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Top players have their own individual swing characteristics and idiosyncrasies which make their actions very reconisable. They also have, however, some similar basic movements which are essential to playing golf to a consistent standard.  I am not advocating that any of you try to swing like a specific individual that you admire on T.V but ingrain the basics that all of these top players have in common.  I will not go into exhaustive technical depth about the seven basics at this point as it would fill dozens of pages but instead will just highlight the most important points. If you log onto the website from December you will find extremely descriptive narrative and pictures of each of the basics in turn.

The grip, to state the obvious, is the only contact we have with the club and therefore is essential. The correct grip will allow the wrists to hinge and release the club naturally and will enable the club to be delivered squarely at impact.  The picture below shows the correct grip with two to two and a half knuckles visible on the left hand and both V,s formed by the forefinger and thumbs pointing towards a point between the right shoulder and chin.

So many faults in the golf swing derive from poor posture that it is impossible to over state its importance.  Basically, we are standing in such a way that we can move with some balance and athleticism and a spinal angle which will enable us to swing the club through the correct arc.  Note below in picture (a) how the spine is bent over but is still straight and that the balance is even from heels to toes and I am neither stretching to reach the ball or cramped. Pictures (b) & (c) show very typical bad postures which set a chain reaction of swing faults.

The Plane

The plane is simply the arc or angle that we take the club back come down on. It makes sense to take the club to a position where it is easiest to hit the ball from and to keep the backswing and downswing arcs as close together as possible.

Most poor shots are hit by the club attacking the ball from too shallow or too steep an angle than anything else. As stated above, I will explain the plane of the swing in great detail on the website.  Below, the photos demonstrate a short swing sequence showing the plane back and through at key points.

The way the body should rotate on the backswing is much easier than most of us make it. We are essentially trying to build up resistance on the backswing to enable us to produce maximum power through the ball. It is very important to keep the rotation simple and tight. Most pupils I encounter overdo the whole movement. There are literally hundreds of permutations of bad movements.  Pictures (b) & (c) show two extremes where the spine is tilted out of its axis creating poor movement and speed.

Weight Transference

To project the ball forward at great speed it is obvious that our weight must be traveling in the same direction as the club head at impact. So many destructive shots are caused by the body fighting the club head through the downswing. Just watch how balanced top players are through impact and into the finish and they are hitting the ball very hard.

Rhythm binds a swing together like the oil in an engine.  Just picture Ernie El hitting a golf ball. His tempo does not change whether he is hitting a wedge or a driver.   By rhythm, I do not mean speed. None of you swing the club as fast as Ernie  otherwise you would hit the ball as far as him, but whatever your natural speed is you must keep it smooth.   Your tempo will depend on your character. Tom Watson’s tempo is businesslike, authoritive and snappy, just the way he walks, but it is still smooth. Two top players, two different rhythms but both correct for their personalities.

Divot Taking

Again, I will detail this in absolute detail via the website but to me it the most important basic so far but is ignored by just about every instructional book or video available.  I am not advocating almighty great chunks out of the ground on every shot but am merely stating that to get the ball airborne you must hit down on the ball. Divots will obviously be deeper with short irons than long irons as we are closer to the ball and therefore the swing plane is more upright and generally men will take bigger divots as their swing speeds are faster than most ladies. Watch top players next time an event is televised and note the divots taken.  In other words, don’t try to help the ball up, scoop it or manufacture loft, let the club do what it is designed to do.

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