it usually results in a poor shot both in lack of distance and direction. It is important to solve this problem in order to lower your handicap and become a better golfer. Here are some tips to help you get rid of the slice and become a more consistent player.

Tip 1: Keep the right hand passive during the swing

If you are a right handed player then it is important to keep your right hand fairly inactive during the swing. Many new players try to use their strong arm which is usually the right hand to try to force the club through the hitting zone in an effort to hit the ball farther. The problem is that this usually results in casting the club in the downswing which results in an outside to inside club head path that produces a slice golf shot.

Tip 2: Pull the club with the left hand on the downswing

During the downswing it is a good idea to think of yourself pulling the club through the hitting zone. This will help to promote an inside to out club path that results in straighter shots.

Tip 3: Use the correct grip

Make sure the grip you are using squares the club face during the address position. Also be sure that the face of the club is not open or facing to the right of your target but is rather facing directly at the target.

Tip 4: Master the wedge game

Perhaps the best way to learn the game of golf is to learn it from the green back to the tee. If you have trouble hitting your shorter shots such as wedge shots straight then it is almost inevitable that your longer shots will suffer. Spend plenty of time hitting wedge shots from 120 yards and in.

Tip 5: Keep your head down

This is a cliche but it is still important that you do indeed keep your head steady and still during the downswing and let your head come up naturally with your right shoulder as you complete the swing.

Tip 6: Maintain balance

If you find yourself losing balance during or at the end of your swing then make it a point to develop a more controlled swing where you are balanced throughout the swing. Make sure that you end each swing with a balanced pose towards the target.

Tip 7: Slow down your backswing

Most new golfers have a backswing that appears rushed compared to the downswing. You want to maintain a consistent tempo between the backswing and the downswing. It is best to have a slower more deliberate backswing. Conserve your energy for the downswing where power and speed are generated to hit the ball far.

Tip 8: Check your alignment

Poor positioning of your body and feet towards the target can cause a slice to happen. Make sure that your feet are aligned and pointing directly at the target. If you find your feet are pointing to the left of the target then this can cause a slice to occur.

Tip 9: Practice consistently

Sometimes it is necessary to make a commitment to learning the game in order to get better and cure the slice. If you practice often you will find that some of your shots do go straight and eventually you will figure out how to hit straighter shots more often. There are many factors that can cause a slice so getting the pieces of the puzzle together can take time and regular practice. Follow some of these tips to help you hit straighter shots and lower your golf handicap.

By: Shakil Zaman

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I recently worked with one of my readers who asked me for a second opinion on a video swing analysis that he had just received that brought up an interesting point about adjusting swing plane which I thought I would share with you.

He went for the lessons with the goal of increasing his driving distance by 10-15%. He was also experiencing pushed shots to the right.

The video analysis revealed that his swing plane on the back swing was very flat. Being a large-chested man who lacked a little flexibility in his upper body, he had developed a tendency to “wrap” the golf club around his body on the backswing. The net result of which was a shallow downswing that came into the ball from a sharp inside-out club head swing path that often caused the pushed shot to the right.

What he needed to do to help correct the push problem and also improve his distance potential was to adjust his swing plane to a more upright plane.

This would cause the club head swing path to move more down the target line giving him more margin for error at impact, and it would create more potential energy of the back swing from a higher top swing position that would result in increased swing speed at impact.

His instructor correctly picked this observation up. However, the way he presented the fix for the problem was a little misleading.

His advice was to “raise the hands” more on the backswing which essentially was the end result that he was looking for that would come with a more upright swing.

The reason why I thought I would focus on this is that I often read and hear about “raising the hands” as a means of creating a more upright swing. This is also a technique used by some instructors to encourage more trunk rotation on the backswing to increase backswing torque and swing speed.

Why I say this is a little misleading is that the student is presented with an instruction that can create other problems with their swing. As it turned out, that was what happened with our reader.

His instructor was encouraging him to get his hands up above his head and shoulders which encouraged more trunk rotation and raised his swing plane which is what his instructor was looking for, but due to his lack of flexibility, it created a lot of muscle tension in his left side and also created a severe break of his left elbow…

Swing plane is not governed by your hand movement – it is governed by shoulder movement. The higher hand position is the “result” of a more up right swing, not the means to get there.

In order to adjust your swing plane, your focus has to be at the start of the swing – not at the end of the swing trying to achieve a result that many golfers have no hope of reaching due to their lack of flexibility.

Swing plane is affected by how you rotate your left shoulder – the more you rotate the shoulders “horizontally” around your spine the flatter the swing plane, as was the case with our reader.

To increase the swing plane angle, rotate your shoulders more “vertically” by driving the left shoulder down instead of around at the start of the swing.

Initiating the backswing turn with a vertical shoulder movement instead of “lifting the hands”, helps you to remain relaxed in your left arm and maintain a stable left side with no elbow break – incidentally, this also results in less risk of an early hand release from the top of the swing.

We all know that increasing backswing torque increases swing speed.

Rotating your shoulders more achieves this end. However, you will not generate any more shoulder torque by breaking the left elbow just to get your hands into a higher position – you end up loosing torque.

The reason why you have to break the elbow in the first place is because your shoulders will not turn any further. If they have reached their limit of flexibility that’s the maximum torque you will achieve from the trunk turn.

The left elbow breaks because the arm muscle are unable to match the tension that has been built up in the trunk turn. Once the break occurs you release the torque contribution from your arm muscles which essentially “opt” out of the total torque build up in the turn.

The net effect is that you loose backswing torque after the break occurs.

Breaking the left elbow also creates another moving part in the swing that has to be coordinated back to the straight position at impact making the timing of the swing more difficult.

Be very careful about what you hear and read about a “high hand position”. Yes, it is the ideal position for power and consistency in the swing that we see in every professional swing, but you have to have the flexibility to achieve it.

If you lack the flexibility, do not attempt this as you will create more problems with your swing than you solve.

Recommendations:

1. Never try to swing beyond your “natural” swing range which is what this instructor was advising our reader. Always swing within your natural range of flexibility.
2. A move to a higher swing plane angle is good for both swing consistency and swing speed – you get there by more vertical rotation of the shoulder that comes from driving the left shoulder downwards at the start of the swing – not by trying the raise your hands above your head.
3. Do not break the left elbow. Even though your hands may not be able to go beyond shoulder height, maintain a firm left side to retain backswing torque and simplify the timing of the swing.
4. In order to achieve more shoulder turn, you have no other choice but to improve the flexibility of your back muscles. – Go through simple lower back stretching routines every day for 2-3 weeks and you will increase your turn angle by as much as 10.


Good luck!

Regards,
Les

By: Les Ross

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