Master The Proper Golf Swing: Step-By-Step Guide With Pictures

To start, let’s dive into what I call the Pre-Swing fundamentals. These elements are critical to learning and developing your game. The Pre-Swing fundamentals of Posture, Grip, Alignment, and Ball Position take place before swinging the club even starts, and can set you up for a successful shot before you even move the golf club.

The best players in the world always keep tabs on their Pre-Swing fundamentals, especially when things start to go a little sideways with their game.

Stand erect with a feeling as if the back of your head, your shoulders, middle back, lower back, and tailbone are all touching a wall. All along your spine, from the base of the back of your skull and down to your tailbone, envision a strip of velcro tape on it. That strip of velcro is stuck to the wall.

Slowly peel that velcro tape off the wall, starting with your head.

After you finish peeling the back of the head off the wall, you will follow your spine down and slowly peel the shoulders, mid back, and the start of your lower back off the wall.

Do not peel your lower back, just above your hips, off the wall. By leaving that little bit on the wall, you get the upper part of your back more rounded. This will leave your hips over the center of your feet. 

That last part is essential as many "old school" teachings often get golfers into a position with too much arch in the lower back. That creates tension and an inability to turn the body properly throughout the swing.

Lastly, naturally, let your arms hang down from your shoulders as you take your grip on the club. You will ever-so-slightly flex your knees and feel your weight is in the balls or center of your feet.

Mastering the golf grip is crucial for a successful swing. Your hands are the only point of contact with the club, so a proper and comfortable grip is essential.

Begin with your lead hand, with the grip resting across the area where your fingers meet your palm. Then, close your fingers around the club, with your lead thumb running down the side of the shaft. Visualize the "V" formed by your thumb and forefinger pointing over your right shoulder as you address the ball.

Next, place your trail hand on the grip under your lead hand and across the top of your fingers. The "V" formed by your thumb and forefinger should point over your trail shoulder at address.

You have several options for connecting your hands, but it's important not to grip the club too tightly. Tension in your forearms and shoulders can hinder your swing.

Alignment is one of the most crucial pre-swing fundamentals for setting yourself up for a successful swing.

From behind the ball, make sure the ball and your intended target align. Visualize a line from behind the ball to your target.

Identify an object on your target line closer to the ball to serve as your intermediate target, aiding in alignment.

As you approach the ball, set your clubface in line with your intermediate target.

Ensure that your feet are parallel left (for right-handed golfers) to your target line.

Maintain a shoulder-width stance, adjusting for club length. Your posture is critical, so refer to the previous section for guidance.

The proper ball position in golf is essential for a successful swing. Correct ball position in relation to your stance and the club you're using can significantly impact your shot's trajectory and distance.

With your driver, the rule of thumb is to position the ball off your lead heal. This will help you launch the ball at impact, which is important for hitting good shots with the driver.

For fairway woods, hybrids, and longer irons, position the ball slightly forward of center in your stance; for shorter clubs, place it closer to the center. This ensures the clubface makes solid contact with the ball at the optimal attack angle. 

Mastering ball position leads to more consistent and accurate shots, making it a fundamental skill for any golfer looking to improve their game.

In this tutorial, I’ll teach you how to hit a golf ball by breaking down the swing into the following sections:

1. The Backswing
2. Transition
3. The Downswing
4. Impact
5. Post-Impact or Follow-Through
6. The Finish

The average golf swing takes only 1 to 1.5 seconds to complete, which is too little time to think about all the steps. 

During a round, it's best to have no more than two swing thoughts. Practice sessions with a PGA or LPGA Professional Coach are the time for working on your swing and its components.

The transition in the golf swing happens in a split second, but a good transition is critical for good ball striking. 

The transition is the change of direction in the swing from the backswing into the downswing. It's important to understand that the transition actually begins a fraction before your hands reach the top of the backswing.

The transition is the start of your pressure shift into the lead side. In this move, you are slightly falling into your lead foot with your pressure, not your weight or center mass. That should stay in line with your spine and over the ball. 

This shift moves your pressure from your trail foot into your lead foot. After this pressure shift, your body will start to unwind, and your hands, arms, and club will move down towards the ball on a slightly shallower plane than it went back on.

