While practicing may not be as much fun as one would like, it is on the range that your swing improves rather than on the golf course. It’s a good idea to allow yourself no less than half an hour weekly to work on your swing. Indeed, you can have the best golf equipment in the world, but if you don’t practice, you won’t see yourself become a great golfer. These four fundamentals are going to help you improve.
Grip
Surprisingly or not, your grip plays an important role in your swing. Now, if you watch pros playing, you’ll notice that not all of them have the same grip. Some have an interlocking type, others an overlapping one, others a strong one, and others a weak one. Each golfer will work with what they find better, but there are some general things you can keep in mind. First, the grip should run more through the fingers than the palm. The pressure should also be lighter, rather than stronger, as it should be enough to hold the club without restricting it more than needed. Though pros may prefer the weak vs. strong grip debate, going for a stronger one is their best bet for the average golfer. A stronger grip means turning your hands slightly to the right at the address.
Posture
If you’ve bad posture and balance, you’ll have a hard time playing well. Perhaps the biggest mistake out there is not using the hips when you’re bending forward. Indeed, many people turn from their upper back while leaving their hips unmoved. Not only will this negatively impact the effectiveness of the swing, but it will also lead to pain in your lower back. So what should you do? First, when you get into the right posture, make sure you’re putting pressure on the balls of the feet to ensure enough balance. Then, from your hips, start to bend forward. A promising sign is if you’re feeling the tension in the back of the legs. It shouldn’t be done too much as far as turning the knees. All you have to do is to soften them a bit.
Connected
When starting to swing, it is imperative to ensure that you stay connected. This may sound unclear, but it’s referring to ensuring that your shoulders are used when taking the club back. Ensure your hands don’t get too far from your body’s rotation. Your body, arms, hands, and, of course, your club should move together. This is known as the one-piece takeaway, and it’s what we refer to when we say you should stay connected.
Ball Position
Out of all the fundamentals we’ve discussed in this article, the easiest to follow is where the ball should be placed relative to your body. The reason why it’s the easiest is that it is the least subjective one. When using a driver, the ball should be inside your left heel. When you use a pitching wedge, the ball should be in the middle of the stance. When figuring out where the center is, use your heels as a reference because your toes can mislead you. Finally, if you’re using a six iron, make sure the ball is in the middle of the distance between where it would be if you were using a driver or a pitching wedge.
Like anything else in this world, you’ll get better at golf with practice. Though this process is not as much fun as playing, ensuring that you put some time aside for training will lead to a more fun, less frustrating game.
