SWING INSTRUCTION
Handout

Swing Instruction Free Lessons Products
Home  Golf Guru Schools/Programs  Teaching Programs  Golf Science Teaching Philosophy
Video Analysis VariMatch™ Clubs  Cleeks Schedule  FAQ  Testimonials Quotations Newsletters

Select a Bookmark to Go To Different Golf Skills

Pre-Swing Knowledge	Full Swing	Putting
Master Pre-Swing Routine	Short Game	Sand Play
Mental Game	Playing Strategies	Practice Strategies

I. Pre-Swing Knowledge

A. General Information

1. There are several fundamental tasks, which every golfer must master. Each of these tasks must be over-learned (the ability to execute without coaching) before consistent and dependable performance can be expected. These general learning goals include but are not limited to:

2. Posture (creates the possibility for a natural, free-flowing swing): The most common error is "sitting" back on the heels which causes the hands to leave the clubface in and "open" position, which in turn causes the ball to curve to the right

a. Alignment of the shoulders (gives the natural swing direction): Obviously, but overlooked or poorly executed, bad alignment will cause the swing path to be off line

b. Ball position (distance from the ball): The most common error is "reaching" for the ball which causes the swing path to be from outside to inside the intended target line

c. Ball position (between the feet): The most common error is to play the ball too far off the left heel which causes the swing path to be from outside to inside the intended target line

d. Whole Swing Fundamentals:

(1) Center the Swing: Look at the ball. You can't hit what you can't see and you can't see what you're not looking at ... research indicates there is a higher probability of hitting something when you're looking at it.

(2) Make a Circle: Turn your shoulders in a circle around your nose. Turning the shoulders CAUSES the arms and club to swing. Looking at the ball gives the swing a "center" to work around.

(3) Maintain Your Balance: Allow your weight to naturally transfer from the shoulders down to the feet. You do NOT have to make a deliberate weight transfer. Weight transfer is automatic and NATURAL (you don't have to learn how and you don't have to try) when the bio-mechanically correct turning of the shoulders is executed!

3. What you learn is critical but the sequence in which you learn the basic elements of the game is also important. The proper sequence for learning to play golf is:

a. Learn to correctly address the ball. This directly affects your swing path through the ball! Use a systematic routine to insure that all points of performance are correctly accomplished.

b. Learn to look at the ball. This directly affects EVERYTHING!

c. Learn to make a natural, free-flowing, arm swing by turning the shoulders. Swing the arms from shoulder to shoulder while looking at the ball and the club will follow a correct path into the back of the ball!

d. Learn to make a correct backswing. Just as the address position you assume must be correct, the backswing is also a preliminary movement that must be correct!

e. Learn to make an unrestricted, free flowing forward swing.

f. After these points have been over-learned (committed to muscle memory) do you give any thought to performance results. Analyze and correct your biggest mistakes first.

g. Begin to integrate simple course management strategies. For example: every shot gets closer to the hole, keep the ball in play (avoid unneeded penalties), hit the easiest shot you can hit, aim at the fat part of the green and know where to miss.

Figure 1 Golf is an Easy Game Just Do All of This Every Time!

h. Golfers drive themselves crazy trying to "fix" problems. In addition to what you learn and the sequence that you learn there is still another important consideration. Learning how to properly analyze and correct the most common errors every golfer should expect to make is fundamental to a positive golf attitude. Here are the general rules for analyzing and correcting errors:

i. Fix patterns of mistakes not single shot errors.

j. Look for the fundamental cause of swing path errors then look at how your hands reacted to the swing error.

k. Golf is a game of paradoxical opposites and fundamental inter-relationships. Do not fall into the trap of looking for a quick fix, gimmick solution to a fundamental problem.

l. Eliminate, Isolate and Concentrate: Eliminate the fear of failure by removing the ball. This means using drills to teach various, correct feeling for a given checkpoint of performance. Isolate your concentration to a single point of performance then integrate what you have learned with your existing skills.

