Learning the Golf Swing Basics

Learning the basic golf swing on my own has been a rather frustrating experience. 

Like everyone else, I had my first taste on a golf driving range. I loaned a 7 or 8 iron and a basket of balls and proceeded to hit the ball like everyone else.

Initially, through observation and some evesdropping at the golf range, I learned the following

• you have to maintain a S-shaped posture
• you have to have thumb of left hand crossover the last finger of right hand for a proper grip
• you have to stand in a shoulder width apart
• your head focused on the ball as your swing
  

Yep, I followed all of the above, and but everytime I swing my iron towards the ball, I would either miss totally or I cut it very thinly and my balls would go wayward.

Then oneday , while on a holiday, I had a free esson from a onsite professional GOLF instructor who just told me one thing.

To this day, I feel it is the most important thing to understand for any BEGINNER starting on swing basics.

He told me "The golf swing starts from the moment you take the iron back from the ball" . I said "huh". He said : "Do you realise when you take your swing back, you are drawing a IMAGINARY line for you to follow when your golf club is coming back down again".

He went on the demonstrate a putting shot. He asked me to do this simple exercise. First just putt what you normally do. So I did. He said "Then now think of the beginning of putting as from the moment you take the putting head back and without stopping at the take back follow the imaginary line drawn and putt club towards ball". I did that and each time I was then able to achieve a consistent hitting line and resulting in consistent putting.

He then went on to relate the golf swing.. Again, he said " The swing starts from the moment you take the club back from the ball and naturally reverses direction when your hip is fully whined up and should feel like a pendulum swing backwards towards the ball."

And surprise, surprise, my swing suddenly feels much lighter and I was able to consistently hit at the correct ball face.

So the next time you step on the driving range, think this "The swing starts from the moment the take the club back from the ball face"

Regards

Golf Noob