When it comes to golf, everyone is looking for ways in order to reduce their score. Unfortunately, most people will focus on the game’s small aspects to improve upon, not the most important: your swing.
Golfing is a very friendly community, so most golfers offer specific advice on how to improve each other’s swings, but most of the time this advice isn’t correct. One trick that works for one player may not work for another and may in fact hinder them.
When it comes to getting the perfect golf shot you only have to perfect the basics of The Left Rough in order to improve. Even the most veteran gold players pick up bad habits throughout their years that they need to be taught out of.
You can have impeccable golf knowledge like where to get the best golf equipment or what loft on driver to use, and still not know how to get a better golf swing.
So, in this article, we cover 6 steps you can follow in order to get a better golf swing and improve your overall game.
1. Perfect Your Stance
Even if you perform a mediocre swing, if your stance is perfect then you will do a good shot.
A good setup and stance are imperative to the quality of your strike. You need your stance to be consistent throughout your swings, which is why it is important to spend time practicing your stance so that you can accurately get into position correctly.
The goal of your stance should be to allow full flexibility. This means you need to have a slightly bent knee, legs should be shoulder-width apart, flat feet, and a balanced position. Your balance should maintain so the placement of your feet needs to be in a way that you can easily pivot on them
Depending on where you are on the course and what club you are using, your stance may change slightly. For example, you may need to widen your stance for drivers and woods, and then shorten your stance for short irons and wedges. Make sure you never go wide enough to lose your balance.
Your stance should allow you to consistently hit the ball and do so with the correct part of your body. You will hear many times in golf that you hit the ball with your hips, rather than your wrists.
2. Have A Correct Grip
The grip you have on your club is the only thing connecting you to the ball. Having a perfect grip allows you to have complete control over where the ball is going so that you can hit straight and accurate shots.
The way you hold your club varies on your dominant hand, but for right-handed players, the left hand will be on the bottom and will be the one that ultimately controls the direction that the ball will go.
You can choose to link or overlap your fingers, whatever is most comfortable for your grip.
The amount of pressure people put on their club is where a lot of beginner players mess up. The amount of pressure people put on their club is where a lot of beginner and professional players mess up. You don’t want to tightly grip your club. You just want enough pressure that it won’t fall out of your hands when you swing.
If you have too tight of a grip, you can cause your muscles to tense up, specifically around your forearms and wrists. You want them to be as flexible as possible so keep them relaxed.
You are able to get different types of grips on your clubs, these are in varying widths and completely depend on preference. Your local golf club shop will be able to recommend the ones that will work best for your hand size and shape.
3. Focus On Your Angles
This point mainly relates to your stance but it is important enough to get its own step. Many people will say that angles are not so important because everyone is different based on their body size, but that is exactly why they are important.
Understanding your body’s natural angles and how it wants to bend is needed to understand the best stance and swing strategy. You also aren’t just looking at the angle of your body, but also the angle of your club.
You need to be very aware of what your body is doing at every part of the swing. Focusing on your body’s actions can also help to calm your nerves since you aren’t thinking so heavily about messing up your shot.
4. Hit At A Tempo
The tempo of a golf swing is a fundamental part of it that many people overlook. Having a strong tempo ensures that you don’t rush into a swing and are able to perform a clean and smooth action.
Many beginner golfers mess up by attempting to hit their ball as fast as possible. A common tempo to combat this is to count to 4 for different steps of your swing. One is the start of your swing, two is when you are at the tip of your backswing, three is the impact of the ball, and four is the balanced finish.
You want to be able to consistently do this tempo. The best way is to start off slowly doing your shot and counting and then gradually getting faster until you reach a smooth tempo.
If you are struggling, you are able to get tempo timer apps on your phone to help.
5. Pick A Specific Target
While your ultimate target is the hole, you should have smaller targets to aim for along the way like an object in the distance or the top of a tree.
You should have your target in mind before you even set up your stance, this will give you a clear immediate goal. Having a goal will help you commit to your swing and give it 100%.
Hitting smaller targets on the way to the hole also gives you a rush of adrenaline when the shot goes the way you wanted it to.
6. Master Your Own Shot
As previously stated, everyone’s advice may not work best for you. Even our simple steps are meant to be adapted and expanded upon to meet your own needs.
You need to find your own swing style that works best for your needs and that you are able to replicate at a consistent level.
Everyone has different strengths and weaknesses that they have to compensate for. Take your time and work at your own pace.
With enough practice, you will be able to master your own style of swing that works for you.
Final Thoughts
The best way to follow these steps is to create a pre-shoot routine, this will help you to cover all of the basics and leave nothing forgotten.
With enough practice, you will be able to hit straight, accurate, and powerful shots every time. Just remember to play to your own strengths rather than anyone else’s.
A final piece of advice is to never take your eye off the ball. With all these steps you need to follow, you may be inclined to look at your feet or hands to make sure they are in the right position when you swing, but that is not ideal. Instead, you need to feel your body and keep your eye on the ball since that is the only part you can’t mentally control.
Hopefully, this guide has helped you get a better golf shot. Have fun and good luck!