Sean Cochran asked:


A common golf swing fault is a change in the spine angle during the phases of the golf swing. This single movement causes a chain reaction of compensations that alter the mechanics of your golf swing immensely. The result is usually inconsistency and a myriad of poor golf shots. Leading to frustration on the golf course and high scores.

The question that arises in my mind about this swing fault is; how can the amateur golfer improve their spine angle in the golf swing? The result would be an end to changes that oh so often hamper golfers of every level. Speaking with PGA Teaching professional Christopher Smith on this subject allowed me to get to one of the roots of this common swing fault.

According to Christopher Smith the changing of the spine angle is a common fault of the 1000’s of golfers he works with every year. A common spine angle change Christopher indicated to me was immediately at the beginning of the back swing. Often he views golfers who stand up during their back swing. This obviously changes their spine angle and not to mention posture. Resulting in a chain reaction of compensations in the golf swing.

Once Christopher demonstrated this common spine angle changed I immediately knew one of the “fixes” for it. Observation of Christopher performing this specific spine angle change of standing up during the back swing told me one important thing. This so-called swing fault of standing up may be better categorized as a flexibility fault.

Yes, a flexibility fault as I like to call it is when a golfer’s lack of flexibility impedes them from performing the mechanics of the golf swing correctly. Flexibility faults are often misdiagnosed as swing faults. As a result, the golfer dubiously works on fixing their golf swing with no avail. They continue to struggle with standing up during their back swing and never fix it or understand why it is happening. The reason is they are trying “fix” the problem with the incorrect medicine.

The correct medicine would be the implementation of golf flexibility exercises. This type of fix would allow the golfer in such a situation to perform the mechanics of the swing correctly without limitations in their body getting in the way. Sounds pretty simple when you map out in such a way.

Now getting back to the spine angle problem Christopher Smith was discussing. The standing up during the backswing can partly be described as a flexibility fault. In such a situation this is telling me the golfer has some flexibility issues limiting their ability to maintain the correct posture during the back swing. In such a situation (i.e. standing up during the backswing) we can pinpoint the flexibility fault to hip region of the body.

The hips need to be flexible and mobile to allow the golfer to maintain a fixed spine angle and rotate around it during the golf swing. If the hips are tight and inflexible the ability to do this will be compromised as in the example of standing up during the back swing.

Now looking specifically at the spine angle change of standing up we can even pin point to a greater extent the exact muscles in the hips causing this “flexibility fault”. Usually with a golfer that stands up during the backswing I find they have tight hip flexors. Hip flexors are muscles that run across the front part of the hip on both legs. These muscles when tight (i.e. inflexible) “pull” the hips underneath your spine. Making it almost impossible to maintain the spine angle set in the address position. Once you begin the back swing and suffer from “tight” hip flexors. These muscles will “pull your hips” underneath your spine, causing you to stand up. The end result is a change in your spine angle and a series of compensations in the golf swing to follow.

How do we fix this flexibility fault, get those tight hip flexors mobile, and improve your golf swing? Simply by adding a series of golf fitness flexibility exercises to your golf swing improvement program. These types of exercises take just a few minutes a day to perform. They will alleviate the tightness in your hips and in the long run improve your golf swing.

Simple yet very effective golf fitness flexibility exercises I like to use for tight hip flexors are the kneeling hip flexor stretch, standing quadriceps, and spider. All three of these golf fitness flexibility exercise focus on the hip flexors. Over time these flexibility exercises will lengthen (i.e. stretch) those tight hip flexors. Allowing you greater mobility in the hips and eliminate one of the reasons for standing up in the back swing.

So remember, it is necessary to maintain a fixed spine angle during the golf swing. If you do not a whole series of compensations will occur. The end result will be an inconsistent golf swing. One such reason for a change in your spine angle may be standing up during the back swing. This swing fault is often a flexibility fault resulting from tight hips. The implementation of golf fitness flexibility exercises in a short amount of time can fix this flexibility fault and stop you from standing up during the back swing. Resulting in a more consistent golf swing. Keep in mind the connection between your body and the golf swing, and realize it is the body swinging the golf club.

Sean Cochran

Christine

Abhishek Agarwal asked:


Basic golf swing tips may simply be all you that you require to keep you from striking those heavy shots, hooks, or slices. For instance, merely shifting the ball location may set right that thin shot, which you tend to hit off the tee. Rather than getting dejected and vowing never again to turn up at a golf course, contemplate on a couple of tips regarding golf swing and strive at perfecting your golf swing.

Now tips on golf swing can be collected from a number of sources. A fine place to begin is with recent golf books or golf magazines. Here it is possible for you to come across golf swing tips from experts or teachers and instructors of professional golfers. Orders for magazines and books containing tips on golf swing can be placed online.

