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Beginner Golf Lesson – Learn Swing Fundamentals

Fri, 11 Nov 2011 01:04:32 +0000

If you’re a beginner golfer looking to take a lesson, the very first lesson should cover golf swing fundamentals.

These fundamentals may seem very basic, but they are critical to your long-term success in golf. Like any other sport, if you don’t get the basics (fundamentals) down, you will struggle with consistency, as one swing will be different from the next, and the next, and the next.

Have you experienced that already? You can make a good swing and contact, then the very next shot is just horrible, and you’re left wondering, “how the heck did that happen?”

How To Correct (Fix) Golf Hook Shot

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 06:41:55 +0000

Learning how to correct a golf hook shot is a must if you want to keep your ball in the fairway. You must fix a hook, as it can easily run off the fairway after it lands due to the overspin on the ball. A fade is much easier to control and keep in play than a hook any day!

Cause Of A Hook Shot In Golf

As you can see in the picture; typically a hook is caused by an in-to-out swing, coupled with a closed clubface, creating a strong topspin (right to left) rotation on the golf ball. The closed clubface is the real issue, as in inside to out swing is a good thing, not a bad one. Learning how to square your golf clubface at impact will be crucial in correcting your hook in your golf swing.

Another cause of a hook shot is the stopping of your upper body rotation before impact, and the hands take over, which closes the face prematurely. If you are hooking the golf ball, a great tip is to work your ABT’s. The ABT’s mean…“Always Be Turning”. I can promise you, if you focus on rotating your body (and hips) aggressively through impact, you will not hook the golf ball. If you are, you have a strong golf grip causing it to close to much at impact. Getting the proper left hand golf grip (slightly weaker) will help correct the rapidly closing clubface.

Getting stuck on your downswing is another cause of a hook golf shot. This is something Tiger Woods is notorious of. Getting stuck means, your lower body gets way ahead of your upper body in the downswing, and your hands, arms and club get stuck too far inside, and the ONLY way to make decent contact is to flip your hands through impact.

Learning how to slow down your golf swing is crucial to proper golf downswing sequence. Once you get this right, you will have a perfectly timed golf swing coming into impact. Your lower and upper body will be sequenced to come into the ball with a square clubface, and just a slight in-to-out swing path.

Simple Tips To Correct Hook

1. Square your clubface at impact. Start by making sure it is square at address, and not closed, or even open, which would make you compensate coming down.
2. Weaken your left hand grip. If you’re a right-handed golfer instead of seeing 3 or even 4 knuckles on your left hand, rotate it to your left to only see 2 knuckles.
3. Slow your downswing. If you learn how to slow your downswing, your body’s sequence will be much better. You will come into the golf ball with the face square, and both upper and lower body nearly matched up, and not one ahead of the other.
4. Work your ABT’s. As mentioned earlier, focus on aggressively rotating your upper body through the shot. That way your hands will never want to take over.
5. Get your right should to come out not down. This is for the more advanced player, as the fault is coming inside too much on downswing, and part of that may be an “over-dropping” of the right shoulder in the downswing. So for that player, thinking of the right shoulder coming just a bit out and not down, might be the ticket.

Hope you enjoyed this article on how to correct and/or fix your golf hook shot. If you did, you’ll want to download our FREE Golf Lessons right away!

Ben Hogan Golf Swing

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 13:53:46 +0000

One of the greatest ball strikers, Ben Hogan had a golf swing that was the most repeatable of his time. Many say he found the “secret” to consistent ball striking and golf swing consistency.

If you want to learn how to improve your golf swing, then studying his golf swing will do you no wrong. I personally have a lot of admiration for what he went through as a child seeing his father take his own life, to being just an average at best golfer, to the greatest of his time.

As you can imagine, there have been many books written about him, and I’ve read many of them. Ben Hogan, An American Life written by James Dodson was an excellent book, as well as Hogan by Curt Sampson.

This article is more of an introductory article about Ben Hogan, as I will have many articles breaking down his golf swing and what you can take from it to help your swing.

If you’re looking for some great golf swing pictures of Ben Hogan, then you’ll want to get your hands on The Hogan Mystique. It is a big book with pictures never seen of Hogan in action. It is quite expensive, but an awesome “coffee table” book to refer to when you want swing tips from one of the best.

