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A typical golf instructor might use the following commands when
teaching golf to beginners: "Keep your head down! Keep your left arm
straight! Don't look up! Swing easy!" This approach can lead to an
information overload, and is therefore a typical mistake instructors
make.
Many golf instructors using this approach cloud their
students' minds and bring about a level of paralysis by analysis.
Beginners in the sport of golf learn most quickly when they limit their
focus to the most important aspects of the golf swing; that is, the
grip, the stance, the takeaway, and the downswing.
Gripping the
golf club is the foremost component of the swing that beginning golfers
must grasp. To identify the top hand position, a golfer has to let
his/her hand hang down to allow a natural position to form. The club
must then be gripped in this position, and the golfer must mirror the
position with the bottom hand. J. D. Turner, a professional golfer has
said, "for a good shot to occur, the grip must support the club at the
top of the swing and rotate the clubface back to square at impact." A
natural position will duly accomplish this. A golfer may overlap,
interlock, or grip with all ten fingers, but he/she should make sure
the grip is not in the palm of the hand and that the grip pressure is
moderate.
The second focus that is essential to a good swing is
a balanced, steady stance. The golf swing must start with a solid base
of support with the feet shoulder-width apart, and weight evenly
distributed with slight flexion in the knees. The upper body posture is
central. The back ought to be fairly straight with the arms hanging
naturally from the shoulders. The chin should be held up. Tiger Woods
advises the beginning golfer to "avoid burying your chin in your chest.
When your chin goes down, your back tends to bow and your weight slips
back on your heels, making an in-balance swing difficult at best."
The
backswing and the downswing must be focused on next. The correct
backswing starts with a proper takeaway. Emphasis must be placed on
pushing the club with the arms and hands at the start of the backswing.
There should be virtually no movement of the lower body until the shaft
of the club is parallel to the ground. Once again, it is critical to
keep flexion in the back knee. This will create a wide, level shoulder
turn that generates tremendous power. According to professional golfer
Hal Sutton, "the hands should remain in front of the chest all the way
to the top of the backswing." When properly executed, the upper body
will turn ninety degrees, and the lower body will resist by turning
only forty five degrees.
The last point of emphasis for
beginners is to hit down on the ball. The beginning golfer should swing
the club so it travels slightly downward at the point of impact. By
mastering a downward swing, where the bottom hand delivers the club
face in a palm-down position, golfers learn how to trap the ball
against the club face to produce powerful, accurate shots. This
movement is initiated by letting the arms and hands drop naturally with
a quiet lower body. Once the hands drop below the waist, the lower body
will have a more active role.
When starting out, beginning
golfers can go a long way with a good grip and setup, focusing only on
the takeaway and hitting down and through the ball. This limited focus
allows students to develop a swing rhythm that is not easily influenced
by an over-analysis of all aspects of the swing by an over-zealous
instructor.
Disclaimer: All information on this site is provided for informational purposes only! By no means is any
information presented herein intended to substitute for the advice provided to you by any health care or other professional
or organization.
