Golf Swing Elements
July 28, 2008
There are some basic elements of the golf swing that the golfer should use as a mental checklist when taking a shot. The first element is the body’s alignment toward the target. Stand five to ten feet behind the ball, with the ball directly between your body and the desired target. Locate guidance targets on the ground (leaves, blades of grass, dirt, etc.) inches in front and behind the golf ball that should be on a direct line with where you are standing and the target. Keep your eyes on those ground targets as you approach the ball.
Step number 2 of golf swing involves club face alignment. We already have our body aligned from the previous step. Now let’s get our club face aligned. Set the golf club face behind the golf ball, aligning the middle of the golf clubs face with the targets you picked out on the ground directly in front and behind the golf ball. Gripping the golf clubs with a tension-free grip will allow you to be relaxed through out the duration of the golf swing. Line your feet up about shoulder width apart on a line parallel to the line made by your golf ball and the ground targets directly in front and behind the golf ball. As Tiger Woods has mentioned, you should have your knees slightly bent in an athletic stance. In order to allow your hips to rotate without restriction, the front foot should open a little toward the target.
Tilt your torso slightly towards the ball while keeping your back straight. The arms should now hang freely in front of the body to grip the club. The shoulders should be parallel with the ground targets and the toes, and your head should be tilted downward with your eyes on the ball. These motions described are known as the set-up, or addressing the ball.
You are ready to begin the golf swing. Keeping your back elbow tucked as closely to your ribs as possible, slowly take the club back on a straight line along the plane of the ground targets. Keep your front elbow locked throughout the back swing and never take your eyes off the ball. This motion should naturally tuck your chin into your front shoulder. Hips should remain still and slightly tilted, while the front knee will turn inward. At the apex of the back swing, allow your wrists to break slightly.
The down swing involves bringing the club down toward the ball. You will uncoil your wrists and start shifting your weight toward your front foot. With gravity helping, your down swing is where you can generate force and speed. Never take the club face off of your target line. This defines the swing plane. The club face should strike the back of the ball first, then continue on through the arc of the swing. This will result in the club taking a divot out of the ground, just past where the golf ball initially was sitting. Continue the swing on past the second target you picked out just in front of the golf ball.
Finish the golf swing with a nice, high follow through of the club. Your hips should be turned toward the target. Your weight should have shifted, and should now be firmly on your front foot. Smile and watch the ball fly toward the target.
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