Ben himself wrote two golf instruction books, one of which many golfers consider the bible of the golf swing. His first book called Power Golf (written in 1948) was a good book in and of itself, but his later book Five Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf (written in 1957) is the one that is still today read by the majority of golf instructors, players and coaches all around the world, even though it was written 5 decades ago!

Tournament Record

In the years between 1938 and 1959 Hogan won 63 tournaments, which shows you how accomplished he was as a professional golfer. He won 9 major championships, and after a near fatal car accident in 1949; he was told he may never walk again, let alone play golf; he won several more tournaments and even what they call the “Hogan Slam” which was the first three majors of the season, only missing the chance to win the other major, The PGA Championship because he was playing in the British Open at the very same time.

Ben Hogan’s Secret

There was a lot of speculation that Ben had found the secret to a repeatable, consistent golf swing, and he nearly proved it with his pure ball-striking. After many frustrating years fighting a wicked, nearly brutal snap hook, hogan having pounded over a million balls (supposedly) had found the secret.

But…did he really tell anyone the secret? Many instructors and fellow players said they knew Ben’s secret, but to this day, no one knows if the secret was ever revealed.

The first theory is that the “secret” was a special wrist movementaction known as “cupping”. This information was disclosed in a 1955 Life magazine article. But… many believed Hogan did not reveal all that he knew at the time. It has since been alleged in Golf Digest magazine, and by Jody Vasquez in his book “Afternoons With Mr Hogan”, that the second element of Hogan’s “secret” was the way in which he used his right knee to initiate the swing and that this right knee movement was critical to the correct operation of the wrist.

There have now been golf instructors who have leached off his name and created instruction books and DVDs saying they have the secret of Ben Hogan’s and they will show you. Be aware is all I have to say.

In future articles, we’ll break down Ben Hogan’s Golf Swing and show you how you can become a better ball striker.

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How To Grip Golf Club With Right Hand

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 20:24:48 +0000

It seems like every time the proper golf grip is mentioned we always talk about the left hand. We rarely talk about the right hand. I am going to share with you some interesting things about the right hand that will be of value to you the next time you head out to the practice facility to hit some balls.

Learning how to grip a golf club correctly is something you have got to practice to get it right. Lets briefly cover the left hand and then we can move on to the role the right hand plays.

When you pick a golf club up it has to lay diagonally across the base of the left hand from the bottom of the index finger to the pad of the left hand. Listen carefully, as this is how to hold a golf club. After you wrap your hand around the club you should be able to see anywhere from no knuckles to three knuckles. The more knuckles you see the more the clubface will close in the downswing.

Now lets move on to the right hand. For starters the right hand has to sit under the left hand and both palms must face each other. Let me explain why. When you begin the backswing the right shoulder has to turn out of the way as the golf club swings back. As the golf club swings back on the arc the clubface will role open.

If you start your backswing with the right hand across from or on top of the left hand, the right shoulder will have a tendency to tilt and not turn as the club swings back. If the right shoulder tilts the clubhead will not swing back on an arc, it will swing outside the path and the clubface will not roll open.

If the right hand is not under the left it will get in the way of the backswing. If the right hand is under the club as the club begins to swing up in the backswing the club will stay on plane as the right wrist begins to fold. When the club begins to swing up if the right hand is on top of the left hand the right elbow will move away from the upper body creating the flying elbow effect.

I have a great drill you can practice at home. Address the golf ball with your right hand on your pant leg and then bring it up and under the shaft. The golf club has to swing around your body in the backswing so make sure you place the right hand is under the left at address.

How To Practice Your Golf Swing In Winter

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 18:12:37 +0000

Unless your like the crazy golfer hitting balls in the snowy winter time, there are things you can do to practice your golf swing, that will give you a headstart next spring. This in fact is one of the best times to work on your golf swing as you cannot play due to weather conditions. Many golfers don’t want to tinker with their swing, or do anything that might make their golf swing worse during the season.

Since we are mostly talking about indoor golf swing training, there are a couple of critical things you can (and should) do to improve your golf swing.

Swinging A Weighted Golf Club

One of the most obvious ones you can practice in the winter is swinging a weighted golf club in your “heated” garage. If you don’t have a weighted golf club, I would recommend you get a golf swing weight you can insert right on the shaft of any club you have, and it’s like a weighted donut that baseball players swing on their bats.

