Did you know that Tiger Woods’ recorded swing speed reached 129 mph during the PGA Tour? Achieving this kind of speed is what sets Woods apart from other players, and improving your golf swing technique and speed could make a difference for your game. It’s common to see amateur lose speed and power due to poor posture or swing technique, but these tips will help you correct these flaws.
Use A Push and Pull Motion
It’s essential to understand what your body needs to do when you swing. Think of this motion as pushing and pulling. Approaching your swing as a push and pull action will help you engage the right muscles at the right time.
When you being the downward motion to strike the ball, use your left hand to push the club. During the second half of the swing, pull the club in an upward motion to finish over your shoulder.
Amateur often do the opposite. If you use your right hand to pull the club back as you get ready to hit the ball, you will end up accidentally rotating the golf club face. You will lose energy and momentum as well as torque when you enter your backswing.
Visualize Your Swing Plane
When you practice with your golf swing, try visualizing the tilted circle formed by the path of your clubhead. The angle and size of this circle are unique to each golfer. This circle is your swing plane.
You can perform a one-plane swing and keep your clubhead on this plane from the beginning to the end of the movement. However, professional golfers typically develop a two-plane swing. This movement breaks the first plane to form a second one during the backswing.
Switching from a one-plane to two-plane swing could be the key to taking your golfing game to the next level. If you are an amateur, it might best to focus on visualizing your swing plane so you can follow it and improve your technique.
You can stay on the same plane during your swing by keeping a firm grip on your club. You will need to rotate to perform your swing, but keep in mind that most of the rotation should come from your upper body.
Keep your lower body stable, move your arms back, and rotate in the opposite direction as you hit the ball. A common mistake is to raise your arms too high as you finish your backswing. This mistake breaks your swing plane and impacts your trajectory.
Another common mistake is to shift your weight as you hit the ball. Visualize a titled and circular plane around you and stay on this path. Visualize a point and rotate around this point. This trick will help you follow your swing plane while adopting a rotating motion that will drive the ball forward.
If you watch professional events, you will notice that most golfers use a two-plane swing. This movement requires you to lift your left arm above your shoulder line when performing your backswing. If this comes naturally to you, switching to a two-plane swing could improve your game.
Using a two-plane swing means you will need to adopt a steeper angle when bringing your club back. You will see professional golfers looking up at the end of their swing. You will also notice a more pronounced rotation compared to a one-plane swing.
This rotation will help you gain speed, distance, and control. However, your tempo is crucial when performing a two-plane swing. You need to bring your club down in a sweeping motion and hit the ball at the right moment. A common mistake is to slow down as you approach the ball, which causes you to lose power.
Not everyone can benefit from adopting a two-plane swing. This move is worth looking into if you find that you tend to break your swing plane when you finish your backswing.
Practice Your Swing With Some Constraints
Golf is a game of strategy. The way you approach a hole will impact the outcome. Several factors affect how you should approach a hole.
These factors include any obstacles present on the course, the position of the ball, the club you are using, and even your height. Your strength and swing technique will also influence the outcome.
You won’t encounter the same situation twice. It’s essential to challenge yourself so you can face new situations and progress. We recommend that you practice your swing in different scenarios to become accustomed to various constraints.
You can get started by placing obstacles around you when you practice your swing. Place an object directly outside of the ball. This exercise will force you to adopt a more neutral stance if you tend to start out and go in as you hit the ball.
You can also place an obstacle in the path of the ball. This exercise will help you develop your technique so you can lift the ball and improve the control you have over its trajectory.
Focus On Ball Flight
Ball flight is just as important and your swing posture and technique. It can be difficult to pinpoint issues and correct them by focusing on your posture and technique.
However, your ball flight will help you identify issues and provide you with some clues regarding mistakes you might be making.
A few things will determine your ball flight. These factors include the angle of your club face, the swing path you follow, the angle of the impact, and your swing speed. Whether or not you hit the center of the ball will also impact the trajectory and distance.
Pay attention to ball flight when golfing. State your intentions before hitting the ball, and compare them with the outcome. Did the ball go too far to the right or left? Were the angle and lift what you intended?
You have probably heard golfers talk about hooks and slices. A hook is a ball flight that forms an arc with a right to left curving. A slice is an arc with a left to right curve.
This curving typically occurs when the club face hits the side of the ball. Hooks and slices can be intentional moves, but if you notice that your ball flight often forms these curves, you might need to correct your swing trajectory.
Your wrist posture could be the cause behind your hooks or slices. A poor wrist posture will cause the face of your club to rotate before you hit the ball.
Holding Your Golf Club Properly
You can’t improve your swing until you make sure that you are holding your golf club properly. Your grip is a crucial element because it can affect how much control you have when you hit the ball. A weak grip can cause the club face to rotate or can cause you to fail to hit the center of the ball.
A common mistake is to let your golf club rest in the palm of your hand. Instead, your club should rest across the inside of your fingers. The shaft should touch the base of the pinkie of your left hand and the first joint of the index finger.
Place your left thumb over the shaft. Your thumb should rest over the club without forming a tight grip. The pad of your right thumb should cover your left thumb. Again, the club should rest on the fingers of your right hand and not in the palm.
Keep in mind that there are different ways to hold your club. Young golfers typically learn with a ten-finger grip that is similar to how one would hold a baseball hot. You will need to correct this grip as you gain more experience.
Some golfers prefer to use an overlapping grip while others use an interlocking grip. The main difference between these two techniques is how you position the pinkie of your right hand. With an overlapping grip, your pinkie would rest between the index and middle finger of your left hand. With an overlapping grip, your pinkie would go under the index finger. Note that you will have to reverse these grips if you are left-handed.
Pressure is a mistake when holding your golf club. It will not give you more control or power when you hit the ball. Your grip should be firm enough to avoid releasing your club during your backswing, but remember that speed and power should come from your body rotating and not from firmly gripping your club.
Remember to keep your hands low on your club. Your ball flight will go up if your hands are too high.
Work On Your Stance
Even a small mistake in your golf stance can negatively impact your swing. A stance that is too narrow will reduce your speed and power. You might also struggle with keeping your balance when you swing your club. Try opening your stance if you notice these issues.
If your stance is too wide, you will have to a hard time with rotating and shifting your body weight as you hit the ball. You will have to compensate by swaying instead of rotating. Pay attention to your movements when you hit the ball and try closing your stance if you feel that you aren’t rotating properly.
The distance between the inside of your feet should roughly correspond to your shoulder width. You will have to adapt your stance to the length of the club you are using. The distance between your feet will exceed your shoulder width if you are using a long club, which is probably what you will use for a swing.
Your rear foot should form a right angle with the target line. You can keep your front foot at an outward angle but make sure this angle isn’t too pronounced. If you are struggling with balance and rotation, pay attention to where you place your feet.
You should distribute your weight between your heels and toes. Remember that your weight will shift when you rotate. Be flexible and ready to bend your knees, but don’t emphasize this movement.
You might also wonder where you should stand in relation to the ball. If you tend to hit the ball with the toe of your club, you are standing too far. The same is true if you find that you have to lean excessively to hit the ball.
Remember to relax your stance, and that flow is crucial when hitting the ball. Practice your stance in front of a mirror and pay attention to flaws that could impact your balance.
These tips will help you improve your golf swing. Keep in mind that this is something that will improve over time as you practice and learn to pay attention to things such as stance, grip, swing path, and ball flight.
Leave a Reply