4. Elements of an Effective Learning Environment

a. 80% of all mistakes are made before the club ever moves; 95% of all mistakes are made before the club begins to move forward

b. Pre-swing fundamentals require no athletic ability

c. You have 100% command and control over pre-swing fundamentals

d. The basic motion of the golf swing is a natural movement once pre-swing fundamentals have created the possibility for success.

B. Types of basic skills

One trip to a golf course is enough for any golfer to understand the score you put on the card involves much more than just hitting the ball down a fairway. The full swing might be the first and most challenging element to a better score, but the fastest way to lower your score is to work on the basis skills required on and around the green.

1. Full swing

2. Putting

3. Short game

4. Trouble and sand play

5. Personal and course management

C. Stages of Learning … Golf involves three stages of learning. Each stage of learning you are in affects not only what you should learn but also how it should be learned. All golfers begin with the cognitive stage.

1. COGNITIVE / Gross movement: This stage of learning is characterized by a high degree of mental preparation and a need for intensive feedback from a teacher, video or other information source. This stage of learning is for mastery of whole swing fundamentals only. A player should strive for solid contact with little worry about higher levels of performance.

2. 2. ASSOCIATIVE / Refinement: In this stage of learning, big mistakes are reduced. Smaller and fewer mistakes are made as a player becomes more aware of kinesthetic ques and begins to associate those ques with a mental picture of correct performance. Most players enter and remain in this phase of skill / learning.

3. AUTONOMOUS / Timing: Once fundamentally sound skills a have been over learned a player can quit thinking about how to hit a ball and begin to concentrate on where to hit the ball. Consistency and control are achieved by focusing on matters related to timing the swing and on rules for strategic play.

Back to the Top

II. Pre-Swing Fundamentals

A. Address

1. Posture

Figure 2: Golf is best learned in a systematic manner in obedience to the laws of motor learning science … gross motor movements are mastered (whole swing fundamentals) to establish a reliable, consistent swing motion … then other aspects of the game can be added (short game and putting) while the whole swing is refined by improving specific position-by-position checkpoints of correct performance … finally, the swing is put back together by working on timing and more advanced physical and mental skills

Figure 3: Lesson 1 … Posture creates the possibility for a NATURAL, FREE-FLOWING SLING … there are five critical checkpoints of correct performance … § Butt up § Chest down § Chin up/shoulders back § Arms hang § Weight balanced on the balls of the feet

Figure 4:After you have mastered correct posture, there are four critical parts of the body you must learn to control … in sequence, relative to the distance from your brain § Nose … looking at the ball gives the swing/sling a “center” § Shoulders … turning your shoulders is the “engine” for the swing motion § Elbows … allowing the elbows to “fold” controls the swing arc Thumbs … keeping the thumbs on “top” of the shaft controls the direction the clubface will be turned

2. Balance and Flexibility

a. Stance width (full swing): shoulder width from a plum line dropped from each to shoulder joint down to the inside of the heels. If the stance is too wide, you will lack the flexibility needed to make a full turn of the shoulders. If the stance is too narrow, you will be out of balance. Obviously, this is not only a fundamental but also an individual technique.

b. Direction of the toes: right toe turned out 10-15¡, left toe turned out twice as much. Pointing the toes outward gives flexibility to the hips allowing for a larger, easier turning of the shoulders. Turning the toes straighter to the front reduces hip flexibility and promotes a more stable "between the feet" swing.

c. Toe to heel & left to right foot Balance: You must be balanced to two ways. Your weight will be evenly distributed between the left and right foot and from toe to heel. The easy way to think about this is to simply stand "flat footed".

3. Distance from the ball: Automatically determined by a combination of your posture over the ball plus the combination of the lie angle and length of the shaft of a correctly fitted club. Regardless of the club, your hands will hang about one fist's width away from your thighs and the club will generally sit with the sole flat on the ground.

