Golf is a game of precision. If you are just starting out, you’ll find a lot of really valuable tips available to you. However, given that there is so much information out there, you can easily feel overwhelmed in no time and might not know which advice is the most reliable.
Here, we are going to outline the top five golf swing tips for beginners. Even if you aren’t a beginner but have started to take shots you don’t like, it makes sense to revisit the fundamentals, which we’ve highlighted here.
If you want even more information, we suggest you visit Ben Hogan’s Golf Swing Secret.
Golf Swing Tips for Beginners
There are a few fundamentals to keep in mind when you are first starting out in your golf game. Just like any other sport, each golfer’s swing will be different, similar to the fact that no two batters have the same swing in baseball.
There are a few key mechanics to keep in mind, which, when followed, will prevent you from falling into common traps. Keeping these tips in mind can also help you drive more powerfully and with better accuracy. That is the ultimate goal, even for more seasoned professionals.
Tip #1: Get a proper grip
Practice leads to improvement, as is the case with any other sport. Before getting started with playing golf, you need to know how to grip your clubs properly. You wouldn’t get into the batter’s box without knowing how to hold a bat, and the same is true here. You shouldn’t tee off without knowing how to hold a golf club.
While this is the most fundamental and basic starting point in your golfing journey, it is really important to your success. You cannot possibly swing a golf club properly if you aren’t gripping it the right way.
To get a good grip, start by holding the club out in front of you. Use your right hand if you are right-handed. Likewise, if you are left-handed, use your left hand. Hold it up at your eye level. Then, take the opposing hand and place the pad of the hand on the top of the club. Close your fingers around the club.
To test if you’ve gripped properly, simply allow your arm to fall to your side. Push the top of the club down and see if the bottom of the club comes up. If it does, you’ve gripped it properly.
Tip #2: Use your body
Your body is a good source of power when learning how to swing a golf club. More seasoned golf players know that you are not going to get the power you need from your arms alone. Instead, you need your body to help drive the ball.
If you want a good illustration of how your body provides power, put your club behind the golf ball at address. Make sure you are standing at a fully stopped position. Do not take a backswing, but instead try to independently drag the ball into the air.
If you use your hands to help control the club, this is likely going to be really challenging for you. What you will quickly find, however, is that once you move the club with the help of your body, you can get the ball in the air pretty consistently.
Tip #3: Use a hinge for extra power
Beginners often fall victim to at least one of the two most common flaws in hitting clean iron shots. The first potential flaw is using a takeaway that is too low to the ground. This serves to delay the proper wrist hinging until too far along in the backswing.
The second potential flaw is ineffectively trying to create power. Most beginners do this by swinging too far in the backswing with their arms. Usually, this impacts the player’s overall posture and can create a reverse pivot.
Both of these flaws can cause you to have mis-hits or a lack of control. It can also cause you to have shorter distances on your drives. You can take a few straightforward steps to get control over your swing. These can help you secure solid and better contact.
- You want a 45-degree angle between the club shaft and your left arm. This allows you to swing with your elbows already hinged to the halfway point of 90-degrees.
- Your hands should stay close to the ground during the takeaway. The head of your club should move up quickly.
- You want to have your left thumb pointing at your right shoulder as quickly as possible. Once it is parallel with the ground with the shaft of your club parallel, you will know you have gotten the right wrist hinge.
- You don’t need to swing your arms too far at the top because you’ve set your wrists earlier on in your backswing.
If you can follow the guidelines above, you’ll find that you won’t lose your posture as easily. By having the proper wrist hinge in your backswing, you will get a better strike on the ball. This leads to most consistency in your direction and distance.
Tip #4: Pay attention to your thumb
If you typically hook the ball, you want to prevent the face of the club from closing too early. In order to do that, you need to have an approach that has your thumbs in a downward position. That means keeping your thumbs facing the ground.
In doing this, the clubface closes more slowly. If the clubface closes slower, you eliminate the shots that tend to curve toward the left. On the flip side, if you tend to slice, you want to have a thumbs-up position.
Tip #5: Don’t Flip
Flipping refers to what happens when your body gets out too far ahead of the ball. When you do this, the club lags way too far behind, and it usually does so with an open face. By instinct, your hands will likely try to close the face when you make impact. However, the timing is really difficult to achieve, even for professionals. It is virtually impossible for beginners.
In most instances, the head of the club gets out ahead of the shaft and hits the ball either with a closed or open face and it usually does so with an arc that is ascending.
In order to avoid the flip, you need to keep your left side firm. This will help you keep your head behind the ball and ultimately stop you from flipping.
Conclusion
Here, we’ve highlighted the top five golf swing tips for beginners, which, in truth, are also great reminders for more intermediate players. Once you start finding issues with your swing, the sooner you make improvements, the sooner your game will get better.
If you want an even more in-depth look at your swing and how you can repair, check out Ben Hogan’s golf swing secret. Following that secret can lead you to a more powerful swing, and ultimately more power and accuracy in your shots.