In case you are extremely earnest regarding getting a few vital tips regarding golf swing, and you possess the necessary money and the time at your disposal, think about registering for a few golf lessons or joining a golf clinic where a professional gives you expert advice.

In order to put you on the track of learning the appropriate golf swing tips, the following are some golf swing tips, which deal with the fundamentals of a golf swing.

1. Amongst the most vital tips on golf swing is to maintain a square clubface. Hitting the golf ball by means of a square clubface ensures that the ball goes straight and a long way. In order to maintain the clubface square, you require to keep a steady golf swing plane. Practice bringing the golf club right back and subsequently follow through on the very same swing plane.

2. Next, timing is of the essence in the case of your golf swing. Now you may wish to possess a steady swing speed all through the whole swing. In fact it does not help out with your golf swing if you tend to bring the golf club right back slowly and then speed up right through your swing.

3. Then, golf fitness is an essential factor for developing your golf swing. Doing some easy golf exercises can vastly enhance litheness and power.

4. The kind of golf grip that you have is a further factor in honing your golf swing. Ensure that you do not have a very rigid golf grip, or else it will hamper your golf swing action. A fine way of determining whether your golf grip remains very tight is if your arms and hands become sore after you have finished playing a game of golf.

5. In fact, the best tip on golf swing may not exactly be to your liking but it is nothing but practice, and more practice, that will assist you with your golf swing the most. The greater the time devoted to practicing, or being out there on the practice green or driving range, the greater the development you will find not just in the golf swing, but also in your total performance as well as scoring.

Sam

Ground-runner asked:


I play golf and i want to build up strength in my golf swing i go to a gym so the variety of equipment is huge which one will benefit me most

Joyce

Rick Calligaris asked:


Even with simple golf swing lessons, instructional videos and store-purchased aids, your golf game will continue the way it has been without consistent and efficient practice. Consistent because practice sessions involve exercises that are meant to develop muscle memory. Efficient because pacing your energy to the kinds of exercises you will do is important as well.

Simple as this point may sound, it is one that is easily overlooked. Many golfers think that as long as they spend enough time on the practice range, their score will improve. Unfortunately, that is not necessarily so. To improve your golf game as well as your golf swing it is important that your practice sessions be as regimented as the way you play the game itself, or more.

Before you complain about how boring golf swing practices are it might help to think that golf swing practices are what build good playing habits when you hit the greens. If you approach your practice sessions as more than a chore your golf swing training results will provide you more pleasure on the golf course.

Typically, golf practice sessions fall under one of the following three stages:

- Warm-up Stage
- Fresh Stage
- Fatigue Stage

In these three stages you will carry out different sets of golf swing exercises that when done properly will make your practices more effective. This will provide you results you can see on the course as you play.

Warm-up Stage

Many are deceived into thinking that golf requires no strenuous physical activity as it only involves swinging a golf club and walking. Nothing could be further from the truth. The very nature of swinging a golf club causes your muscle groups to work in ways not common to everyday routines.

Your upper torso, arms, and lower back muscles are the groups most impacted when playing golf. In order to avoid injury or strain it is important that you warm up by stretching before you head out on the course.

When stretching it is best that you start from the top of your head and work your way down to your feet. By doing so you will improve flexibility and prepare your muscles for a full range of motion. If you are unfamiliar with stretching exercises you should consult a trainer or the instructor in your club for some recommendations.

Fresh Stage

After your warm-up start working on exercises that build on a skill you have not mastered yet or on parts of your game that have been causing you higher strokes each round. This could be anything from putting to chipping or driving. The idea is that when you work on these problem areas while you are still fresh and limber from a stretch routine, your body responds more positively to the exercises you are doing.

The thing about most people is that their idea of golf swing practice is simply spending time on the driving range without even considering whether or not driving is their problem area. But if you are aware that your short game is what is giving you problems then you should hit the greens to work on your putting as soon as you finish warming up.

Keep in mind that it has been proven that more than 60% of a players golf strokes take place on the green. Unfortunately, this fact is overlooked by many players that result in poor golf practice habits and higher strokes per round!

Fatigue Stage

Once you start feeling winded from the earlier exercises move on to work on facets of your golf game that simply need reinforcement. Since your body already knows this motion this stage in your golf swing practice serves as maintenance to your form.

If any correction is necessary your stressed out body will not adjust to a difficult form. As in the previous example, only after working on your problematic short game can you then go to the driving range to give positive reinforcement to your drives.