4. Ball Position Between the Feet:

a. Approach shots (5I-W): your intention is to putt the next shot. Accuracy is more important than distance. To insure the ball will get airborne, reach its maximum trajectory close to the target and fall steeply, the ball is played from the center of the stance the handle "points" at the centerline of your body.

b. Long approach (3W-4I): your intention is to advance the ball forward and keep it on line with the green when the probability of hitting the green is reduced because of the distance of the shot. Both distance and direction are important. To sweep the ball cleanly off the turf and project it more forward than upward so it will release and roll upon landing, the ball is played about 1/2 way between the center of the stance and your left heel. The handle of the club will point at the inside seam of the left breast shirt pocket

c. Tee ball (D or 3W): your intention is to drive the ball forward for maximum distance. To catch the ball just past "bottom dead center" as the clubhead begins to move up and through the ball, play the ball from a position just opposite your left heel. The handle of the club will point at your armpit.

Note: Ball position is directly related to alignment of the shoulders. The more the ball moves "forward" towards the left heel, the more the shoulders must be aligned to what appears to be the right edge of the target!

B. Alignment … two things have to be correctly aligned, the clubhead and your body

1. Club

Figure 5: Sit the CLUB flat and square … A little mistake is a big deal (5° = 15 yds = a MISSED GREEN) A small error causes big problems … missed fairways and greens Errors lead to doubts about swing mechanics which in turn leads to unnecessarily manipulating the swing

Figure 6: Address Posture Creates the Possibility for s Natural, Free Flowing Sling/Swing Motion

2. Shoulders & Knees

Figure 7: Point ... move the feet into to place; ball position between the feet depends upon which club is selected … with the club sitting flat and square, most irons will have a forward “press” which creates a straight line relationship between the shoulder, thumbs and clubhead

Figure 8: Move your feet into place and align shoulders and knees parallel to the intended target line AFTER your lower hand is on the club; your feet will appear to be closed; your friends will tell you that you are aimed too far to the right … which would be true if you were hitting the ball with your feet instead of with the slinging motion created by the rotation of your shoulders!

C. Grip

1. General goals

2. Hands form single unit with no gaps or separations

3. Palms generally face each other so hands work as a team

4. Forearms are in a balanced position

D. Grip Pressure

1. Relaxed muscles work more efficiently (clubhead velocity and smooth coordination) than tense muscles

2. Mental checkpoint: hold it like a baby bird … tight enough to keep it from getting away and loose enough that you don’t crush it’s head

E. Function of the Parts

1. Last three fingers of the L. hand provide all the "holding" power

2. L. index finger and R. pinky connect the two hands

3. First three fingers of the R. hand provide "feel" and power … “Strength” of right hand determines direction of the ball’s curve

4. The thumbs lock everything into place

F. Mechanical assembly of the parts

1. L. Hand Dot on Top, thumb print at 2 o’clock

2. Second knuckle on the L. thumb fits into the "head of the valley" on the R. hand

3. R. Palm square with the clubface, thumbprint at 10 o’clock

Figure 9: To place the top hand on the club, allow your lead arm to hang naturally to your side and simply close your fingers around the shaft	Figure 10: Never take an over length top hand position ... the entire hand fits on the shaft	Figure 11: The top hand grip is a palm grip, the right hand grip is a finger grip ... the role of the top hand is to provide stability and control, the role of the bottom hand is to provide feel … correctly placed, you will feel the “dot on top”
Figure 12: The assembly of the grip begins when the club is placed into a flat and square position behind the ball … once the club is in place, look at it and insure that it stays in place … the club becomes your “instructor” telling you how far to stand away from the ball and where to play the ball between your feet … Yes, these illustrations are in here twice because they are that important		Figure 13: The thumb of the top hand fit into the "bottom of the taco" (pocket formed between the fatty thumb and heel pads)
Figure 14: The bottom hand "slides" up, snuggly to meet the top hand	Figure 15: The hands form a single unit where neither hand dominates (produces leverage against the opposite hand)	Figure 16: Grip pressure is critical … NO white knuckle death grips … hold the club softly in the fingers while not allowing the wrists to be “flippy-floppy”
Figure 17: The Right hand is a "finger" grip	Figure 18: The hands are "unified" into a team, but each hand has a specific role	Figure 19: At the top of the backswing, NEVER allow the bottom hand to come off the thumb of the top hand …”Grab Your Thumb and Don’t Let Go!
Figure 20: The Overlap or Vardon Grip is the most popular grip for all players	Figure 21: The interlocking grip ... best suited for players with smaller hands	Figure 22: The ten finger is used by younger players and ladies who might lack strength in their hands

