How To Swing A Golf Club With Pictures

Play your bigger clubs (such as hybrids or drivers) more towards your front foot, and smaller clubs (like irons) towards the middle of your stance. If you’re a right-handed player, it will be the opposite. Your left foot will be about one foot — often less — closer to the hole than the ball is. If you’re a left-handed player, your right foot will be closer to the hole than the ball is.

Make sure that your hands are hanging about a fist or a fist and half away from your thighs—this promotes a proper spine angle.

To check your alignment, get into your stance and place a golf club on the teeing area along the tips of your toes. Step back from the golf club and look at the direction it’s pointing in. It should be pointed either at your target, or at the hole itself.

Balance your weight slightly on the balls of your feet. [2] X Research source Although this is more difficult than balancing your weight on your heels, it is easier to shift your weight forward, and then backward, as you perform your swinging motion. Distribute your weight evenly on both your feet. Move the heels of your feet off the ground slightly in quick succession, shifting your weight between your front and back foot, to get a feel for an even stance. Although you’ll shift your weight during your backswing, and then your downswing, you’ll want to start off with an even weight distribution.

Place your left hand underneath the golf club, curving your fingers over the club so that they grip it securely. The golf club should be resting right where your palm meets your fingers; your left thumb should be pointed straight down the club to the club head. Bring your right hand underneath the golf club so that your right pinky finger is comfortably touching your left index finger. Your right hand should be just below your left on the club. Tighten your grip on the top of the club so that the lifeline portion of your palm rests on top of the left thumb. Your right thumb should be pointing slightly left-of-center, while your left thumb should be pointing slightly right-of-center.

Start off with your hands in the baseball grip. Instead of keeping your right pinky and your left index finger side-by-side, lift your right pinky up. Move your right hand up the grip, and rest your right pinky either on the joint between the left index and the left middle, or on top of the index finger itself.

To achieve the interlocking grip, start off with the baseball grip. Next, fit the left index finger between the joint of the right pinky and ring fingers while taking the right pinky and fitting it between the left index and middle fingers. Your right pinky and left index are essentially holding each other in an interlocking “x. "

The interlocking grip, for example, is commonly prescribed for golfers with small hands (think Nicklaus), while the overlapping grip is hard for people with smaller hands to use. If you’re having problems with a slice (ball moves left and then dramatically right for right-handed golfers), consider switching away from the “weak” version of your grip if you’re using it. [3] X Research source If you’re having problems with a hook (ball moves right and then dramatically left for right-handed golfers), consider switching away from the “strong” version of your grip if you’re using it. [4] X Research source

Phase one: Move the hands straight back while keeping them close to your back leg. Try to keep your front arm straight while you do this. As the club head hinges backward between your left arm and the club shaft, the shaft becomes almost parallel to the ground. Phase two: Continue a slight wrist break as you move your arm parallel to the ground. The club should be roughly perpendicular to your left arm (for right-handed golfers). The end of the club should be pointing slightly outside the golf ball. Phase three: Rotate your torso back even further so that the clubhead travels slightly behind your hands at the top of the backswing. Your front arm should bend slightly during the last phase of the backswing.

Right before impact, try to lock your front arm again so that it’s completely straight again, just how it was when you started your backswing. During your downswing, shift your weight from the ball of your back foot to the ball of your front foot. Allow your knees to move toward your target. Try to keep your front knee flexed, especially if you’re hitting a driver, as this will help your front leg take your weight. Always remember to rotate your chest as you swing.

Keep your eyes on the ball during the backswing, downswing, and follow through. Don’t lift your head as soon as you hit the ball to see where it’s going; this will only cause you to mis-hit the ball. Keep your eyes on the ball until you’ve finished your follow through.

Try looking at your grip. If you’re a right-handed golfer and more than two knuckles on your left hand are visible when you hold the club, turn to a “weaker” grip and make sure only two knuckles are visible. Make sure your stance isn’t aiming too far to the left. You can try to overcompensate a little to the right, but this can also make the hooking motion worse if you overcompensate too much. Place a golf club down on the ground to make sure you’re aiming straight at your target.

When you move your head back in the backswing, you’re actually increasing the distance between the base of the neck and the bottom of the ball. This makes it much tougher to hit the ball right in your wheelhouse. Keep your eye on the ball and you should be driving longer and more consistently.