Golf For Beginners: The Swing

Golf can be a relaxing past time or extremely competitive. However, no matter how you look at it, golf offers an opportunity for bonding time for fathers and sons, and even networking among groups of friends.

There is nothing like hitting the green with an ice-cold beer and being surrounded by good friends.

Though it is an extremely complex and complicated sport, here are some tips to get you on the right path enjoying “the greatest game ever played.”

Your Golf Club Grip Matters

Those who have never golfed a day in their lives will have a tendency to grab the club and grip it just like a baseball bat.

While it may seem like it is unnatural in the beginning, it is important to become accustomed to using the grip properly.

man demonstrating how to properly grip a golf club

Take your club in the palm of the lead hand. The lead hand is the one that is at the end of the club.

You will need your thumb to run up the top of the grip that goes down. Slide the back hand below the other hand.

Then, interlock the back hand’s small finger with the lead hand’s pointer finger. The back hand’s thumb should run down the front of the club grip.

Approach and Posture

Proper back posture is also referred to as “the approach” in golf.

The basics include bending your knees slightly, leaning your upper body over your ball and placing your arms in front of you.

Your feet will need to be shoulder width apart. For the beginning golfer, your ball should be positioned so it is equal distance between the front and the back foot.

In order to figure out if it lines up right, take your 7 iron and run the shaft from the lead foot toe to the back foot toe. The club will point to where you will be hitting your ball.

Take the club, and then put the club head behind your ball. It should be at a 45-degree angle, and it should naturally fit in your hands.

Golf Swing’s Have Steps

There are three essential steps to a golf swing:  the take away, the impact and the follow through. Each one of the steps is vital to making solid contact with your ball.

With the grip and “the approach” taken care of, then it is all about hitting your ball.

For a beginning golfer, it is best to keep your feet planted throughout your swing and impact with the ball. Your head and your upper body should stay relatively still.

You should look at where your ball is through the entire process. As you bring back the club, try to keep the lead arm straight, rotate your hips, and then transition your weight to the back foot.

As you come down to make contact, your hips should begin to rotate forward while your weight should shift to the lead foot.

Keep your eye on your ball as you make contact. Allow your hips to keep rotating. At the end of the swing, your upper torso should face the hole.

 

While these instructions are very elementary, they make for a great starting point for you to get out there, and hit the greens!