Is Your Golf Swing As Good As You Think It Is?
Who's your favorite player on the PGA Tour? Is it Tiger, Ernie or Freddy? When you swing the club, do you ever think that your swing looks like this players' swing? If you said "yes", I have some bad news for you. As much as you think you look like Tiger Woods, Ernie Els or Freddy Couples when you swing, the sad truth is ... you don't.
If you don't believe me, just put your swing on video and you will quickly see that I am right. Now that I have you totally depressed because you've have been trying to copy Tigers' swing for four years let's take a look at what you should be looking for to take your swing to a new level.
The Overall Appearance of a Pros Swing
When you watch Tour Players on TV doesn't it look like they have the ability to shoot 65? Their swings are so graceful, powerful and in control. Sure, some Tour Player's swings through the ages have looked a little odd but even these players looked like they could play great golf. In order to get this same look you have to have the proper fundamentals. In order to get the proper fundamentals you have to work hard on your swing. Here's a way you can look like a pro when you swing:
Go through the list below and check off the things that you do rather well (you or your pro may wish to add to this list based on your swing). Once you have your list finalized and checked off, take a little time and go over each point that isn't checked off. Once you've isolated the things that need to be worked on, make a new list on a new page. Try to list them in order of importance.
To determine their order of importance just ask yourself, "what could I change right now that would make my swing look more like that of a Tour Player"? Maybe it's something like: working on staying in balance throughout your swing. If you were someone who swung out of their shoes and fell over after each shot this would be a huge change that would immediately take you one step closer to looking like a pro (after all, they don't seem to fall over after each shot). Once you master that one thing, move on to the next and so on until your have crossed out every thing on your list. The day your list is totally crossed off will be the happiest day of your life!
Before You Hit the ball:
1. Grip Position - strong / neutral / weak
2. Grip Pressure - too tight / perfect / too loose
3. Set up - too tall / perfect / too low
4. Set up (feeling) - too tense / relaxed / too loose
5. Thoughts - too many thoughts or confused / clear thoughts
Starting Back:
1. Takeaway - inside / outside / perfect
2. Your Pace - slow / medium / fast
3. Your body coil - no feeling of being tightly coiled up / tightly coiled like a spring
4. Weight shift - weight shifting into the right instep / weight staying on left foot (reverse weight shift)
5. Swing Plane - inside / outside / on plane
Top of the Backswing:
1. Balance - in balance / swaying to the outside of your right foot
2. Weight shift - loaded 80% into the right instep / weight stayed on the left
3. Wrist hinge - fully hinged wrists / broken left elbow
4. Clubface position - open / square / closed
5. Right knee flex - flexed as it was at address / straightened up
6. Spine angle - dipping down / maintained / raising up
7. Swing Plane - upright / flat / perfect
8. Grip pressure - too tight / secure / letting go
Starting Down:
1. Pace - quick and jerky / smooth
2. Arm strength - trying to kill it / relaxed
3. Weight shift - sliding to the left / shifting and rotating at the same time
4. Plane - too far inside out / perfect / outside over the top
Impact:
1. Power Level - hitting as hard as you can / scooping the ball / solid / weak
2. Balance - leaning forward / perfect / falling back
3. Spine angle - raising up / maintained / dipping down
4. Weight distribution - hanging back on right foot / perfect / moving too much into the left
5. Arm extension - fully extended / buckled chicken wing
Follow Through:
1. Balance - feet twisting / weight falling back / perfect balance
2. Consistency - same swing each time / different swing each time
3. Spine angle - lifting up out of the shot / leaning over too much / leaning back / perfect
After the Ball is Hit:
1. Balance - can you swing in balance / out of control
2. Control - are you letting the club swing freely / are you steering the ball
3. Divot pattern - too far left / perfect (slightly left) / too far right
4. Ball flight - too low / too high / perfect
5. What you felt when you hit the ball - arms / body
6. Energy levels after your practice session - tired / fresh
I really hope this list can take your swing to the next level. Please keep it close at hand and refer to it on a regular basis. Keep this thought in mind as you continue your quest for a great swing. "Great golfers look like they can shoot 65. Great golfers all have the proper fundamentals. If I were to give you the proper fundamentals you, in turn, would look like a great golfer."
