7 Proven Golf Tips for a Better Swing for Beginners

Simple beats complex every time. That’s especially true when you’ve just started playing golf. There’s no better way to boost learning by simplifying things. For example, flaring your front foot out at address is a simple golf tip that produces longer, straighter drives. Doing that right from the start can boost confidence if you’re new to golf.

The seven golf tips we provide below are simple adjustments that can make a big difference in your swing and your game. Suitable for beginners, they’re proven and practical—no matter what your level of golf. But not all of them will feel natural. The trick is to practice them until you’ve ingrained them and they feel natural.



 

  • Tilt your shoulders back at address — Tilting your shoulders back is a simple way to generate loft—and distance—on your shot in the tee box. Tilting turns your spine away from the target and makes it easier for you to hit the sweet spot on the club. Tilt with your hips, though, not your waist. Level your shoulders, on the other hand, to hit lower shots, like when you’re paying in a headwind.

 

  • Pull down with your front knee — You need to swing down on the ball when hitting irons. The simplest way to do that is to pull down with your front knee. That move makes it easier for you to transfer your weight from your back foot to your front, putting you in position to hit down on the ball. It also helps eliminate scooping—a deadly swing flaw.

 

  • Align your whole body to the shot — You want to take dead aim at your target at address—not just with your shoulders and clubhead but with your entire body. If your shoulders and clubhead are pointing right and the rest of your body points left, it’s unlikely you’ll hit the ball straight or the spot you’re targeting. Align yourself every time you hit a shot.

 

  • Use plenty of pot loft — Hitting high lofted shots boosts confidence, especially if you’re a beginner. Hitting lower shots, on the other hand, encourages beginners to try to scoop the ball in the air. That’s among golf’s deadliest—and most damaging—swing flaws. To generate loft, practicing hitting shots with higher-lofted clubs—9-iron, PW, SW. That encourages good posture and better ballstriking.

 

  • Use your hips to start your downswing — If you’re like many beginners, you start your swing with your upper body. Or, you start your swing with your arms and shoulders. Doing this short-circuits power. Instead, try bumping your hips forward. Imagine yourself skipping across or a baseball across a pond. You start with your lower body, followed by your upper body.

 

  • Swing around your body — New golfers often start their swings with a drive-by swaying back and forth. That saps power. You need to swing around your body to optimize power off the tee. Additional golf tips for pumping up your power include:

 

  • Grip the club more in your fingers than palms
  • Stand with your fit at least shoulder-width apart
  • Relax your hands, arms, and shoulders at address
  • Swing the club on an inside-out path, not an outside-in path
  • Take your club away from low and slow



  • Stop swinging over the top — Swinging over the top means coming from the outside to in swing path into the ball. That causes a slice. (An open clubface at impact also produces a slice.) To correct this swing flaw, work on hitting a draw. It’s a better ball flight off the tee. Here are five steps to hitting a draw:

 

  • Close your stance a bit and keep it closed
  • Play the ball back in your stance
  • