Tips for Developing the Proper Golf Swing
One of the nice things about being a beginner – at anything – is that you have fewer bad habits to break. One of the bad things about being a beginner is that learning how to swing a golf club correctly can be difficult at first and lead to frustration. In this article, we’ll examine some tips for developing the proper golf swing and learn the correct way to swing a golf club. The result (hopefully) will be more fun and less frustration the next time you’re out on the course.
Developing the Proper Golf Swing Starts With Your Stance
Starting with the proper stance can go a long way towards ensuring that your golf swing at least begins on the right track. Take a stance that has your feet shoulder-width apart and stand far enough away from the ball so that you can keep it mid-way between your front foot and back foot.
Refer to the image to the left to get an idea of a good all-around stance. Now some people will say that you should position the golf ball closer to the heel of your front foot when using a longer club like a driver or one of the long irons and then move the ball farther back in your stance as the clubs become progressively shorter.
As a struggling beginner, I have found that what works for me is always setting up the exact same way with the ball positioned directly between my feet as in the photograph to the left and then letting the club dictate how far away from the ball I should stand.
What will happen is that you will naturally stand farther away from the ball when using your driver because it ‘just won’t feel comfortable’ if you’re standing too close. And when using your short irons, you’ll naturally stand closer to the ball because it won’t feel right if you are too far away from the ball and have to reach towards it.
Keeping the ball in the same position every swing is one of the concepts of the simple swing system – taught by Jack Nicklaus in his Golf My Way DVD. It’s still one of the best instructional tools I’ve come across for improving my swing.
Start With A Stance That Keeps The Ball Midway Between Your Front And Back Foot
Bend the knees slightly and bend over from the waist so that your torso is at approximately a 45-degree angle to your lower body. The ‘feel’ you should be going for is 
that in the correct position you should be comfortable and confident that your club head will come back to the ball cleanly without having to lean either forward or backward throughout your swing. The key to the proper golf swing is maintaining control throughout the swing and limiting your front-to-back movements.
Refer to the photo to the left. The leftmost image displays an improper stance, but one that many beginning golfers try. The reverse spine angle is not only uncomfortable, it can put undue pressure on your lower back as you execute your rotation.
The image on the right is one of a golfer executing a proper stance exactly as described above. His knees are bent slightly and his torso is perfectly in line and forming about a forty-five degree angle with his lower body.
Maintain A Comfortable, Stable Position Throughout Your Swing That Limits Your Front-to-Back Movements
The Proper Golf Swing – Your Backswing
The first and most important thing that a beginning golfer can do when learning how to swing the club correctly is to make sure that their backswing is deliberate and that they exercise good shoulder rotation while keeping their club on plane. The backswing is an important part of the swing and problems with club position can become amplified on the downswing.
The video below from Rick Shiels Golf demonstrates the proper backswing. Have a look…
This is an excellent golf instructional video and appropriate for golfers of all skill levels – from beginners to more experienced players.
Concentrate On Keeping Your Golf Club On Plane During Your Backswing
Your Downswing Should Follow The Same Path As Your Backswing
As you practice how to swing a golf club correctly and begin to develop the correct swing for you one of the things to focus on is having the club follow the same path during the downswing as it did when you executed your backswing.
At the top of your backswing, your shoulder rotation should have your body feeling like a coiled spring. Start your downswing as you ‘uncoil the spring’, keep your head down and your eye on the ball, and make every attempt to contact the golf ball squarely.
Re-watch the video above. It very closely resembles how I start my downswing. What’s more, that video explains the different parts of a good, fundamental golf swing and it’s easy to follow!
Keep Your Head Down And Your Eye On The Ball Through – And Even After – Impact
Impact – The Moment Of Truth
No matter how many things you do right during your swing, if you miss-hit the golf ball or if you do not bring your club face back so that it contacts the golf ball squarely, the result will be less than perfect. Make every attempt to bring the club head through the ball squarely and solidly. This will minimize and sideways rotation on the golf ball and prevent, either, a hook or a slice.
Keep Your Club Face Square To The Ball At Impact
Conclusion
Any golf swing can be broker down into its various parts and it is crucial that you execute every step of the golf swing correctly as you attempt to develop the proper golf swing for you.
Step 1) Begin with a comfortable stance that has the ball positioned mid-way between your front and back foot.
Step 2) Set up properly with a slight flex in your knees and a bend at the waist.
Step 3) Concentrate on keeping the club on-plane during your backswing and make sure to rotate your shoulders as you bring the club back.
Step 4) ‘Uncoil the spring’ during your downswing while keeping the club following the same path it took during your backswing, all the while keeping your head down and your eye on the ball.
Step 5) Follow-through and make sure that your club face is square-to-the-ball at impact. Continue to keep your head down for a second or two even after impact and resist the urge to see where your ball is going.
Follow these tips and you’ll soon have a proper golf swing you can be proud of!
Happy Golfing!