As published on:
http://www.paulwilsongolf.com/golf_tip_9.htm
If you don't believe me, just put your swing on video and you will quickly see that I am right. Now that I have you totally depressed because you've have been trying to copy Tigers' swing for four years let's take a look at what you should be looking for to take your swing to a new level.
The Overall Appearance of a Pros Swing
When you watch Tour Players on TV doesn't it look like they have the ability to shoot 65? Their swings are so graceful, powerful and in control. Sure, some Tour Player's swings through the ages have looked a little odd but even these players looked like they could play great golf. In order to get this same look you have to have the proper fundamentals. In order to get the proper fundamentals you have to work hard on your swing. Here's a way you can look like a pro when you swing:
Go through the list below and check off the things that you do rather well (you or your pro may wish to add to this list based on your swing). Once you have your list finalized and checked off, take a little time and go over each point that isn't checked off. Once you've isolated the things that need to be worked on, make a new list on a new page. Try to list them in order of importance.
To determine their order of importance just ask yourself, "what could I change right now that would make my swing look more like that of a Tour Player"? Maybe it's something like: working on staying in balance throughout your swing. If you were someone who swung out of their shoes and fell over after each shot this would be a huge change that would immediately take you one step closer to looking like a pro (after all, they don't seem to fall over after each shot). Once you master that one thing, move on to the next and so on until your have crossed out every thing on your list. The day your list is totally crossed off will be the happiest day of your life!
Before You Hit the ball:
1. Grip Position - strong / neutral / weak
2. Grip Pressure - too tight / perfect / too loose
3. Set up - too tall / perfect / too low
4. Set up (feeling) - too tense / relaxed / too loose
5. Thoughts - too many thoughts or confused / clear thoughts
Starting Back:
1. Takeaway - inside / outside / perfect
2. Your Pace - slow / medium / fast
3. Your body coil - no feeling of being tightly coiled up / tightly coiled like a spring
4. Weight shift - weight shifting into the right instep / weight staying on left foot (reverse weight shift)
5. Swing Plane - inside / outside / on plane
Top of the Backswing:
1. Balance - in balance / swaying to the outside of your right foot
2. Weight shift - loaded 80% into the right instep / weight stayed on the left
3. Wrist hinge - fully hinged wrists / broken left elbow
4. Clubface position - open / square / closed
5. Right knee flex - flexed as it was at address / straightened up
6. Spine angle - dipping down / maintained / raising up
7. Swing Plane - upright / flat / perfect
8. Grip pressure - too tight / secure / letting go
Starting Down:
1. Pace - quick and jerky / smooth
2. Arm strength - trying to kill it / relaxed
3. Weight shift - sliding to the left / shifting and rotating at the same time
4. Plane - too far inside out / perfect / outside over the top
Impact:
1. Power Level - hitting as hard as you can / scooping the ball / solid / weak
2. Balance - leaning forward / perfect / falling back
3. Spine angle - raising up / maintained / dipping down
4. Weight distribution - hanging back on right foot / perfect / moving too much into the left
5. Arm extension - fully extended / buckled chicken wing
Follow Through:
1. Balance - feet twisting / weight falling back / perfect balance
2. Consistency - same swing each time / different swing each time
3. Spine angle - lifting up out of the shot / leaning over too much / leaning back / perfect
After the Ball is Hit:
1. Balance - can you swing in balance / out of control
2. Control - are you letting the club swing freely / are you steering the ball
3. Divot pattern - too far left / perfect (slightly left) / too far right
4. Ball flight - too low / too high / perfect
5. What you felt when you hit the ball - arms / body
6. Energy levels after your practice session - tired / fresh
I really hope this list can take your swing to the next level. Please keep it close at hand and refer to it on a regular basis. Keep this thought in mind as you continue your quest for a great swing. "Great golfers look like they can shoot 65. Great golfers all have the proper fundamentals. If I were to give you the proper fundamentals you, in turn, would look like a great golfer."
As published on:
http://www.paulwilsongolf.com/golf_tip_9.htm
Labels: Swing Improvement