Improve Golf Swing Performance – Don’t Wrestle with the Wrists!

To improve golf swing performance golfers must properly understand the function of the wrists and their role in the swing pattern.

Using the wrists to improve golf swing performance is easy – just let them be.

The wrists, left to their own devices without any added influence, will automatically perform their duty – providing their unique purpose to the swing pattern, that is, acting as a link.

Understanding to use the wrists in this capacity is crucial for golfers to improve golf swing performance.

In his book, “On Learning Golf”, author Percy Boomer offers some expert advice regarding the true function of the wrists in a winning golf swing pattern.

Boomer writes;

“The fluency of the swing becomes greater as the swing gathers speed, and when the ball is swept from the tee, the flick of the wrists (hateful expression) has become a violent sweep—violent because of it’s force, a sweep because of its fluency.

We are told and have evidence in the “flickers” that the wrists open as we come into contact with the ball, but this opening is not something that the wrists do, but something which they cannot help happening. And the art lies not in making the wrists open but in postponing their opening as late as possible.

As the club head arrives in the region of the ball, our body (because of its comparatively short degree of action) has already got back into its “opposing” position, with left heel back on the turf, left side straight and firm, and right hip twisted into the left one—the whole giving a sense of secure brace to the whole body. By this time the arms are already half-way down, but the wrists are still pulled back. But now owing to the forward pull of the hips and the gathering momentum of the club head, something must happen—and what happens is that we can no longer keep the club head from flying past the ball.

We have done everything possible to delay the club head and to inhibit wrist movement, but finally the club head gets out of control (this is literally true) and flashes through the ball as if mad with rage!

Now this is as it should be. We purposely set up a state that would leave the club head free and unchecked in this region of the swing, and we must see to it that we do not interfere in any way with its ferocious passage through the ball. There will almost inevitably be some tendency to rigidity due to local necessities in this region (as in the initial take-up), but we must not feel the slightest check or guide attempting to control the club head. Let its furious assault die away into a perfect follow through.

Do not hold or check or guide the club head but keep the left side firm and rigid and play on around it. That is the only way of keeping the fury of the club head on the right path. You have unleashed a storm, and all you can do is to control the center from which came its force and from which it will die away. Feel centered and balanced.

If after reading the foregoing you come to the conclusion that the best thing to do with your wrists is nothing at all, my exposition has been successful.

Since probably no one has told you before that your wrists are only a link, you cannot be blamed for not having realized it!

Too many people try to do something with their hands, thinking this to be wrist action. But when you analyze it, there is no deliberately induced action in the golf swing which corresponds to the mythical “flick of the wrists.” Anyway, the word flick is appropriate when we speak of removing ash from a cigarette—but utterly out of place in a movement which sweeps a golf ball two hundred and fifty yards down the fairway.

If you have built up a good powerful central organization around which you whirl your club, the more you leave your wrists to their own sphere of activity the better will be your stroking. And the proper sphere of activity of your wrists is to act as the link in the flail with which you sweep the ball away”.

To improve golf swing performance, golfers must understand the proper function of the wrists in a successful swing pattern.

Try incorporating Boomer’s advice into your golf swing practice routine.

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Proper Golf Swing – 2 Actions That Destroy a Proper Golf Swing!

A proper golf swing requires the correct initiation of the downswing phase of the swing pattern.

Many golfers perform two fatal movements when beginning the downswing phase – taking the club back inside the line and keeping the club-head close to the ground.

Both these actions rob the golfer of any chance to execute a proper golf swing.

Understanding exactly how these two movements destroy a proper golf swing may help golfers more effectively avoid them.

In the book, “The Master Key to Success at Golf” author Leslie King explains in greater detail the negative consequences these two actions have on a proper golf swing.

King writes;

“What is of the utmost importance is achieving a smooth and correct start to the backswing, and straight away I want to warn you against those two misleading pieces of oft-repeated advice which you may have heard and to which I referred in my opening chapter.

I say most emphatically you do NOT take the club back inside the line; you do NOT concentrate on keeping the club head close to the ground in the initial stage of the backswing.

Let me explain. If you take the club back inside the line with the hands you either produce a flat concave plane or cramp the backswing. This results in a loop at the top of the swing which throws the club head outside the line on its way to the ball. As you will see, the correct turn of the body must bring the club head back inside without a conscious effort to ensure it. And the extended left arm will give full width to the movement.

