Many experts would agree that most golfers take their swing too seriously. Learn the basics, practice a lot and stay out of your own way!

Here are the basic steps for a full and perfect golf swing:

1. Grip the club with your left hand so that your thumb lies along the shaft. The line between your thumb and index finger should point toward your right eye. Wrap your right hand over your left so that your left thumb fits into the cup of the right palm. If you are left-handed, reverse these instructions.

2. Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart with your right foot pointing straight ahead and your left foot slightly to the left. Bend at your hips, keeping your back straight and your knees flexed. Distribute your weight evenly from front to back and left to right.

3. For the backswing, shift your weight to your right foot. At the same time, tilt your shoulders vertically so that your left shoulder points down, and right shoulder points up. The left end of the club will be pointing approximately at or behind the ball. As you’re shifting your weight to your right foot, release to the instep of your left foot so you can get behind the ball. Ensure that your right foot, right hip and head are in a vertical line. Begin your backswing with your hands, followed immediately by your arms and shoulders. Don’t hurry. This won’t create a faster downswing. Keep your pace steady throughout your backswing. If you aren’t happy with your golf swing, this is one of the first corrections to try. Slow down your backswing.

4. For the downswing and impact, start with your hips. Shift your weight to your left foot by leading with your hips in a slight lateral motion. Point the club end in your right elbow down at your right foot. At the same time, shift to the instep of your right foot so that most of your weight is on your left foot. Release your hips by rotating them through, so that your hips, belly button, and shoulders are facing the target. Your right toe is just balancing you, not supporting any weight. Hold the finish position. Look down the target line, not down at the ground.

Many golf professionals say that eighty percent of the perfect golf swing is the body pivot. This involves three main components:

o the turning of the body back, down and through

o the correct weight shift throughout the swing

o balance

Any loss of balance throughout the golf swing means that there is a pivot and weight shift problem. That will be reflected in the direction, loft and speed of the ball. Review these steps until you are comfortable and then keep practicing. The perfect golf swing is within your reach!

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By: Dr. Richard Myers

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There are 4 steps a golfer will need to consider when he is looking for ways to improve his or her golf swing techniques. They need to look at their stance, the swing itself, the way they contact with the ball and the follow through at the end of the swing. Unfortunately in order to build up the best technique possible when it comes to your golf swing this will take time and is not likely to occur over night.

In this article we will be taking a closer look at the 4 steps a play should be using in order to help improve their golf swing.

Step 1 – Stance

This is where the power of your swing begins from and so if you stand in a strong well balanced way you will find that as you swing the club you are able to gain more power and the ball will travel further.

The easiest way to ensure that your stance is correct is by walking up to a golf ball with your club in your hand and then get yourself prepared ready to hit the ball. It is important that when you stand with your feet at about a shoulder width distance and then lay the club down so that the shaft is touching each of your feet. By doing this you will see in which direction you are going to drive the ball and so you can adjust the way in which you stand if you find that the club is not actually pointing in the right direction.

Step 2 – Swing

It is important that if you want to improve your golf swing technique you need to actually evaluate the swing itself. The best way to do this is by videoing yourself and seeing how you are actually swinging through to hit the ball. It is important that you ensure that your torso is rotating properly as you move from the upper position and go down into the downward swing position. It is important that you keep your torso moving as quickly as possible when swinging whilst ensuring that your back leg remains firm but is able to press forward. Doing this will help to build up the speed in your golf club head.

Step 3 – Contact

It is important that you make the right kind of contact with the club head on the golf ball. As you begin to drive through with the club it is important that you concentrate on getting more energy into your hips and shoulders but keep your wrist firm and straight as the club makes contact with the ball. It is important that you do not snap your wrist at the bottom of the swing as this will actually decrease the amount of speed that the golf club head contains.

Step 4 – Follow Through

When it comes to building up your golf swing techniques you need to be able to follow through correctly. If you do not then the accuracy of your shot and the power in your swing will be greatly diminished. It is important that your club ends up on the other side of the body to where it started in one smooth fluid movement.

By: Robert Murray

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When it comes to the swing, my golf instruction hinges on a simple idea: The swing is a chain reaction. What occurs at the start of the swing influences what happens at the end. If you execute the takeaway and backswing properly, you’ll hit the ball with accuracy and power. If you don’t, you’ll hit the ball off-line and with little power.

A proper takeaway is critical to a good swing. Like the catalyst in a chain reaction, the takeaway starts everything in motion, as I stress in my golf tips. It introduces width and coordination in the swing, and determines the quality and shape of the shot. In fact, many experts consider the first 30 inches of the takeaway the most crucial point in the swing.

A one-piece movement starts the takeaway. To achieve this, sweep the club back low and slow as your left knee, hip, and shoulder turn to the right. Shift your weight slightly onto the right foot (for right-handers), creating the feeling as if the move was “all arms.” And hold your chin up as you take the club away to allow for a full left shoulder turn.

Here, some golf instruction differs on the position of the left heel. No hard and fast rules state that it should remain planted during takeaway. You’re free to lift it if you have to. I recommend in my golf lessons that you keep it planted as long as you can, creating resistance in the swing. However, if your heel must come up to complete the body-turn, then by all means lift it. It all depends on how flexible you are.

Also, keep your wrists passive until the club reaches the height of your right hip. **** your writs at this point as you complete the body turn, forming a right angle between the shaft and the left forearm.

This is a good checkpoint. If your wrists form a 90-degree angle and the club is on plane, your takeaway has been sound.

Continue turning your arms and body until you’re at the top of the swing, or in the slot. Your weight is on your right foot and your club is as close to horizontal as possible. Both thumbs are under the shaft.

Next comes a key transition point, one that I really focus on in my golf lessons. It needs to be smooth and unhurried, so don’t rush it. If you do, your swing will be come too narrow.

Many tour players and players with low golf handicaps employee Harvey Penick’s “Magic Move” at this point. It’s ideal for beginning the downswing. And it’s simple.

At the start of the downswing, shift your weight gradually to the left side while, at the same time, bringing your right arm closer to your body. That’s it. It’s a subtle but highly effective move.

The Magic Move flattens out the swing plane slightly, putting it on the ideal position from which to swing the club on the optimum path and deliver the clubhead squared to the ball with power.

The rest of the downswing is basically a reaction to what has come before. Retain the 90- degree angle between the left forearm and club as long as you can. Keep the flex in your knees and the gap between them as the club comes down. And settle your weight gradually on the left side of your body. Finally, make sure you keep your body behind the ball at impact.

At this point, if you’ve executed the takeaway and downswing properly, you’ll return to the same position you assumed at the start of your swing. The rest of the swing should follow naturally.

A good exercise to practice when you can’t get to a driving range is the tire drill. It’s one I sometimes use in my golf lessons.

Take an old tire and line it up where the ball should be in your swing. Then take a club, assume your normal set-up. Execute the takeaway and downswing, hitting the tire instead of the ball. Substitute a golf bag for the tire, if you want. Practice this drill as often as you can. It helps perfect the takeaway and backswing.

Your swing, as I said at the beginning of this golf tip, is like a chain reaction. What happens at the start affects what happens at the end. Practice the sequence detailed here, including Harvey Penick’s Magic Move, and you’re well on your way to developing a consistent, error-free swing–and to a lower golf handicap.

By: Jack Moorehouse

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