Golf Swing Mechanics Broken Down – The Ultimate Guide To Improvement
The golf swing is like a finger print, everyone has his or her own unique way of doing it and even when you get the most textbook of swings, you can still find a unique quirk/personal touch.
This is one of the most technical moves in all of sport and it is very difficult to get it right.
That being said, there are a number of things that you can do to make the swing easier and to improve your action. That is what this article is dedicated to.
We’re going to breakdown the swing and build it back up to help you improve the mechanics of your full swing.
What Does A Proper Swing Even Look Like?
Well, anyone who watches tour golf will know that even at the highest level of the game, no-one does it the same as anyone else.
Immediately this tells you that there isn’t one textbook swing that everyone should be aiming for. Ben Hogan chased the perfect swing all through his career.
In my opinion, the best swings I have ever seen are Tiger Woods, Ernie Els and Louis Oosthuizen. What you will see in all of these swings is that the body does the work, rather than the hands, and this is a key concept that I’d like you to remember as we progress through this article.
Benefit Of Breaking The Swing Down Into Parts
The golf swing is a very complicated move and you should concentrate on changing one thing at a time.
By breaking the swing down into smaller parts you can focus on small changes that build a better overall swing and ingrain good habits in a more deliberate way.
What Are The Components Of Swing Mechanics
Although we can swing the club successfully in many different ways, all elite golf swing have some non-negotiable fundamentals.
The most important of all of these is balance, then tempo/rhythm and solid fundamentals like posture, stance and grip.
There are also component parts of the golf swing so let’s break the swing down and dig a bit deeper into these parts. Think of these as the stages of the golf swing, there are five of them:
The Takeaway
The very start of the move, the least complicated but vital to get right.
The Backswing
Winding up the swing and getting set to hit the ball.
The Transition
Where the drama starts, the mid-point between the backswing and downswing.
The Downswing
The attack at the ball, a flurry of movement and where the magic happens.
The Impact & Follow Through
Hitting the ball then getting the club up into that classic golf pose.
What Is The Takeaway And Why It’s Important?
When you start your swing it’s vital to move it into a position that sets you up for the rest of the backswing.
Here you want to keep everything solid and stable, your body stays fairly still.
You just move the club toward your back foot feeling like your just tilting your shoulders.
Benefits Of Getting It Right
A good takeaway naturally flows into a backswing and sets out the timing of your swing.
Performing the takeaway too quickly can add tension to your swing and also ruin your tempo so this is about a calm and deliberate movement that makes the foundation of your swing.
Where Does It Usually Break Down?
Swaying into the takeaway is a very common fault which moves your weight away from the ball.
Another issue is moving too quickly as mentioned above. Both of these faults can make it very difficult to go on to swing successfully.
Tips For Improvement
Simplicity is your target here, move the club and tilt your lead shoulder (left if you’re right handed and right if you’re left handed).
Focus on using this short part of the swing to instil calmness in your swing.
What Is The Backswing In Detail And Why It’s Important?
Once your hands start to lift more vertically up toward your shoulders you’re in your backswing.
This is you winding your swing and creating elastic energy to release during the downswing. Getting this right will set you up to attack the ball in a deliberate but controlled way.
Benefits Of Getting It Right
You can add a lot of controlled speed to your swing by getting the backswing right.
By creating width in your swing and turn with your body you will be in a great position to deliver the club with power whilst under great and seemingly effortless control.
Where Does It Usually Break Down?
Golfers usually sabotage their backswing by making it feel easier for themselves.
They bend their lead arm, lift their lead heel or turn their body too much and reduce the elastic energy being built up. Another classic is the oversewing which completely ruins your timing.
Tips For Improvement
It is rare to see someone work hard on their backswing but it is definitely practice worth doing.
Try the “pre-set drill” which will help you get everything right, you see tour players doing this one.
Another thing you can do here is work on your upper-body flexibility, this is a longterm project.
What Is The Impact & Follow Through In Detail And Why It’s Important?
This is culmination of the swing and where you finally strike the ball.
This is about efficiently getting the club to the ball and setting it off toward the target.
Impact is clearly vital to your shot and getting the club path correct is what everything in the swing to this point has been about.
The follow through can have an effect on the flight of the ball and this is where it is important.
An abbreviated follow through can help you keep the ball low whilst exaggerating the club pat left or right through impact can help you shape the ball around obstacles.
Benefits Of Getting It Right
Getting impact and the follow through right can help you develop consistency in your game and improve your accuracy.
Improving your impact should improve your strike and raise the smash factor of your shots, this means more distance with more control.
Where Does It Usually Break Down?
One of the most common impact issues is “flipping the hands” trying to add loft to the shot.
This causes a jerky move through the ball and an uncontrolled follow through. It tends to lead to thin strikes and slices as you cut across the ball at impact.
Tips For Improvement
Work on compressing the ball at impact by leading with your hands through the ball and keep that shaft-lean intact through impact.
Getting this right will result in an instant change to the speed and sound of the ball coming off of your club face. It will result in you having to use your body more.
Common Set Up Mistakes And How To Fix Them
One of the most common issues in set up is alignment, note that these issues can strike no matter what level you play at or how long you’ve been playing. To fix these issues you should frequently practice with alignment aids to check your aim.
Recording yourself on video whilst you’re practicing is another great thing to do as you will see things from a different viewpoint.