Back to the Top

III. The Master Pre-Swing Routine

A. Purpose

1. Take command and control of the shot

2. Mentally and physically rehearse the swing

3. Reduce fear of failure increases confidence and physically relax

B. Switching Attention: Think, Do, Think, Do

1. Think: Mental preparation / decision making

a. Analyze:

(1) Distance to the target

(2) Obstacles and hazards near the target

(3) Wind

(4) Lie conditions (in a divot, uphill or downhill, side hill

b. Select:

(1) Club and type shot

(2) Proper target and bailout point

(3) Make a positive decision and don't second guess

c. Visualize

2. Do:

a. Practice are made behind the ball while looking down the target line

b. Regardless of what type shot you are about to play or the conditions from which your must play the shot, use the same mechanical setup to the ball routine every time. While some elements of the routine might need to be modified (ex. A chip shot requires a different hand position and alignment than a full swing), the basic routine should be consistent to insure every necessary pre-swing fundament has been correctly executed!

c. Point and paint: Do NOT wait for divine intervention to show your the correct line for the shot. Physically point your finger at the target and draw an imaginary line from your target back to and through the ball. Locate two points on that line about six inches in front of and six inches behind the ball.

d. Club: Sole the club flat and square to the target

e. Grip: Assemble your grip in accordance with checkpoints for correct performance

f. Point: correctly position the ball between your fee and take the proper amount of forward press (hand position relative to the ball). The forward press built into the design of the club will cause the handle of the club to "point" at your left breast (see Fig: 7).

g. Aim: Align your shoulders parallel to the two points you selected when you "painted" your imaginary line to the ball. Align your knees along the same parallel line. Ignore the direction your feet are aligned ... you don't hit the ball with your feet and the swing is NOT made from the ground up, it is made from the shoulders down!

h. Hang: Check your posture

3. Do: Clear, focus and fire

a. Clear: Turn your head and eyes to the target and waggle (imitate your takeaway) using a proper shoulder and arm swing) to reduce muscular tension. Clear the mind of all mechanical thoughts about "how" to hit the ball. Get "creatively stupid". It's too late to learn how to hit the ball!

b. Focus: When your brain is clear, focus on your target then switch your focus to your takeaway que.

c. Fire: Observe the flight of the ball for analysis purposes. Never criticize your effort if you have

4. Think: Analyze the flight of the ball. Correct patterns of mistakes not individual errors!

Back to the Top

IV. FULL SWING Fundamentals

A. General Information:

1. In-swing Fundamentals: There are only three In-swing fundamentals: Look at the ball, turn your shoulders in a circle around your head and allow your weight to transfer back and through the shot. The good news is that you only have to learn how to do two things right. The bad news is that you must do both right at the same time. It’s kind of like walking and chewing bubble gum. Most of the mistakes you make are caused by thing you have done wrong before the club ever moves!

