If you’re a beginner in golf, you may get a little bit overwhelmed during the first few rounds. When you feel frustrated, know that there is plenty of information you can use to learn the golf swing basics. However, too much information can make things hard to sort out, so this guide will help you understand the four basics that beginners should prioritize.
When it comes to the basics of the golf swing, the most important things to learn first include your impact position, stance, posture, and grip. These are the basic skills that beginners should check and make sure are on point before playing golf. So, let’s start getting to know these golf swing basics so you can begin golf the right way.
The Four Basics of Golf Swing
As a beginner, it’s vital to seek out help with your golf swing before hitting the course and playing 9 holes. We’ll give you the fundamentals and some tips to make sure you will have a much easier start while reducing your frustrations that may come from bad shots or inconsistent play. The following are four golf swing basics you need to know:
1. Grip
There are several options for choosing a grip, but it’s all about personal preference. Since there are so many hand placements involved in golf grip, this can be a long discussion. If you’re right-handed, your left hand should be your top hand while your right is your bottom hand. On the other hand, if you’re left-handed, your top hand will be your right hand, and your bottom hand is your left.
Now, let’s discuss the different hand placements you should learn for your golf swing:
- The interlock grip is when you interlock your pinky finger with your top hand’s index finger. Grip your golf club using the thumb, middle, ring, and pinky fingers of your top hand while pointing up your index finger. Now, interlock your pinky finger from your bottom hand with your index finger.
- When it comes to the overlap grip, this means placing your pinky finger of your bottom hand on your top hand, while all other fingers are on the grip. As you grip your club using your top hand, put your bottom hand’s pinky finger in the tip of your middle and index fingers of your top hand.
- The baseball grip is also called the ten-finger grip which involves holding your club using all your fingers. Typically, it’s advised for beginners although its basic principles can be applied to all kinds of grip. If you’re a right-handed golfer, your left hand should be on the top of your club.
- On the other hand, left-handed golfers should place their right hand on top of their clubs. Then place the other hand below it, making sure that your top hand’s index finger and bottom hand’s pinky are touching. Your thumb from the top hand is positioned on top of your grip while covered up by the bottom hand.
Interested in Golf Clubs? Check out the following guides:
- Best Golf Irons
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- Best Golf Putters
- Best Golf Chippers
- Best Golf Club Sets
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Moreover, there are some do’s and don’ts that you should always keep in mind while improving your golf grip. For instance, your top hand should be positioned in such a way that you can still see your knuckles when looking down. Any less or more will only make your grip either too strong or too weak.
Another important thing you should do is be aware of your thumb. The top thumb is placed on the side of your grip which faces away from the target, while the bottom thumb faces the target. Also, the top three fingers should get the most pressure in the grip, they are the middle, ring, and pinky fingers of the top hand.
2. Posture
While setting up to your target, make sure your feet are about shoulder width apart and your knee is bent a little. Some players think of this setup as an athletic position such as in baseball, football, and basketball. However, it’s different when playing golf because the knee bend should be less than in these ball games. Instead, you have to bend over at your waist in order to reach or hit the golf ball.
To achieve the right posture, it’s important to keep a fairly straight back while bending at your waist. You can use your golf club to check your back as you develop the correct posture. The golf club should touch your back in three specific areas including your tailbone, shoulder blades, and your head.
Another part of the body that you should work on in order to improve your posture is the arms. After bending over at your waist, don’t lift or reach your arms out towards your golf club. The best thing to do is allow the arms to hang loosely from the shoulders to hold or grab your club. Some golfers use the Reverse K Setup to help with their swing.
Make sure to stay alert on ball position. This may not be important, but having a poor ball position often cause some swing errors. Ultimately, you should take some waggles before starting the takeaway to relieve any tension while conditioning your body to perform a better swing that you can make.
3. Stance
When it comes to golf stance, it’s actually very simple. You just need to make sure you stand parallel to the starting line. The position should focus on your lower body to ensure you are sturdy as you hit the ball. As you slightly bend your knees, you will feel your body weight in the center of your feet.
While this is significantly related to posture, the stance is another important golf swing basic that you should master as a beginner. When you bend at the waist, your hips should stay back while your arms are hanging comfortably below you. The club’s grip end must be lined up with the toes, while the arms form a triangular shape with the chest.
The position of the golf ball depends on the club you are hitting. For instance, longer clubs need the golf ball to be further towards the front foot. Your driver must be level to the middle of your lead foot. On the other hand, your pitching wedge must be more at the center of your feet.
Also Check out:
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4. Impact Position
With a better golf impact position, you can enjoy greater consistency when striking the golf ball. This position also helps create longer, straighter shots all the way down the fairways. In this stage of your golf swing, you should understand how to release, what you’re releasing, and why you’re releasing it.
One of the most crucial elements in an impact position is the angles in your right elbow and wrists. The forearm rotation at impact also significantly affects your shots and overall performance in putting green. As the ball and club move together for some milliseconds, you still have the chance to influence the golf ball.
Below are some helpful tips to make sure you improve your impact position:
- In the beginning, some players get into a great position but tend to release too early. As a result, they cast their club while allowing it to overtake their hands and thin it, top it, or catch the ground with the ball behind. However, even if you get the golf ball, releasing too early can lead to a chicken wing position, which produces shots that go in all directions. This reduces your power to build retardation for quality shots.
- Some golfers believe that a big sideways movement when making a downswing creates a more powerful strike. On the other hand, overdoing an early shift in weight during a downswing can drive out your right heel to your left toes and blast it miles right. Your wrists may rescue it and shut the club face too quickly while hooking wildly.
- For the proper sequencing, you need to work it out by starting with your feet, then your hips, until you are able to manage your weight as you swing your club. Make sure to put your arms and hands in position before swishing your club through. If a golf swing does not happen in the right sequence, moving the shoulders and shifting weight early may not lead the golf ball to where it should be.
- As you come into your impact position, there should be enough angles in the wrists while the right elbow must be soft and slightly bent in order to create a good setup. While you approach the ball, make sure to rotate your forearms and straighten your wrists at the same time. Once your club touches the ball, your right elbow must be flexed and the forearms are rotated after a few milliseconds. Your right elbow should also be straightened out as you make a downswing. This is the complete release, which helps you carry your swing until it comes to a complete finish.
After impact, keep the momentum as you reach the full angle of your swing. Feel the club as it drives out to the center field, do not decelerate through the ball just yet. Keep the speed through the golf ball and turn slightly. Maintain your focus on the golf ball even after the impact and make sure to finish with your club nice while you remain high on the follow-through.
Final Strike
Whether you’re a beginner who wants to improve some parts of your golf swing or wants to work on all the basics of swing, this simple guide will help you achieve results. After all, practicing your golf swing by understanding the basics can be overwhelming, especially for beginners. So, make sure to read this entire guide and get some improvements in no time.