Whether you’re just becoming familiar with the golf course or it’s been your place of solace for years, there are always small improvements you can make to boost your game. Are you frustrated with your accuracy? Do you want to beat your best score? Whatever your goals, it all starts with improving your golf swing. Take these tips with you the next time you visit the driving range.
Analyze Your Form
First and foremost, you have to understand what you’re doing wrong. Like with most sports, there’s a formula golf pros stick to that helps boost ball speeds and improve accuracy.
When setting up your swing, stand with the ball of your foot, your knee cap, and the back of your shoulder lined up vertically. Position yourself with the ball in line with the left side of your face and the club face pointed toward the target. Have a friend photograph or video tape your setup posture so you can see for yourself how to adjust your body until you’re in this ideal position.
Once you have your setup posture down, focus on your swing. The proper form for each swing will vary depending on where you’re taking your shot from, so you’ll want to practice at various distances. To get started, check out Todd Anderson’s guide to golf swings at GolfDigest.com.
Track Your Progress
Now that you have a better idea of where you’re going wrong, it’s time to take your game to the next level by tracking your swings so you can continue to get it right. You can always develop your own way of tracking your progress, such as recording your scores, having a friend videotape your swings, or keeping a journal with you on the course to record any tweaks you made and the outcomes.
Using Blast Motion is one of the easiest ways to keep track of your progress. The motion sensor attaches to your club and records your metrics. The sensor automatically captures video, creates and curates video highlights, and overlays your metrics onto the video to create a visual record of your improvement. You’ll be able to review metrics of both your putt and full swings including downswing time, swing speed, efficiency, loft, lie and more.
Forget About Your Arms for a Moment
If you’ve been playing golf for a long time, then you know that your body does much of the work when swinging. However, this concept does not come so easily to new golfers, and it can be tough to change for those who have been focusing on their arms—and only their arms—for the majority of their career.
The real key to power in your golf swing is to use your body for momentum by rotating your shoulders and hips when you swing.
Golf Tips Mag shares a great exercise to help you get the feel of using your body and not just your arms. Begin in a dead-stop position, and place your club behind the ball. Without taking a backswing, attempt to drag the ball into the air. This task is difficult if you swing only with your arms and hands, but once you start putting your body into the swing, it becomes easier to get the ball into the air.
Relax
Golf is supposed to be a fun, relaxing sport, and to many, it is. Unfortunately for others, it can get frustrating to achieve that perfect swing. The secret is to relax your body and not let that frustration get to you. When relaxed, you’ll feel more confidence in your stance, and your body will move more naturally through the swing as you pivot your shoulders and hips.
Like with any sport, practicing your swing will help you become a better golfer, so keep at it and aim for consistency. What exercises do you do when practicing to help improve your swing?