A deliberate endeavor to keep the club head low and close to the ground in the initial stage of the backswing is almost certain to have the effect of bringing the left shoulder too far down and collapsing the left side, two evils which we want to avoid at all costs. The correct body-action, incorporating a free smooth turn of the shoulders can only be accomplished by keeping the left shoulder UP, not down.

I want to straighten out these two dangerous misconceptions before detailing the correct backswing“.

A proper golf swing involves the correct initiation of the backswing phase of the swing pattern.

Try implementing King’s expert advice to help avoid these destructive actions and improve proper golf swing performance!

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Golf Swing Mechanics – Curing the Shanks!

Faulty golf swing mechanics can produce some of the most undesirable shots in golf, including one of the most feared – shanking.

Golfers desperately want to avoid this horrific shot and try to strike the ball straight and true.

The remedy – identify the golf swing mechanics producing the faulty shot. Golf swing mechanics are the lasting cure to all that ails your swing!

In his book, “Golf Can Be an Easy Game”, author Joe Novak explains the faulty golf swing mechanics behind the shank.

Novak writes;

“This dreaded fault, when the ball literally squirts off the club at a 90° angle, petrifies many golfers. Shanking generally occurs on short approach shots of 90 yards or less. On such shots a player will very often determine there is no need for any body action, and this concept plus an extra tight grip with the left hand will cause shanking.

If the player decides they are not going to use their body in the shot, they will invariably force the club to the outside of the line of the shot on the backswing. Add a tight grip with the left hand and the club will automatically roll into an open face position. With this open face position and an outside of the line of flight movement of the club, there is an added tendency for the weight to sink heavily onto the left foot. This combination—(a) club in an open position, (b) club to the outside of the line of flight, (c) weight heavily sunk onto the left foot—is a sure way to shank. As the downswing starts, the club will naturally swing even more to the outside of the line of flight, forcing the player to pull the club sharply across the ball from the outside in. The player will then meet the ball with the heel of the club and away it squirts.

The shot just described—club face open, club to the outside of the line of flight, weight sunk onto the left foot —is nothing more or less than an extremely exaggerated slice shot technique. And that is what shanking is, an exaggerated slice action“.

Golf swing mechanics are both the reason and the remedy for the shanks!

Use Novak’s expert advice to help cure the shanks!

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Beginner Golf Swing Instruction – Good News! For Better Swing Performance, No Fancy Footwork Needed!

Beginner golf swing instruction programs teach their students the importance of proper footwork and its place in the overall swing pattern.

Many students in beginner golf swing instruction programs however, fail to fully appreciate the true role footwork plays in a successful swing pattern.

Beginner golf swing instruction programs are truly puzzled by this.

Correct positioning of the feet is an essential element of swing mechanics and performance. The feet serve two vital functions in the swing pattern: providing balance to control the golfers swing axis and anchor points from which the golfer can generate swing power.

In the book, “How to Master the Irons, an Illustrated Guide to Better Golf”, authors Gene Littler and Don Collett provide some beginner golf swing instruction on proper footwork and positioning.

They write;

“In the over-all concept of the swing, the importance of good footwork is sometimes neglected. If a golfer can learn the basic position of the feet early in their career, this important facet of the swing will give them little trouble in later years. At the outset, they will learn that a perfectly balanced and coordinated swing can only be achieved through proper footwork. It is possible to become a fair golfer with a swing that looks good from the waist up, but you cannot become an accomplished, consistent player unless you are properly balanced from the waist down. And that means good footwork.

While we mentioned earlier that there are three different stances, the basic position of the feet in relation to one another does not change.

THE LEFT FOOT

The left, or front, foot is always turned out slightly to the left. With the foot in this position, a player can transfer their weight to the left side more easily and quickly on the downswing. They can also hit through the ball with greater power and comfort because the directional force of the swing is toward where the left foot is aiming—to the left. You can test this yourself by purposely positioning your left foot perpendicular to the line of flight and swinging a club. There is no noticeable discomfort or awkwardness on the backswing, but as you move into the downswing you should be able to feel the strain and restriction of power in the left side, particularly the left leg.

THE RIGHT FOOT

Position the right foot so that it points almost straight ahead. A common mistake is to address the ball with both feet pointed out, whereas only the left foot should be in that position.

