As a golfer, you probably ask yourself this question almost every
time you get onto the green: 'How do I improve my swing?' It's
likely you've played for quite some time, had a few good drives
and had a lot of, ahem, bad ones.
Perhaps you've even bought a few books or videos because you're
looking for the perfect swing. Despite all the information
available many people still struggle to perfect their golf swing.
Let's begin with a few basics:
Eliminating Golf Swing Myths
Ever seen some of the claims that if you just bought this new
ball you could get 33% more distance! How about the club that
will improve your distance? However, how much good can you get
with extra distance if you can't get the ball to go the
direction you need it to go?
No golf club will 'correct' your swing. Certain clubs will help
you to understand what's happening when you swing. These
training tools may help you in various ways to know what you're
doing, however, you still must proactively do something to
improve your golf swing.
Some say that if you slice your ball you need to get a stronger
position on your grip or a hook grip. It can help you get your
ball to go straighter, but it's not going to help you get a
better swing. The grip is the grip and there's more to the swing
than just that.
Reinforcing the Basics
To get a perfect golf swing, you need to think through the
foundations you learned when you first started:
* Your grip
* Your Posture
* The Pivot
* Your arm and hand relationship
* Your Alignment, and
* The Mental Side of the game
As simple as it sounds combine and perfect the above and you'll
have a perfect golf swing. It's as simple as analyzing what's
not working and correcting it.
Remember everything about the game of Golf begins with you and
your mental attitude about yourself, the game, the course and how
you approach all of it. Let's start by doing something that's
so basic people tend to forget about it.
The Mental Part of the Perfect Golf Swing
Confidence is needed when you step up to the tee. You have the
confidence you need when you get in your car, you know how to
position yourself to make a left or right turn, stop sharply and
accelerate as simple as it seems now, remember how complicated it
originally seemed? You need this same confidence on the course.
When you step up to the tee all of the physical practicing that
has gone on before stops. The training stops, as well. You are
'on your own' so to speak. What you have been doing will come
into play only because what you have been doing is now between
your ears. It is time to put that mental game of yours into
effect.
Every thing you do from the tee on the first hole to the napkin
at the '19th' comes from that mental game you are playing.
Every shot needs to analyzed, every hazard must be evaluated,
every lay of the grounds must be used to make the next shot
better, the next hazard something to bypass and the grounds
something that simply is.
Let's face it, on the average round of golf you do not spend an
awful lot of time actually hitting the ball. You walk, wait for
the shots of your partners, searching for your ball or others'
and thinking all of the time about what you need to do on the
next shot.
What is it that affects your game? Is it the physical side? Does
walking and waiting and searching really take it's toll on your
game or is it all of the time you have to think about what you
are doing?
Jack Nicklaus has a lot to say about the mental side of the game.
He thought it was critical. He didn't try to just avoid negative
thoughts, a good thing to avoid by the way, he visualized each
shot in his mind before he even got close to the ball! He could
see his ball being hit and the flight and where it landed and how
he would approach it when he got to it.
On the green he would see the lay of the grass and the hole and
the pin and where his ball would go before he took out his
putter. He had the whole game played before he got out of the
club house and that is one of the things, he says, that made his
game the world class game it was.
Golf Swing - Grip and Posture
Many specialists speak of the pros or cons of one grip over
another however you must remember any of these are fine, as long
as you master the basics: both palms face each other, club held
in your fingers - not the palm, thumb pointed down the middle of
the shaft, with your wrists relaxed.
Alongside your grip it's essential you have a strong posture and
stance; feet shoulder width, toes slightly pointed out, knees
slightly bent and bend from the hips. Your back should be
straight and your arms and hands held naturally.
You can see those things in your mind and can 'practice'
you're posture and grip easily when you're sitting at home or
driving your car.
Bring It All Together With the Perfect Alignment
Bring that mental game out to the practice range and set yourself
up on a tee. Your alignment must be correct for all of the above
to work. Steady your stance, make sure that your left shoulder is
facing the direction you need the ball to go and remember the
following:
Be confident. That comes from knowledge and experience.
'Think' your shot before you make your shot.
'Practice' on the range. Golf on the course.
Always get a good practice swing before addressing the ball.
After the practice swing, approach the ball and just hit it.
Think about that shot. What went wrong, if anything, and how do
you improve it?
Relax, breathe normally.
The Pivot Gives You The Power!
There is a proper position for the proper pivot. It starts with
the posture and transforms in the perfect swing by being exactly
what is needed. It is the basic shifting of your weight from the
one side to the other side.
A reverse pivot problem is what the vast majority of golfers have
no matter how long they have been playing. They move the weight
in the wrong direction! In that mental game you are playing, see
and feel the weight moving to the left or forward foot. That will
allow you to bring the club down, in the forward swing, with all
of the power you have and hit the ball cleanly while you are
essentially moving forward.
You need to be able to enjoy Golf! It's one of the few games
that require a bit of thought and can be practiced with the mind
as well as the body. You may need the instruction that a golf pro
can provide, either through a one-to-one situation or online.
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