Golf Swings
Swing of Annika Sorenstam
Few golfers -- male or female -- have had the success of Annika Sorenstam. Before she retired at the end of the 2008 season she had 89 total career wins, including 72 LPGA tournaments and 10 majors, and she's the only woman to shoot 59 in a competition round. She did it with a swing that has changed very little, a swing that has been praised by almost everyone from Jack Nicklaus to Tiger Woods. And best of all, it's a swing that almost anyone can learn.
Which U.S. President Loved Golf?
Most U.S. presidents of the 20th and 21st centuries played golf, either for personal recreation or as a vehicle to help them achieve their political ends. While several presidents were solid athletes, the scholarly Woodrow Wilson likely played golf more often than any American chief executive. But he reportedly played for health reasons, on the advice of his doctor. For pure love of the game, Dwight D. Eisenhower ranks first among the presidents as of 2012.
The Kinetic Link Principle of a Golf Swing
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines kinetic as something “of or relating to the motion of material bodies and the forces and energy associated therewith.” A golf swing, obviously, is kinetic. Indeed, the basic golf swing includes a variety of movements, literally from head to toe. With respect to golf, the kinetic link “is the biomechanical description of how the body efficiently creates power in a golf swing,” says Dr. Sean Fletch, who works with the Canadian Professional Golf Tour to develop training programs for its players.
Importance of Eye Line in Golf Swing
In golf, “eye line” refers to the position of the ball relative to your eyes. On most shots, you position the ball according to the type of shot you’re playing. For example, when you’re hitting a driver off the tee you’ll typically position the ball opposite your front heel. For a short iron you’ll move the ball farther back in your stance. When you’re putting, however, the ideal setup should provide you with a clear vision of the putting line. Golf writer Steve Newell explains that when your eyes are directly over the ball, “you have the best possible view down the line of the putt.” Your eye line, therefore, is a key part of your putting stroke.
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How to Fold the Knee in the Golf Swing
Folding your right knee (for a right-handed player) as you address the ball, then maintaining your knee in a flexed position for most of your swing, is a key element in sound golf swing technique, according to PGA professional Carl Rabito. When students come to him with common complaints, such as slicing, frequent mishits or general inconsistency, Rabito says one of the first two things he examines is the player’s knee action.
How to Position Golf Club for Swing
It's almost impossible to overestimate the importance of the proper set-up to the quality of your shots. Jack Nicklaus asserts that if you set up correctly, there's a good chance you'll hit a reasonable shot, even if you make a mediocre swing. If you set up poorly, he adds, "you’ll hit a lousy shot even if you make the greatest swing in the world."
How Does a Shaft Flexing in the Swing Impact Golf?
In golf, “flex” is defined as “the relative strength (stiffness or softness) of a club shaft,” according to PGA pro Mark Blakemore. He notes that a shaft’s flex point, also known as the kick point, is the spot where the shaft will bend the most. Both the degree of flex a shaft contains and the location of its flex point will affect the distance a player is likely to achieve with that club.
How to Measure the Launch Angle in a Golf Swing
The launch angle of a golf swing is the initial elevation angle of the ball immediately after impact with the club head. Randy Peterson, Callaway's director of fitting and instruction, says that the optimal launch angle, coupled with the optimal backspin and ball speed, "allows you to achieve your maximum drive distance." The easy way to get your launch angle measured involves the use of a high-tech launch monitor, which measures all three key elements described by Peterson. The do-it-yourself method takes more time, but it can produce comparable results.
What Is a Perpendicular Golf Swing?
Golf instructor Jim Hardy has classified golf swings into two main types: one-plane swings and two-plane swings. Bob Wyatt of the United States Golf Teachers Federation notes that one of the key elements of the one-plane swing, according to Hardy, is the “upper torso rotating perpendicularly around his centralised spinal axis.” That perpendicular motion isn’t included in the two-plane swing.
How to Keep Your Back to the Target for the Golf Swing
In “The Complete Golf Manual,” author Steve Newell emphasizes the importance of turning your back to the target during the latter portion of the backswing. To reach this position, Newell says, the golfer must accomplish a full shoulder turn, which will then “promote a much better weight transfer onto your right side” -- for a right-handed golfer. The technique also helps place the club in the correct position at the top of the backswing.
How to Swing the Golf Club From Inside Out
The golf swing is a subject of endless analysis and golf instruction is often a bewildering maze of contradictory advice. There are a number of suggestions for swinging the club from the inside to the outside. Noted instructor Jimmie Ballard, who is high on the list of "Golf Digest's" top golf teachers in America, offers an approach that combines simplicity and common sense: You don't have to alter your swing at all. If you habitually slice the ball, you are a prime candidate to learn an inside-out swing, which refers to the plane of the swing traveling to the inside on your back swing and to the outside on your follow-through. An inside-out swing, executed properly, encourages a draw, a powerful and controllable shot that starts out to the right of the target and gently curves back to the left if you are a right-handed golfer.
How to Maintain Forward Tilt in a Golf Swing
Maintaining a forward tilt in your golf swing can help keep scores low and improve your ball-striking accuracy. It will result in a more stable backswing and downswing, enabling you to strike the ball with strong, steady momentum while keeping the club face squared with the target.
