by Brian Patterson
The golf swing is probably one of the most frustrating parts of the game of golf. People are constantly modifying their swing to get more distance or to correct problems like a slice or a hook. Really, though, the golf swing is just a matter of mechanics and putting body motions together in the right way to be consistent.
Each generation of golfers is better than the golf legends who have preceded us because we all learn from their experiences. A lot of people (including myself) have also experienced a better drive when they go over the most basic rules of a better swing. Even if you are an experienced player like myself, I would encourage you to learn these basic 10 rules of a better gold swing.
1. Your stance should be about shoulder width apart and your feet should be pointing slightly out - but not too much!
2. Let your arms hang naturally down from your body and place the club behind the ball. If your shoulders hunch or you have tension in your arms, you are probably too close to the ball. Stand back a little bit.
3. Place about 70 percent of your body weight on your back leg.
4. Straighten your spine and have a bit of bend in your knees.
5. Keep your eye on the ball during your entire swing
6. It sounds simple enough to do, however in practice we see lots of golfers making the common mistake of gripping the club to hard. Many try to kill the golf ball which makes your entire body stiff and off balance.
7. A good golf swing will be a fluid, easy motion with your shoulders turning slightly in the backswing and your follow-through complete.
8. Make sure you keep your feet planted and slow down in your backswing. Most problems with a golf swing are cause by swinging too quickly in the back swing and then not accelerating through the ball.
9. You will want to hit the ball in the "sweet spot" or the center of the club. Hitting it anyplace else will cause your ball to travel in directions that you really don't want it to go in.
10. Grip it and hit the golf ball hard down the fairway!
You might need a lesson or two on the golf swing or even watch the way the pros do it on television. There are numerous resources that exist on the Internet that can help you with your golf swing, so always look for information and take as much advice as you can get.
Learning to swing a golf club takes years of practice as any avid golfer will tell you. There are "a hundred" things to know and they all have to be working in exactly the right ways at exactly the right time to a have a good, consistent golf swing. Sometimes this just doesn't happen, but when it does, it certainly is a great feeling!
About the Author:
Before you go anywhere else to learn how to play golf professionally, go to
Improve Golf Swing! Chris Chandler will teach you the basics of a great golf swing!