With the right foot positioned so that it points ahead, or almost so, instead of to the right, the weight shift on the backswing becomes more centralized around your spine rather than on the extreme outside of the right leg and right foot.

Check yourself on this point the next time you take a practice swing. If your weight is on the outside of the right leg and foot, the spikes on the inside sole of your right foot will be off the ground. Don’t allow this to happen or you will have trouble balancing yourself during the swing. When a good player reaches the top of their backswing the weight is centered on their right foot and heel. There is a definite feeling of the weight being there, and you can create this feeling by stopping at the top of the backswing for a few moments in the correct position. Repeat the procedure until you can swing back and down through the ball without your weight moving to the outside of your right leg and right foot.

Positioning the right foot in the manner prescribed above does one other important thing: it restricts the hip turn slightly while allowing a full shoulder turn on the backswing, thus creating a live tension in the hips and left side. It is much like stretching a rubber band—the stretch is performed on the backswing, and the counter action, or snap back, takes place when the hips initiate the downswing. The spring-like tension that is built up in the left side muscles through this stretching process of turning the shoulders fully while restricting the hip turn slightly results from the correct positioning of the right foot.“

Beginner golf swing instruction programs know both proper footwork and foot positioning are critical to swing success.

Try incorporating Littler and Collett’s expert advice on footwork into your next practice routine.

Check back soon for more beginner golf swing instruction articles and posts to help quickly improve your golf swing and game!

The Proper Golf Swing – It’s the Hands That Hold the Key to Proper Golf Swing Performance

Learning to execute a proper golf swing is a complex affair for most golfers.

The process can be confusing, especially to the beginner golfer. To successfully coordinate all the necessary body actions into a beautifully synchronized movement can prove difficult task to even the most experienced golfer.

As intricate as it may initially seem, a proper golf swing begins with correct operation of the hands.

The hands “hold” great importance in performing a successful swing pattern. The hands shape the swing controlling the club, club head and timing. Without the hands a proper golf swing is almost impossible to create.

In the book, “The Master Key to Success at Golf” author Leslie King provides greater insight into the key role the hands play in a proper golf swing.

King writes;

“The role of the hands in the operation of sending the ball to its objective is a subject of endless argument. The importance I attach to the hands may be gauged in the first place by what I have to say about the grip. I want to deal with it at some length and in considerable detail.

My belief is that while the beginner needs to give a lot of attention to applying their hands in the manner in which they can retain control and impart feel of the club head and obtain the maximum power from the shaft, the more experienced and advanced player, having developed strong and well-trained hands, more naturally gets the hands fitting into the swing unit as a whole without always realizing it.

For one thing the top golfer has developed a sound and constant grip on the club which in itself PERMITS the hands to work properly. You may find the odd good player with a suspect grip, but you will seldom find a bad one with a good grip.

…The grip is the first step we take towards the shaping of the swing. Slackness or movement on or away from the shaft at any stage of the swing can throw the whole operation out of line and completely wreck the timing.

I go so far as to say that conscientious work on the grip until it is correct in all its details will contribute more than any other factor towards the building of a finely shaped swing. The feet, legs, back, shoulders all have their essential parts in the movement, and good hand-action in itself will not bring these members into play as some pundits would have us believe.

But without the proper use of the hands these other physical members will not be able to function as smoothly as they must“.

The hands play an important part in the execution of a proper golf swing pattern.

Use King’s advice to help you quickly develop a successful golf swing!

Check back soon for more articles and posts to help you achieve a proper golf swing!

Beginner Golf Swing Instruction – An Easy Exercise to Develop a Smooth, Consistent & Powerful Swing!

Beginner golf swing instruction programs organize their lessons into simple, practical, easy to apply and understand sessions.

This helps student golfers grasp swing fundamentals with greater speed and success.

Beginner golf swing instruction programs know a smooth, consistent swing motion can only result from correct use of the body and arms. For some student golfers however, learning to properly incorporate this body/arm action into the swing pattern can be challenging.

To aid their students in learning this swing action, beginner golf swing instruction programs often inject ingenious exercises and techniques into the lesson plan – each designed to produce and reproduce proper motion in the swing pattern.

In the book, “How to Master the Irons, an Illustrated Guide to Better Golf”, authors Gene Littler and Don Collett offer some beginner golf swing instruction of their own. They explain a simple swing exercise which teaches golfers how to properly use the body to generate “terrific” swing power!