How to Maintain the Spine Angle in a Golf Swing
When establishing your setup, it is important to have good posture and feel balanced. From this position, you should maintain your spine angle throughout your full swing. Many amateur golfers have a tendency to raise up during the downswing in an effort to lift the ball up. This can cause a variety of poor shots, including a topped shot. By maintaining the spine angle, you can hit down on the ball properly. Good posture, balance and body rotation are critical to maintaining your spine angle.
How to Swing Your Golf Club in the Snow
Some golfers don't let snow stop them from hitting the links to play "snow golf," a game with rules that make it "golf" in name only. But if you want to get out of the house or just want a challenge, there are golf courses that stay open in the winter. If a course near you offers snow golf, bundle up and head out into the brisk air to enjoy this invigorating version of the game.
How to Release the Club in a Golf Swing
The release of the club is one of the more difficult aspects of a proper golf swing. Many amateur golfers struggle for years trying to learn how and when to release the club. A sound swing is characterized by release of the wrist hinge just past the point of impact as the club rotates. To achieve a proper release, you need a good grip, a good backswing and a good downswing.
How to Use a Rotary Golf Swing
The rotary golf swing is based in large part on the “one-plane vs. two-plane” swing philosophy. The idea that there are two basic types of swings was pioneered by golf instructor Jim Hardy, according to the Golf Channel’s Martin Hall. Golf writer Jeffrey Mann call’s Hardy’s description of the one-plane swing the “prototypical” rotary swing. The key to the rotary swing is to rotate the body around a fixed spine position. Mann says the rotary swing’s “primary mantra is ABT (always be turning).” A one-plane swing should yield more consistent results “if you are a fairly fit, flexible and powerful player,” writes Stina Sternberg in “Golf Digest.”
How to Feel a Real Golf Swing
Many golfers become so mechanically minded that they don't swing the club – rather, they just move it from one position to another. When your movements are stiff and calculated, you eliminate any possibility of developing the feel necessary to play good golf. Your swing should be a graceful, flowing movement. Learning to "let it go" while retaining control of your swing isn't hard to do as long as you keep a few simple things in mind.
How to Get the Slot in Your Golf Swing
Chances are that you've heard of "the slot." It's a position halfway into your downswing from where you can hit the ball on a slightly in-to-out path. You might think of it as the lower part of your swing plane, starting at the point when (if you're a right-handed player) that your right elbow drops down close to your right side.
How to Maintain the V During a Golf Swing
Instructors sometimes differ on the value of a one-piece takeaway, but golfers from Ben Hogan to Annika Sorenstam all stress the importance of "maintaining the triangle" or "maintaining the V" during their golf swings. Doing so gives you a wider arc and keeps you from twisting the club with your forearms. Maintaining the V doesn't mean you stiffen your arms; rather, your arms stay straight longer because you turn your shoulders sooner. The "V" is the letter formed by the proper placement of your arms when they are extended straight at address.
How to Perform Late Release in the Golf Swing
Many amateur golfers release the club too early in the swing. As golfers swing back they create an angle between the club shaft and the left arm (for right-handed golfers). This angle between the club and left arm is what is released during the downswing. Releasing the club too early in the downswing can cause a loss of distance, poor contact and lack of accuracy. To release the club later in the downswing, you need the proper grip, wrist hinge, arm position and hip turn. If you make these changes, you can gain distance, accuracy and better contact.
How to Cure an Inside-to-Out Golf Swing
An inside-to-out golf swing is any swing in which the club swings to the right of the target line. Golfers with an inside-to-out swing can push the ball out to the right, or hook the ball to the left. Poor alignment, too much shoulder or hip turn on the backswing and a downswing with too much hip slide will cause an inside-to-out swing. To get the club swinging down on the correct path you need to set up properly, have the proper shoulder and hip turn and rotate your hips toward the target as you swing down. Get these fundamentals down and you can straighten out your game.
How to Achieve a Good Golf Swing Balance
Watching a golfer whose swing shows good balance is a visually pleasing experience. A balanced swing looks graceful -- almost effortless. But improving your balance has practical shotmaking benefits as well. Golfers who maintain good balance throughout the swing can generate maximum clubhead speed and are more likely to hit the ball squarely -- and solid.
How to Build a Consistent Golf Swing
No golfer, even top tour professionals, can hit every shot perfectly. A consistent golf swing is one that produces the desired results – distance and accuracy – a high percentage of the time. Golfers build consistency through instruction and focused practice. Amateurs often find that their scores vary considerably from week to week. Improving your consistency results in fewer poor scores, which makes the game more enjoyable.
How to Come Inside on the Golf Swing
Learning to swing the club from the inside is something you have to practice. Most amateurs naturally swing the club to the outside of the ball on the downswing. By reaching out too far on the downswing, the clubhead angles to the left of the target line at impact (for right-handers), producing off-line shots. Proper setup position, weight shift, shoulder turn and downswing are critical to swinging from the inside. Practice these fundamentals and you can swing the club from the inside and hit straighter shots.