When you swing this club, you should create a routine, and not just swing it for the heck of it. What I mean by routine is say… 3 times per week, you’re going to swing it a total of 50 times per session. What I would recommend is 10 very slow swings to warm up. Then another 10 at 50%, building up to the third set of 10 at full speed; then here’s where you can increase golf swing speed. The next 10 swings will be at 110% effort, but under control. This is swinging at a speed you would not do on the course, but off the course you are training your fast twitch muscles to swing faster. The last 10 swings are at 50%. Treat it like a cool down.

One last tip with the weighted golf club. If at all possible, do all your golf swings in front of a mirror to monitor your golf swing technique.

Improve The Strength And Flexibility Of Your Golf Muscles

This is a “no-brainer”. You have more time since you’re not playing, and the majority of golfers are greatly inhibited by their current level of physical condition. Focusing on your golf muscles is a very wise decision during the winter golf months. You don’t need to join a gym, nor do you even have to purchase much equipment. You can do your entire golf training routine with a pair of dumbbells; exercise tubing; and an exercise ball. All you need is about 64 square feet in your bedroom, living room or garage and you’re good-to-go.

Exercises for golfers should focus on the specific movement requirements in your golf swing. The easiest way to do that is to break your golf swing down into phases, then add resistance to those phases.

Golf Swing Fundamentals

Working on your golf swing fundamentals is an easy thing to do during the winter time indoors. First off, your golf grip fundamentals. You can have a club at your office, beside the couch in your living; pretty much anywhere. All you’ve got to do is grab it, grip it, and regrip it multiple times to make sure you’ve got the proper golf grip.

You can then work on your golf posture in a mirror. When doing this, make sure you learn how far to stand from a golf ball so that you get the correct distance and space to make a good takeaway.

You can practice the entire golf swing (address, takeaway, top of backswing, downswing, impact and more) indoors, and so you should. I think I’ve covered enough for today.

If you want a head start on your next golf season, you’ll want to download Free Golf Lessons to your computer.

Golf Grip Fundamentals To Improve Your Golf Swing

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 01:37:36 +0000

If I had to pick one part of the setup that plays a major role in returning the clubface squarely to the back of the golf ball for a straighter and more consistent shot, I would have to go with the grip.

There is something profound about the term Golf Grip Fundamentals. The key to understanding the correct way to how to hold a golf club is to realize that there is NOT one correct way to grip it.

The grip is the only part of your body that touches the golf club and the grip is the only thing that controls the clubface. Whether the clubface returns to the back of the golf ball square, open or closed, all three of those impacts lie in the grip.

When you grip a golf club the first thing you have to remember is that if you grip it too much in the palm of your left hand (image to your left), the clubhead will have a difficult time releasing in the downswing and the clubhead speed will be reduced considerably.

When you grip a golf club too much in the fingers the opposite happens (second image below). The clubhead will close quicker in the downswing and the clubhead speed will be increase. That’s why there is a happy medium. Gripping the club at the base of your fingers and then it lies diagonally across to the bottom of the palm (see third image below).

After you grip the golf club take a peek at the top of the left hand. If cannot see any knuckles or the first knuckle that is referred to as a weak grip. If you can see two knuckles that is considered a neutral grip and if you can see three or four knuckles that is considered a strong grip.

If you grip the club weak, the clubface will not close as fast as a neutral or strong golf grip. All it takes is a bit of golf practice to get it right.

In closing let’s spend a couple of minutes on the right hand. The number one and ONLY rule of the right hand is to make sure both palms are facing each other after you grip the club.

The reason is twofold. First if insures that both hands are going to work together with the proper golf grip during the golf swing. The further to the right you turn your left hand to the top of the shaft, the further to the right you turn your right hand under the shaft.

The second reason they have to face each other is to make sure your right arm and right shoulder are in the correct position at address.

How To Improve Your Golf Swing

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 19:02:39 +0000

Learning how to improve your golf swing is a multi-pronged approach in my opinion. To have a consistent golf swing is not just pounding golf balls (although that worked for Mr. Ben Hogan), or taking dozens of golf lessons. With the right approach, your improvement should be steady and quick, but I have to tell you, it will take some effort on your part. If golf were easy, the average handicap would be a heck of a lot lower than 20+ wouldn’t it?