Some great apps like V1 App help you analyse your set-up and swing, I can’t recommend this enough. Lessons with a PGA pro are also a great idea.
What Are The Key Components Of Your Stance When It Comes To Swing Mechanics
The golf swing is an incredibly complex athletic movement. So many of your muscles must work in a coordinated way to hit the ball consistently well.
With this in mind, your stance has to enable this movement so your weight has to be nicely balanced on the balls of your feet.
The stance should be wide enough to give you stability but not so wide that it restricts your mobility.
Finally, you should have a stance that allows you to use the ground to give you power, think of the way Rory McIlroy drives into the ground during his swing.
How Your Body Plays A Role In Swing Mechanics
During the golf swing almost all of your muscles have a role to play in the efficient delivery of the club to the ball.
Let’s take a closer look at how different parts of the body contribute to a successful and repeatable golf swing.
What Role Do The Shoulders Play?
The shoulders are there mainly for controlling the plane of the club during the transition.
They also help control the rotation of the upper body in the backswing and downswing.
The shoulders are an often overlooked muscle group during the golf swing.
Most Common Swing Issues
One of the most common issues you will see in the shoulders is a lack of flexibility which can lead to pain during the swing.
So many of us work at a desk all day which is terrible form our posture and it is important that we stay supple to avoid this pain and keep our swings smooth.
How To Resolve Them
By being proactive and working on your mobility daily then you can prevent injury and your keep swing moving nicely.
Here are a few moves you can do to help keep you fit and prevent the desk job from ruining your swing.
What Role Do The Hips Play?
Thinking of the hips during the swing, the best in the game at this are Justin Thomas or Anne Van Dam who really drive their swings using the hips.
The separation they create between the upper and lower body helps create incredible yet effortless clubhead speed.
Common Issues
Many golfers don’t use their hips efficiently enough. This can be observed at impact where the gap between average golfers and pros is most pronounced.
If you see a pro golfer at impact, their hips are often already facing the target, amateurs don’t have the same turn.
How To Resolve Them
This one takes work in the gym or certainly with deliberate exercise. Another issue can be early extension and working on your fitness to get your hips firing efficiently can help you avoid this issue whilst improving your turn through the ball.
What Role Do The Legs And Feet Play?
We’re back to Rory McIlroy as the model student on using the legs for power. Your feet are there to aid in the balance and transition of power through the swing.
The feet play a wildly undervalued role in the golf swing. Your legs really help drive the power into the swing.
Common Swing Issues With The Feet?
If your weight isn’t evenly distributed and is too much toward the toes or heels of your feet then you will really struggle with ball striking. You need to feel the weight in the balls of your feet in a nice athletic stance to help you use the power in your legs.
How To Resolve Them
Set up for a shot and consider how easy it would be for someone to knock you over.
You should be solid without feeling rigid, feeling stable but light on your feet is the best feeling. These drills can help you use your feet and legs better during your swing.
What Role Does The Head Play?
Ever been told to “keep your head down”? Well, this is one of golf’s most misunderstood and wrongly prescribed tips.
Your head should always follow the ball, keeping your head down is overly restrictive.
Common Swing Issues With The Head
Losing height is a bad one as players dip into impact, this leads to a lot of fat shots and inconsistency.
Keeping the head down for too long can cause neck strains and extra tension in the swing too.
How To Resolve Them
Allow your head to follow the ball and let it turn naturally during the swing. In this video, the guys from Me and My Golf show you how to use your head better and make it work for you.
Top 5 Swing Mechanics Tips For Beginners
1. Take really specific aim
Your body has an impressive ability to hit targets thanks to our evolution as hunters, allow it to work by focusing on specific targets for every shot.
2. Relax
Tension is one of the most damaging things in a golf swing and you need to relax in order to play your best golf.
Don’t overanalyse your swing.
3. Invest in lessons
Spend time working with a coach you like, they can help you with mechanics and get you swinging it better
4. Practice
You should be working on your game when you can.
If you are getting lessons then you should practice between lessons to get the most from your coaching investment.
5. Don’t Over Complicate it
We are so bad for making golf more complicated than it has to be, practice hitting balls at targets and you’ll see that you are better than you think.
Top 3 Swing Mechanics Aids On Amazon
1. Swingyde
The beauty of this one is in its simplicity. The Swingyde makes sure that you get everything on plane and that you set your wrists correctly in the backswing.
This is the Swiss Army knife of golf training aids, just make sure you install it correctly!
Overall Score: 93/100
Check Out More Reviews Here:
2. FunMove Impact Ball
This aid is also very simple yet effective. It makes sure that you keep your arms and upper body working efficiently during your swing.
The difficulty with this aid is how awkward it feels at first but it is worth sticking with it. The impact ball can really help your game.
Overall Score: 91/100
Check Out More Reviews Here:
3. The Orange Whip
One of the most popular training aids on tour, the Orange Whip ensures that your swing sequence is working efficiently and that your tempo is good.
This is a more expensive training aid but it is a worthy investment if your budget allows it.
Overall Score: 93/100
Check Out More Reviews Here:
Conclusion
The golf swing is complicated, we’ve been over that a few times but it is true.
Some simple concepts and drills can really help you develop a solid swing.
It is absolutely worth getting a coach to help get you started then you can start you on a path to improvement.
Hi, I am Matthew, a mid handicap golfer who likes to play as much as possible. I love trying out new gear and this blog is where you can find all the gear I have tested over the years!
