Instruction
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Sort your swing at the range – It’s the golfing equivalent of homework…
You’ve gone back to basics about rules and you’re all kitted up – but you’re about as useful on the course as a rocking horse at Ascot.
Over the months and years, the odd fault has crept into your swing, which once resembled Tiger’s circa 2000. The good news is that a few lessons and a bit of instruction can get you back on track in no time at all.
Here’s PGA professional Dan Frost to chat you through three basic positions of the golf swing: the set-up, at the top and the finish.
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| The longer the club, the further forward in your stance the ball should be. For a 7 or 8-iron, the ball should be in the centre of your stance. Weight should be evenly distributed. If you are right handed, your right shoulder will be lower than your left, because you grip the club lower down with your right hand. This creates a tilt in your spine. The shaft of your club should be slightly ahead of the belly button. |
It’s important to make a full shoulder turn in the backswing. To do this, try to feel that your back is pointing at the target. The big muscles in the body will coil, which creates the power. On the backswing, make sure you retain a gap between your knees. This keeps then legs strong and will help you to unleash the coil on the followthrough. |
The right knee drives towards the target to finish alongside a straight left leg. The left leg has straightened to allow the hips to clear and rotate. Make sure your head, torso and belt buckle are all facing the target. It is important to have a stylish finish to your golf swing – this promotes good balance and is essential to consistent performance. |
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| Make sure you maintain a nice straight spine, while also ensuring you have an athletic position from the knees. In terms of how far you should stand away from the ball, a good pointer is to have the butt of the club in line with the tips of your toes. | Wrist hinge is vital to maximising power. A good way to know if you’re getting enough wrist hinge is to make an L-shape with your left arm and the shaft of the club. Make sure you have this L-shape by the time the club is level with the right hip. Elbows should be level with each other, and the shaft should be parallel to the target line. | When you complete the swing, a key checkpoint is to make sure all the spikes on your right foot are facing away from the target. This will ensure weight has transferred to the left side and the correct weight transfer has occurred. A great way to think about where the club should fi nish is to imagine the shaft passing in one ear and out of the other, with the left elbow pointing towards the floor. |