Mastering the proper downswing sequence is crucial for achieving a perfect golf swing. After the initial pressure shift forward in the transition, the following steps make up the proper downswing sequence:

1. First, initiate the unwinding of the hips.
2. Second, allow the upper torso or shoulders to begin unwinding.
3. Third, ensure that the hands and club move down slightly shallower than they did during the backswing, maintaining the wrist hinge created earlier.

Throughout this sequence, maintain the shift of pressure into your lead side. Keep your spine and center mass over the ball as you gracefully unwind, leading to a more powerful and precise golf swing.

Your hips need to be fully rotated and past the point of the ball at impact. This will ensure that your hands and club have room to fire through unobstructed.

Picture driving your belt buckle or belly button past the ball. This is a great visual to help keep the body moving with momentum during and past impact. Many golfers think of the ball as the final destination of the swing, which is not at all the case.

Driving your trail shoulder towards the golf ball is another excellent visual or positional tip to remember as you move into and through the impact position. Some players like to feel as though they are hitting the ball with their trail shoulder.

Leading with your hands and the shaft as you move into impact will ensure that you will compress the ball, or, in other words, use the clubhead's loft more effectively as you strike the ball.

The best ball strikers have their lead hand, or the logo on their glove, in line with the club shaft, at impact. There is no "cupping" or an increased angle between the back of their lead hand and their wrist. At impact, the back of the hand should be facing the target.

Some "bowing," or having their wrist slightly ahead of the back of their lead hand, is OK for some as they move into the all-important impact position.

If you execute the previous checkpoints, you will naturally return a square clubface at impact, which, combined with a neutral swing path, results in effortlessly straight golf shots.

At impact, most of your weight should be transferred to your lead foot. Many golfers struggle to execute this and leave a considerable amount of weight on the trail foot. This usually happens because they try to help the ball up with too much of an upward swing path as they move into impact. Failing to properly shift weight to your lead foot is a huge cause of poor and inconsistent ball striking. If you can execute this move, you’re on your way to quality ball striking.

Speed and tempo are two critical components in golf that significantly impact a player's performance. Speed denotes the velocity at which the clubhead moves through the impact zone, while tempo encompasses the overall rhythm and timing of the swing.

Integrating the right amount of speed into your swing is crucial for power and distance, but it's a delicate balance. Speed should never compromise accuracy. 

Many golfers aim to increase their clubhead speed for longer shots, but it's equally important to maintain control and balance throughout the swing. Remember, it's not just about hitting hard; it's about swinging smart.

Conversely, tempo dictates the cadence and fluidity of the swing. Consistent tempo empowers golfers to retain authority over their shots, fostering improved timing and coordination. Discovering the right tempo is a highly individualized process, as each golfer possesses their unique natural rhythm and pace. Some players may thrive with a slower, more calculated tempo, while others may excel with a faster, more assertive tempo.

It is important to recognize that speed and tempo are intertwined aspects of the golf swing. Striking a harmonious balance between the two is pivotal for great ball striking. 

A player with a swift swing tempo may benefit from maintaining a seamless transition and rhythm to avoid swinging too quickly. Conversely, a golfer with a slower tempo may need to concentrate on generating more clubhead speed without compromising control.

Improving your speed and tempo in the golf swing is a journey that often requires dedicated practice and expert guidance. Tools like video analysis and training aids can be invaluable in honing these aspects of your swing. By mastering your speed and tempo, you can achieve more consistent and powerful ball striking, leading to enhanced performance on the golf course.

Developing patience while learning the golf swing is essential. It takes a lot of time to make the techniques and timing required to hit a golf ball well second-nature. 

Rushing the process can lead to frustration and bad habits. With patience, you can gradually improve and gain a deeper understanding of the mechanics involved in the proper golf swing, resulting in more consistent and effective performance on the course.

Getting coaching in golf can be incredibly beneficial for improving your game. A good coach can help you develop proper technique, provide valuable feedback, and offer personalized guidance to address your strengths and weaknesses. They can also help you avoid bad habits and provide support and encouragement as you progress. 

Overall, investing in a coach can significantly accelerate your improvement and make the learning process more efficient and enjoyable.