They write;

“One of the best methods I have found of developing a smooth, consistent swing is an exercise most golfers use when they warm up before playing a round of golf. It is a simple little maneuver designed to train a golfer to entrust their swing to their arms and body instead of their hands. Begin by assuming the position of address, and make certain that you are comfortable and relaxed. Then, with the upper part of your arms and elbows in close to your chest, turn your body back so that the arms are about belt high. The left shoulder and left arm are highly instrumental in this turning movement, with both the shoulder and the arm forming a pushing-back type of action.

Next, swing the arms forward until they are about belt high in front of you, making certain that the lower part of the body—the left hip and left leg-initiate the forward swing, as the arms are swung out toward an imaginary target. The right hand also turns over the left hand as the arms are swung forward. Perform this swing back and forth for a few moments, letting your left knee and right elbow flex on the backswing and then your right knee and left elbow on the follow-through. You will soon get the feeling that you are swinging with your legs and hips and that your body is swinging the club. This creates the feeling of the one-piece swing that all of the good players have and talk about.

This swing exercise also emphasizes a feeling that you should have when performing a full swing: that of having your body generating the power and your hands applying it, at the last possible second, with a whip-like action of the wrists and hands. If you have entrusted your swing movements to your body and arms, the hands will automatically lash out and whip the club-head through the ball with terrific accelerating speed“.

Beginner golf swing instruction programs use exercises designed to teach golfers how to properly use their body to produce a smooth, consistent and powerful swing pattern.

Try incorporating Littler and Collett’s swing exercise into your practice routine.

Check back soon for more beginner golf swing instruction articles and posts to help quickly improve your golf swing and game!

The Proper Golf Swing – Your Road to the Proper Golf Swing Begins with a Correct Address!

A proper golf swing is the direct result of how well a golfer positions themselves at address.

Many golfers, however, are blind to this obvious fact.

The proper golf swing is truly the culmination of all its preceding procedural steps.

To secure their best chances of executing a proper golf swing, the golfer must perform all the preliminary steps correctly, methodically and consistently. Failure to complete any one of these actions will dramatically reduce the golfer’s chances of swing success.

With some quick, professional instruction on how to correctly approach and address the golf ball, a proper golf swing is easily achievable.

In the book, “The Master Key to Success at Golf” author Leslie King offers some professional direction of his own. He explains the correct approach to addressing the golf ball – helping the golfer to effectively and continuously perform a proper golf swing.

King writes;

“Note what the first-class player does. They take the club from their caddie; mold their hands on the grip to induce the initial feel of the club head and square up the face to the grip before they address the ball. Only then do they sole the club behind the ball with grip and club-face still, of course, square to the intended line of flight.

The positioning of the feet, the actual taking up of the stance, comes LAST in this brief order of procedure in preparation for the playing of the stroke.

The average amateur reverses this procedure. They take their club out of the bag, takes up their stance with the club vaguely grounded behind the ball and then fiddles with the hands and club head in the course of adjusting their grip.

This blurs the mental picture of the intended stroke and frequently builds up tension. It is the reason why so many mediocre players vary their grip on the club from one shot to the next without even realizing it.

Get the club-face and grip squared up BEFORE you place the feet in position.

And having done this in the correct order you will set your feet (for a straightforward shot) parallel to the intended line of flight just wide enough to take the width of your shoulders when using the driver. The weight should run through from the soles to the heels of both feet.

Bend forward from the waist, don’t lean, slightly flexing both knees. A glance will enable you to check that the club-face is lined-up squarely and here I would raise a point about which many people have a wrong conception, especially where iron clubs are concerned.

The front bottom edge, or leading edge of the base of the iron club, is the one with which you line-up, not the top edge. This front bottom edge must be set at right-angles to the proposed line of flight. Do that and the blade will be properly squared up. Many players feel, quite wrongly, that in this position the face of the club is open. Nothing of the sort. It is square, the position you want. Make sure you get it, but NOT by turning your club head AFTER you have settled your grip. If necessary you must move away from the ball and reapply your grip so that with the bottom, or leading, edge squared to the intended line of flight your hands, too, are squared up with the two “V”s pointing to a spot between the chin and the right shoulder.

Your club is now properly set at the back of the ball.”

A proper golf swing is a direct result of a golfer’s positioning at address.

Use King’s advice to help you consistently swing like a pro!

Check back soon for more articles and posts to help you achieve a proper golf swing!

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