The Physical Requirements Of Golf

Strength

Trying to swing a golf club at upwards of 100mph, but with good technique, takes a tremendous amount of strength in your core golf muscles, legs and even your shoulders. In my opinion the average, high handicap golfer is in poor physical condition. And yet they wonder why they aren’t hitting the ball as consistent or as far as they “think” they should. Hmmm???? Am I missing something here

If your muscles are weak specific to your golf swing they will not only rob you of distance, but it will be very hard to have any consistency as your muscles fatigue during the round. 2X2YN9UY6D2B Muscular fatigue is a huge culprit to mishits later in the round. Implementing exercises for golfers is an obvious must if you’re serious about improving your golf swing.

If you’re short on time, and your main goal is distance, you’ll want to focus on an increase of clubhead speed which involves either core golf rotational exercises, or using a golf swing weight on the end of your golf club.

Flexibility

We all know you’ve got to be flexibile to make a full shoulder turn in golf. How many times have you tried to make a BIG turn only to hit your tee shot shorter? That’s because you did not have the flexibility to make that big turn, so your muscles golf tight, which slows down clubhead speed.

All it takes is a targeted golf stretch or two, to really see an improvement in your ability to turn back fully, and to turn through aggressively, but in control. There are specific areas like your core and the back of your shoulder muscles that can quickly improve your golf swing range of motion. You can even do a rotational golf stretch right in your office.

Golf Swing Fundamentals

I’ve spoken about this many times on this blog, that your golf swing fundamentals, like the proper golf grip, posture, alignment and ball position are critical to improve your golf swing. Even learning how to cock your wrists in golf is so very important. Get any of these wrong and you will struggle indefinitely.

These fundamentals truly dictate your outcome. Take a look around this blog, and you’ll find many, many FREE golf tips to help you improve your golf swing.

Golf Practice

You can’t argue this one either. If you can practice smartly, and not just pound golf balls, then golf practice is a very important component to improving your golf swing. I would strongly recommend having a goal in mind before you get to the practice range. Break your time up into segments, for example, putting for 15 minutes; bunkers for 10 minutes; chipping and pitching for another 15 minutes; then full swing for another 15-30 minutes.

It all depends on how much time you have. If you are short on time, you should practice what’s most needed. So if you are three-putting everything, then putting should be the focus. If you’re slicing your tee shot you should work on your golf driver swing. You get the picture.

Another quick way to improve your golf swing is with our Free Golf Lessons Download!

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Simple Step By Step Golf Swing Method

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:49:09 +0000

How about this for a picture? Ever feel like this guy? As golfers, all we want is a simple, step-by-step golf swing method that will make it easy to swing with consistency and accuracy. I know for me personally, I’ve been “all over the map” with my golf improvement process. I’ve purchases all the DVDs that have come out; I’ve taken lessons (even had one from a so-called, celebrity teacher, and it was terrible, and won’t mention names…Peter Kostis…oops!); I have the new equipment; and a couple of training aids too!

But was I was missing was this step by step golf swing approach that I could rely on day in and day out. I am still in search of it, but I think I can help you put one together that is a good starting point to better golf. It’s not rocket science, but you’ve got to stick with it to see results.

Correct Golf Grip

This cannot be ignored. Your grip is your ONLY connection to the club, so you’ve got to get it right! You MUST learn how to grip a golf club to make a consistent golf swing for 18 holes. Your grip should be come automatic, but it’s got to be right.

Golf Set Up (Posture, Spine Tilt, Alignment & Ball Position)

Here’s another critical component of a consistent golf swing. Your golf set up must be automatic like your grip. When you step into your shot, you must do it the same EVERY time, just like the pro’s do. If you need to develop a pre-shot routine… do it. Either way, you’ve got to get your posture, spine tilt, alignment and ball position correct every time you set up to the ball.

Golf Swing Takeaway

You don’t have to get weird about this, you just need to be consistent every time you make a swing. The proper golf swing takeaway is a simple, “one-piece” takeaway with no hands at all. No early wrist cock, or lifting of the club. Just a smooth takeaway with the entire upper body (core).

Top Of Backswing

If your takeaway was good, you should be at the top of your backswing in a good position. Your right arm holding a tray, with your right elbow pointing to the ground. Clubshaft should be parallel with your target line, with your right hand “under” and supporting the club.