In closing, you can show continuous improvement by establishing a good golf practice-to-play ratio such as 2:1 where you invest twice as much time in golf swing training as you do to playing golf. Make sure that you give yourself sufficient time to rest in between exercises and in between stages. While it is a work out you should not be too tired from the activity. Doing so may actually do more harm than good.

If you stick to this simple golf swing training plan you will see improvements in your game. Additionally, you will become a more consistent golfer and will begin to shave strokes off of your golf game.

To Your Success on the Links!

Dan

James E Obrien asked:


Ah, the simple golf swing. Only, it’s not so simple. When swinging a golf club, almost every part of the golfer’s body takes part. The forward press in the golf swing involves the legs and that’s just the beginning. The hands, arms, hips, back, shoulders all take part in this most complex exercise.

It is said that of all the great PGA golfers, only Ben Hogan had the perfect golf swing for every club. So, how does the every day golfer wade through the different swing methods to find the golf swing that fits his or her golf game?

There are many different ways. Golf lessons are always a good way to start, but the teaching golf professional must understand your golf game. That includes your handicap, your physical condition and the amount of time you will actually spend practicing your golf swing. His analysis should include watching you driving the golf ball and hitting fairway woods and the complete range of irons. Then, the golf pro should tailor your swing training to your individual skills.

I learned this lesson the hard way. Many years ago, I took some golf lessons. The pro believed, what he thought, was the best golf swing method that encompassed all the biomechanics of the perfect golf swing. Not for me. After a month of lessons, I had lost over 20 yards in distance off the tee and my scores rose by 8 points. I quit my lessons, bought a great little book by written by former PGA golfer Tony Lema and in a few weeks my game was back to normal. Since then, my golf swing instruction has been from golf books, an instructional video or two and golf swing teaching aids. I never had another lesson and even in my sixties I can still break 90.

There are many different swing styles and golf equipment and tips.com is filled with articles and videos filled with instructions on how to swing the golf club. They breakdown the swing to its simplest form and from taking back the club to the release, provide instructions on how to add power, distance and accuracy to every golf shot. We even have a free 118 page e-book filled with all sorts of great information about improving your golf game.

If you liked this article, you can learn more swing tips by visiting Golf Swing Tips

Click here for Discounted Golf Equipment and Free Golf Tips

Heather

Helen Hecker asked:


Most golfers aren’t aware of the fact that eighty percent of the world’s golfers have a handicap of 18 or more. Finding ways to improve your golf game, then applying what you’ve learned and practicing diligently, is the best way to get ahead of the game. Did you know the average golfer’s gross score is 107 shots?

Don’t worry about what others think or may say about your swing; work to improve it at your own speed. A common mental error golfers make when driving the ball is to hit it as hard as possible. Approach the game with a positive attitude and repeat affirmations if you can, such as “I play great golf all the time.”

It’s difficult for a golfer to practice hitting shots longer than short pitch shots unless one pays to play golf or pays to practice at a driving range or indoor golf training facility. Putts and short chips are ideally played without much movement of the body, but most other golf shots are played using variants of the full golf swing. Sidespin occurs when the clubface is not aligned perpendicularly to the plane of swing.

Trust your golf club to do the job it was intended to do. At the end of a swing, the weight has shifted almost entirely to the left foot, the body is fully turned to the left and the hands are above the left shoulder with the club hanging down over the players’ back. The backswing is a rotation to the right, consisting of a shifting of the player’s body weight to the right side, a turning of the pelvis and shoulders, lifting of the arms and flexing of the elbows and wrists.

Many golfers who are strongly left-handed in their daily life prefer the right-handed golf swing. Try not to grip the club too tightly. Swing slowly and steadily using a nice rhythm. Use the basic ‘hitchhiker’ position when you’re working on your backswing. The most important thing about the golf swing is the angle and not the strength that’s applied to it.

Golf workouts will change your game forever. Conditioning your golf muscles will reward you with straighter swings. It’s no secret; most of the professional players actively participate in workouts.

If you’re a golfing novice just starting out, it’s easy to become overwhelmed. In any case, stick to just one golf swing aid at a time; don’t load up on them. Golf aids are often for sale at your pro shop or local golf shop.

Keep in mind that with some aids, you may still need advice or help from an expert. There are a number of good golf swing aids on the market today. Sporting goods stores have aids to improve your game.

Golf swing aids can be found online and are often cheaper. Aids come in all shapes and sizes including apparel type accessories to correct alignment or a golf club add-on accessory to monitor your swing. Look for golf swing aids at your local golf course.

There are aids that will help you with swing alignment. Ask an expert, who is not associated with the shop you would buy your golf swing aid from, for advice on the right aid for you.

