Golf Swing Instruction

Before you begin any golf swing instruction, you have to put your hands correctly on the club. Both hands have an important role to play in order that your club face meet the ball squarely and solidly at impact. A faulty grip makes for a faulty swing, it's as simple as that.

The basic golf grip video makes the following points:

• The direction of the ball is determined by how the clubface comes into the ball and grip pressure when you swing the club.
• Begin your alignment by aiming the clubface to the target. Grip the club and address the ball to maintain a square alignment to the target and swing to return the clubface to the original square position at impact.

• Mark your glove as shown in the video. This is a great practice technique.
• Marks on the glove aid consistent visual re-positioning of the club in your hand.
• As you practice over the season, the marks ensure you can check that you are gripping the club correctly. The grip is that important. The marked glove is a great back to basics technique

• Make sure you grip the club up in the fingers, not in palm of your hands.
• Watch the Vs in the hands. They should be pointing over your right shoulder (for right handers).

The video demonstrates three grip styles:

• Overlap
• Interlocking
• Baseball

Whatever grip you choose is a matter of personal preference.

• Grip pressure: you should hold the club as if you're holding tube of toothpaste with the cap off." Squeeze the grip so that no toothpaste comes out of the tube during the swing. It is a good analogy.
• I've also heard, "Feel like you're holding a canary in your hands. Don't crush the bird."

Alignment

The video shows the white stripe alignment aid which is also critical during practice to keep you square to your target line. Get used to aligning knees, hips and shoulders parallel to the target line. This is so important.

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Chipping Basics

A major part of the short game in golf consists of accurate chipping. A good chipper maximizes the chances of a good score from off the green. Chip in or get it close and you maximize your ability to get the ball "up and down" in a round. Miss the green with driver or iron shots and a good chip will enable you to recover and score on any course.

Chips are for shots just off the putting surface. A chip can be anywhere from a foot to 30 feet off the putting surface.

• The objective of chipping is to loft the ball onto the putting surface. Get the ball onto the green and get it rolling like a putt as easily as you can.
• The shot has a carry and roll component. Short carry, longer roll. For example, if you're chipping from the fairway, you might choose a 6 or 7-iron to get the ball up off the fairway and onto the green to get it back to the hole. In a round, you might use any club from a five iron to a sand wedge.

• Grip down the handle close to the bare shaft for maximum control of the swing.
• Manage distance control with the choice of iron. Club selection depends on distance from the green and where you want to place the ball on the green to start its roll toward the hole.

The secret to good chipping is good club control -- making good contact with the ball. Second, to use your hand-eye coordination and feel to control the distance. When you pick that spot to hit on the green, you have to land it there for the ball to have a chance to get close or go in.

Practice hitting a target from measured distances so that you develop a feel for distance control and a good eye for where you need to land a ball in order to get it close to the hole. Pick the target, visualize where you want to chip the ball, then execute the chip motion to achieve the desired result.

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Pitch Shot Basics

The pitch shot involves a mini-golf swing, designed to get the ball on the green from 120 yards out from the green.

With a pitch shot the clubhead will be above the hands on the backswing and follow-through. Whereas with the chip shot, the clubhead stays below the hands both back and through the ball.

Swing the club on a pitch with the same motion as a full swing. As you raise the club on your backswing, make sure the club's butt end points down to the target line of the ball. Take the club back on same plane and bring it down through the ball at impact, hands leading the clubhead downward, squeezing the ball off the turf and up into the air. The divot should start in front of the ball.

Swing through the ball, shifting your weight to your front foot, turning your mid-section to the target.

Distance control comes from varying the length and force of the swing. With practice you'll be able to feel and visualize better touch and distance. Good results mean the distance between the ball and the hole will get shorter as your pitching touch gets better.

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Putting Basics

Putting is the most important part of the game. "A good putter is a match for any man." I think Tom Morris made that statement. So, they've been saying that since the game was invented. It's probably true. The game is all about getting the ball in the hole, right?

So putting is worth thinking about. And practicing and practicing and practicing.

Forty percent of your score will consist of putts. The more putts you make on the practice green, the fewer strokes you will need on the course.

Putting also requires the least amount of athletic skill of all the golf moves. But don't misunderstand, your putting will still benefit from you being in better shape (read on).

Putting is more 'mental and feel' than any of the other swing basics. People get downright mystical about putting.

Putting is almost a game in itself. but let's start with the grip.

Putting Grip

First of all, we should look at the grip. Very important. You've seen many kinds of grips and many kinds of putters -- putters are probably the most diverse designs of all the clubs. So you know there are at least dozens of different grips. We'll begin with a solid, basic putter grip in this video. Start here, work with it and you can go from there.

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Basic Putting Techniques

Remember that good putting involves good ball striking, just like any other part of the golf game.

Your stance, arms and putter should be relaxed below your shoulders in a straight line to provide for a simple pendulum motion. Swinging the putter should be a natural momentum from the pendulum motion, without any flipping of the wrist or forced hitting motion. The natural force makes it easy for the putter to track on its own line through the ball and to the target.

The ball position should be in the middle of your stance to take wrist break and hands out of the stroke. Your eyes should be right over the ball.

Plant your feet, and stand solidly at address. There should be no sway or body movement during the entire stroke. Be still to maximize the smooth roll of the ball.

If, on your backswing, you find yourself reaching for the ball or you feel a slight 'wobble' in your stance, then this is a sign that your stroke is out of balance and your swing line will not be straight. Your putter and arms cannot be in balance if this happens. Restart your swing by getting your arms hanging straight down below the shoulders. It's a great swing check for keeping the putter on line.

Your core muscles are active in the putting stroke. Here is another example of how your workouts can payoff in a key area for golf improvement. The pectoral and anterior deltoid muscles keep chest and upper arm muscles together in the stroke.

Though it does not involve great strength, putting is still an athletic move. Being in better shape through exercising the upper core region will improve your balance, muscle control and ability to handle stress.

Basic Putting Tips Video

Video duration: 10:38

The video gives a great reference system to help control speed and distance of your putting:

• Short putts: swing the putter between your feet (3-10 feet)
• Medium putts: swing the putter from leg to leg (10-20 feet)
• Long putts: swing the putter shaft past feet(30 footers)
• Extra long: swing the hands past the knees (30 feet plus)

Alignment once again is important. Use the name or arrow on the ball to line up to where the ball is likely to break. Use binocular vision from behind ball to avoid distortions apparent when you're standing over the ball at address.

Once your alignment is settled, all you need to worry about is how much momentum(speed) you need to get the ball to the hole.

Remember to hit through the ball and hold your finish at the end of your stroke. This will give you feedback on swing momentum and feel for distance.

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