Golf Downswing Sequence

This proper golf downswing sequence is so important to the success of your consistency and avoidance of mishits like slices, tops, thins, bladed, hooks and even pop ups. The most common error is to come down too fast with a “hit” instinct, which puts your upper body ahead of your lower body. This is disaster to your golf swing. You will most likely have an “over the top” and hit a slice, or at a minimum hit a block or push. Any of these will kill your score in a quick minute.

Golf Impact: The Key To The Kingdom

Your golf impact position is one of the most crucial issues in your golf swing. You’ve got to get to impact with a square clubface, or you risk hitting most of your shots offline, costing your strokes and distance. Impact is a dynamic, moving part of your swing, so it’s hard to break it down and work on a position. But, I know for me, I do that in front of a mirror, to see the difference between impact and address.

Your follow through to a balanced position on your lead foot and leg is a result of a solid, and correct golf swing sequence.

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Simple Steps To A Better Golf Swing

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 21:22:19 +0000

Stever Stricker has got a pretty good golf swing. Over 6 million in earnings this year. He’s not a specimen, nor an awesome athlete, and yet he “gets it done” on the course. This is a great example of an average golf swing that many amateurs could aspire to.

With that being said, the search for a better golf swing continues. Is there a secret? Or… are there simple steps that can get you a better swing and not break the bank, or entail you going to the range daily and hitting hundreds of golf balls? I can say for sure… there is! You’ve got to break the golf swing down to bit-sized chunks and get those right FIRST, and then, your golf swing will be better than ever.

I can tell you there is no such thing as a “perfect golf swing”. No way! Just take a look at the swings on tour. They are all different but they work for them. So don’t try to model the exact way a certain golf professional swings. It won’t work for you. You’ve got your own set of physical capabilities and also limitations, so you’ve got to work with what you you’re capable of.

I have heard that Steve works on his golf swing fundamentals constantly to keep his swing easy to repeat and very consistent. These are the simple steps to a better golf swing. These fundamentals include:

Proper Golf Grip
Golf Alignment
Golf Posture
Ball Position

You can then take it into your golf swing takeaway, top of the golf swing position, and then your golf downswing sequence; and ultimate a square clubface at impact. But, I must urge you to get the simple steps of your fundamentals down first, if you want a better golf swing that holds up for 18 holes.

Another big help, if you’re looking to improve your golf swing is our FREE 25 Golf Lessons download!

How To Hold A Golf Club

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 20:34:19 +0000

Learning how to hold a golf club is one of the key ingredients to a consistent golf swing. We call it golf grip fundamentals. It seems so basic, and yet so many golfers get it wrong (including me). This is your ONLY contact with the club, so you must get it right to have any chance at hitting a solid ball, that goes relatively straight and with maximum distance.

There are two methods to holding a golf club, and both may work for you, but there is one that will give you a nearly 100% chance at hitting great golf shots. One method is the “palm grip” where the club shaft runs high along your palm. This method makes it very difficult to get a proper golf wrist cock. In fact, it greatly inhibits your wrist cock, which will rob you of power and distance.

In my humble opinion, and from doing it one way (in the palm) to the other way in the fingers, I personally feel you need to hold the golf club more in your fingers, to give you a tension-free wrist cock that generates maximum clubhead speed, power and distance.

Step #1

Lay the golf club shaft across the base of your fingers of your left hand if your a right-handed golfer. It goes diagonally from the first joint of your index finger, up through the callus area of your pinky, and then under your pad of your palm.

Step #2

Once you lay the golf club shaft in the proper position as mentioned above, then roll your left hand over (around the shaft). When you look down, you will see your left thumb to the right of the shaft, with 2-3 knuckles showing. Preferrably 3 to promote a square clubface, eliminating any chance to slice or block the golf ball.

Step #3

Now… how to grip the golf club with your right hand. Bring your right hand under the shaft below your left, and place your fingers under the shaft, completely under all the calluses of your right hand.

This is a totally finger grip with your right hand. Take your right picking and put it over the knuckle of your left index finger. With that position, now wrap your right hand over the shaft. The palm of your right hand will completely cover your left thumb. When looking down, you should now see your right thumb on the left of the shaft over your left thumb. You will see a cupping of your right wrist with this grip.

Step #4

This grip should feel very natural, and you should be able to cock your wrists up and down freely with no effort at all. This is the proper way to hold a golf club.