If you apply both physical and mental workouts, golf swing improvement will be your reward. When you play a round of golf, concentrate on improving your golf swing, putting or something specific that day; have a plan in mind. Invest in a few of the newest golf books and golf ebooks; older golf books may be outdated.

Jamie

Staffan Moritz asked:


Did you know that a few simple golf swing tips may be all you need to avoid hitting those slices, hooks, or fat shots? One simple change such as moving the ball position may fix that thin shot that you keep hitting off the tee.

Today, it’s very easy to find a good place with good golf magazines or books. Spending an afternoon in the sport section of your local book store can give you free valuable golf tips. Here you can find golf swing tips from professionals or teachers and coaches of professional golfers. Books and magazines with the latest golf swing tips can also be found online.

Here are 5 simple but very powerful golf swing tips that cover the golf swing basics.

1. One of the most important golf swing tip is to keep your club face square. Striking the golf ball with a square club face will allow it to fly straight and far. You need to maintain a consistent golf swing plane in order to keep your club face square. Take the golf club straight back and then following through on the same swing plane.

2. Timing is essential when it comes to your golf swing. Do not take the golf club back slowly and then accelerate down through your swing. A consistent swing speed throughout the entire swing is the key.

3. Golf fitness is another important factor for improving your golf swing. A few simple flexibility and strength exercises can change your whole golf game.

4. What about your golf grip?. Do not keep your golf grip too tight, it will hinder your golf swing movement. One way to determine if you were gripping the golf club the wrong way is if your hands or arms ache after playing golf.

5. The very best golf swing tip may not be what you want to hear, but practice, practice, practice, is what will ultimately improve your game. The more determined you are to practicing, hitting on the driving range or practice green, the better your golf swing will get. I have followed these basic golf swing tips and they have helped me cut my handicap by 12 strokes.

Esther

Helen Hecker asked:


It’s important to remember, your golf swing is what drives your score; not your clubs or ball. Most golfers don’t know that eighty percent of the world’s golfers have a handicap of 18 or more. When you’re playing golf badly it isn’t a lot of fun.

Overall, you generally want to play golf with confidence. If you’ve hit with your golf driver perfectly once, you can do it every time; the subconscious mind knows the correct number and sequence of muscle contractions and nerve impulses needed, called muscle memory. Visualize where you would like the ball to land, as you swing.

As the body matures, the ability to rotate the upper torso is affected by age, and the hand action can also slow down requiring a slightly stronger grip. Make sure to use the proper technique. At the end of a swing, the weight has shifted almost entirely to the left foot, the body is fully turned to the left and the hands are above the left shoulder with the club hanging down over the players’ back.

Standing over the ball for too long a time and wondering whether you’re going to swing the club correctly can easily result in a skewed shot, or completely missing the ball. Use the muscles in your legs and trunk when you swing. Putting can become a nightmare and a condition called the ‘yips’ has affected not only amateurs but professionals as well; get expert advice and consider a golf swing aid.

Before you swing, make sure you’re relaxed; contract all your muscles tightly for a moment and then relax them. After the ball is hit, the follow-through stage consists of a continued rotation to the left. Ask your golf pro to evaluate your posture while swinging. Swing slowly and steadily using a nice rhythm. Use the basic ‘hitchhiker’ position when you’re working on your backswing.

It’s no secret; most of the professional players actively participate in workouts. You can get rid of shoulder problems with some simple techniques. Don’t underestimate the value of fitness when it comes to your golf swing and your overall golf game.

Keep in mind that with some golf swing aids, you may still need advice or help from an expert. Overall, investing in aids will greatly improve your golf swing and your golf game. There are aids that will help you with swing alignment.

Look for golf swing aids at your local golf course. You can find aids that will help you with your wrist and arm position. There are golf swing aids that act as driving range simulators.

Whether you’re a seasoned golfer or just starting out, pick just one aid and go to work on your swing. Golf swing aids come in all shapes and sizes including apparel type accessories to correct alignment or a golf club add-on accessory to monitor your swing. Before buying any aid, check with an expert to get an idea of what problem you need to work on first; backlift, momentum of downward thrust or stance for example.

If you’re looking for an aid to improve your stance they’re not hard to find. In any case, stick to just one aid at a time; don’t load up on them.

When you play a round of golf, concentrate on improving your swing, putting or something specific that day; have a plan in mind. If you’ve hit with your golf driver perfectly once, you can do it every time. Now is the time to fix that golf swing forever.

Howard

big_phil_stone asked:


I have seen many of these systems avaliable in Solihull, London, Birmingham etc, but nothing in Northampton.

If you know of any in Northampton, or nearby, please let me know!! Many thanks in advance!

Emma