2. The K.I.S.S. Swing

B. The Shoulders and Arms are the Prime Movers of the club.

1. The Body Responds to and Supports the Slinging of the Arms.

2. The Hands are Passive Connectors not Active Hitters.

C. Comparison of the Golf Swing with a Other Sports

1. The Baseball Swing.

a. The arms must be fully extended at impact as they would be when swinging at an outside pitch.

b. The weight shifts naturally from the back to the front foot, in a baseball swing the weight tends to hang on the back foot.

c. The hands and wrists DO NOT roll over as they pass through the ball.

d. The nose remains pointed at a spot on the ground where the ball was until the right shoulder contacts and lifts the head into the finish position.

2. Tennis and Racquetball

a. The golf swing and the tennis swing are very similar. In both swing motions the sequence of motion is the shoulder pulling the arm and the hitting instrument with the wrist being used as a passive connector.

b. The racquetball forehand is more similar to a baseball swing. In both motions, the wrist is used as an active hitter for additional leverage. Hitting with the hands in golf is a sure ticket to inconsistency.

D. Golf Physics

1. Target game... direction & distance: Understanding basic cause and effect impact physics is essential to understanding other golf relationships. There are five things the club must do to the ball to move it at the intended target: centered contact on both the horizontal and vertical axes of the face, maximum controllable velocity of the clubhead, swing path and clubface direction. Only when these physical dynamics are consistently controlled through the application of solid fundamentals will you develop any real skill at the game.

2. Impact physics for distance ... centered contact, clubhead velocity & effective loft:

a. First the ball must meet the clubhead in the middle of the clubface (from heel to toe and from top to bottom). It is far more important to hit the ball in the center of the clubface than to swing the club fast. However, assuming you have the ability to make a quality swing, it is also very important that the clubhead be traveling as fast as possible. Of the two, always trade swing speed for center contact. Golf is a game of precision and leveraged rhythm not brute force. Golf is certainly not a game of finesse.

b. Getting the ball into the air and hitting it a long way is simply a matter of getting the middle of the clubhead under the middle of the ball and delivering the clubhead to the ball at maximum velocity. Once again there is a trick waiting for you. Trying to "help" the ball into the air by "scooping" (swinging up on the ball), is an absolute guarantee of failure.

3. Impact physics for direction: swingpath & clubface direction:

E. General Relationships for Swingpath:

What your body and arms do to the club directly affects your swingpath through the ball ... what your hands do to the club directly affects where the clubface will be turned! If the ball begins it's flight in the wrong direction, then your swingpath was off. The mistake is related to what you body and arms have done to the clubs. This is bad enough but the real problem begins when your hand get into the act. Your hands are the "great fixer" of the golf swing.

Back to the Top

F. General Relationships for Clubface: What the mind's eye sees, the hands do ... what the hands do, the clubhead does

Back to the Top

G. Ball flight analysis:

1. Initial direction

2. Direction of the curve

a. For a drive of 230 yards (typical for an average male golfer), the swing path cannot be more than 6¡ open or closed in relative to the target.

	Watch the Flight of the Ball and Learn Ball Flight Rules … Know Ball Flight Rules and Make “Feel” Associations General · What the ball does in the air is a result of what the club did to the ball at impact What the club does to the ball is a result of what you did to the club Ball Flight Rules · The initial direction the ball flies is generally about ½ way between the direction of the swing path and the direction the clubface was turned … neither of these factors have anything to do with the intended target line The ball will always curve in the direction of the clubface, relative to the swingpath The amount of curve you see is an indication of how much difference there was between the swingpath and clubface direction The “thud” you feel on a mis-hit is an indicator of how much you missed the “sweet spot” on the clubface
Fundamental Skill is Measured By Getting the ball airborne Moving it in the general direction of the target Controlling the amount of curve Making solid contact
	It’s a Matter of Degree The difference between a banana slice and fade or a duck/snap hook and a draw is the size of the difference between the swingpath and clubface … one swing is under control and the other is out of control You don’t have to be perfect, but you do need to be consistent … a drive that curves less than 20 yards will stay on almost every fairway; an approach the curves less than 10 yards will be on the green

Back to the Top