Teeing Up in Union County

LOCAL GOLF PROS PROVIDE SOME TIPS FOR GETTING BACK INTO THE GAME.

By Kim Ann Zimmermann

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GOLF SWING FUNDAMENTALS
By Steadman Issenburg

In golf, everything begins and ends with your swing. If you have a great golf swing, your score will improve, if not you can only play the game so well and progress no further. So obviously spending plenty of time crafting and honing your golf swing is time well spent if you want to be a good golfer. So here are the things you should pay attention to to get the best results as you practice the fundamentals of the golf swing.

First of all, it’s a great idea to have a golf pro take some time to work with you on a personal level and help analyze your swing. Their unbiased critique of your swing can help you learn more than you ever could on your own or by just watching videos alone. No doubt your golf instructor will help make sure that your grip is as neutral as possible and that your equipment matches your body type in order to get the best results in your golf game. But they will also help you perfect your alignment as you address the ball, showing you a helpful pre-shot routine to make sure that you line up correctly for each shot. If you are using the right grip and aligning yourself properly for each shot you are well ahead of most other golfers out there.

Once your grip and alignment is right, your golf instruction will continue to the mechanics of the swing itself, including the takeaway, the backswing, the top of the swing, the down swing, and the follow through and finish. Once you learn all the basic components of a good golf swing and combine them with what you have already learned about how to grip your clubs and how to align your body at address, you are well on your way to being an above average golfer.

But none of this can happen if you don’t practice everything you learn until it becomes second nature. In fact, a good golf swing should not have to be thought about much beforehand, it should be almost on autopilot, so that it is repeated over and over again while on the course. The memory of good swing fundamentals should be in the muscles of your body and not just in your head. In order to accomplish this, you will need to spend plenty of time in practice, but not necessarily hitting balls while you practice. A common mistake that many golfers make is to go to the range and just hit one ball after another while making slight adjustments as they go. They think that this qualifies as swing practice, but it doesn’t. It usually just cements bad swing characteristics even more into our muscle memory.

So when you practice, plan on making lots of practice swings, without hitting a single ball. If you learn the swing itself, hitting the ball properly will automatically follow. So practice in front of a mirror if you can or on the range, but put more time into the swing itself than in just hitting balls.

Once you are ready to start hitting some practice balls, be sure that you use all the clubs in your bag too. Don’t just favor those that you feel most comfortable with or just the ones that hit the ball the farthest. You can never get good at using a club if you don’t spend time using it. If a particular club seems hard for you to master, ask your golf instructor to watch you use it and see if they have some suggestions on how to get better results with it.

Finally expect that building a good golf swing will take time. It will not happen overnight or in a week or so. Be patient and follow the guidance of your golf instructor, always asking for help as you go. If you do, and if you put in the practice time needed, you can expect to master the fundamentals of a great golf swing, and play much better golf as you do.

Steadman Issenburg writes on many consumer related topics including golf. You can find online golf lessons and knockoff golf clubs by visiting our Golf Tips website.

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