The Perfect Swing – 8 Golf Swing Tips To Help You Improve
If you want to become a better golfer (don’t we ALL), a great place to start would be by improving your swing. In this blog, I cover 8 tips and techniques you can use to help you hit straighter shots and play a better game.
#1. Focus on your grip
Improving your golf grip will help you hit straighter shots because your grip is what connects the club to the rest of your swing.
The position of your golf club when you hit the ball is one of the most important factors in determining how straight your shot goes. Thus, a good grip has a big influence on playing a great game of golf.
#2. Control direction with the left
Once you’ve mastered your grip, use your left hand to control your shot direction and club face. Point the back of your left hand towards the left of your target when swinging through your shot. This will help close the club face, whereas pointing it to the right of your target will open your club face.
Keeping your left hand pointing towards your target for as long as possible after impact can help to play more accurate shots.
#3. Refine your stance
To get a better strike, focus on getting the right stance. A lot of golfers struggle to strike the middle of the golf club and often this is due to a poor set-up. A strong stance is balanced and allows you to rotate freely, giving better control over your swing.
Stand tall, in a natural posture and keep your spine in a neutral position for a solid stance.
#4. Count it out
If you’re guilty of swinging the club too quickly, you’re not alone. This is a common issue I see with many of my clients. One way to avoid this is by counting from 1 to 3 in both the backswing to improve your tempo. As you swing, trying counting at the following points:
- Start your swing
- Making your backswing
- When you reach the end of your backswing
#5. Choose a clear target
When you're new to golf it’s a common mistake to be so focused on the swing that you don’t think enough about the target. Concentrate on where you want the ball to go and it’s more likely to end up there!
When you’re on the tee, choose a small target to aim for in the distance. This could be the top of a tree or any other specific point. If you;re hitting off the green, pick a target in the centre of the green and focus your efforts on making a strong swing towards that.
#6. Strike DOWN to get the ball UP
A common misconception among new golfers is that you need to “lift” the ball into the air when you strike. This is actually counterintuitive because it detracts from the design of the club.
When you strike down on the ball with an iron, the loft of the club will do the work for you and help the ball sail up into the air. The goal is to pick the ball as cleanly off the turf as possible.
#7. Impact is EVERYTHING…
For the ball! The most fundamental rule of golf is that the ball only knows one thing. Impact. Swing mechanics, stance and even backswing techniques are important but impact is what really matters.
A combination of where you strike the ball, where your club face is pointing, the direction, angle and speed of your club head will determine the impact. Aim to hit the middle of the club face and watch how quickly you improve!
#8. Practice makes perfect (or not!)
This one likely goes without saying, we all know how important (and fun) it is to practice our swing. Don’t compare yourself with others or worry what your swing looks like, the aim in golf is to build a simple, repeatable swing that hits the ball where you want it to go.
You need to find a swing that works for YOU. It doesn’t have to be textbook, there is actually no such thing as a perfect swing. It just needs to work for you.
There we have 8 tips to help you improve your golf swing, I hope they are helpful. If you’re still unsure where you might be going wrong or how else you can improve your game, get in touch and book a lesson. Coaching can help you get better and increase your enjoyment. And isn’t that the whole point of playing anyway?
