Better Golf Swing

Are you trying to improve your golf swing? Here are 8 tips which many low handicappers advice to new golfers:

1. Get golf swing instructions from your local PGA pro – he got where he is because he knows what he is doing. Pay him for some lessons. Ask him to teach you the correct golf swing mechanics and help you develop the perfect golf swing. You will definitely improve your golf swing faster with his help. Even after you have learned the correct golf swing techniques, you should schedule two or three remedial sessions a year with him to get rid of any bad habits you develop.

2. More practise – just hit the ball more often. Whatever else you do, you need more practise. Vijay Singh, often considered Tiger Wood’s greatest rival, is legendary for practicing his swing for at least 3 or 4 hours even during a tournament. When not on tour, he practices 6 to 8 hours everyday. If you want to improve your golf swing, you have not choice – just practice an extra 10 minutes everyday and you will lower your golf handicap.

3. Practice in slow motion – this is an uncommon piece of advice, but people doing taichi, cricket and tennis benefit greatly from it. Of course, you need to know the correct golf swing mechanics first. Then do it in slow motion, again and again and again. This repetitive practice in slow motion will ingrain the correct golf swing mechanics into your neuro-muscular system. Once it is there, all you need to do is add power and BLAM! off the ball flies, straight and true.

4. Practice with an old-style blade iron – this is a cheap training tool, easily bought second-hand. These old irons have small sweet spots, so they force you to hit the ball correctly. If you fail to swing your golf club correctly, it will vibrate badly and sting your hands, giving you instant feedback.

5. Practice with Medicus training clubs. This club is more of a training aid for the “two plane swing”. It is designed to train you to develop the perfect swing. It will quickly highlight anything wrong in your golf swing techniques. Just two things before you start: a) you need to have basic competence with a regular 5-iron; and b) follow the attached instructions.

6. Keep your head down. This is one mistake many inexperienced players make when they swing their golf club. Remember not to lift your head until after the followthrough.

7. Correct your hip movement. If your hips move forward before your hands move forward, you will probably slice the ball. Practice this drill to control your hip movement – Hit the ball with your feet together. This helps to isolate the lower body. If your hips get away from you when you swing your club, you will lose your balance.

8. Observe your golf swing for mistakes.

• Important: You need to be familiar with the correct golf swing mechanics.
• The best way is to record your swings with a camcorder and analyze them. Do not just record one swing – record many consecutive swings. This will help you notice patterns of incorrect golf swing techniques.
• If you cannot get hold of a camcorder, then practice in front of a mirror. Position the mirror in a way to minimize disruptions to your form. Using mirrors is not as good as a camcorder, but still better than nothing.

Follow these 8 tips and you will improve your golf swing. Take note of the core of these tips: correct practise makes the perfect golf swing.

This article on how to improve your golf swing was also published on EzineArticles.com.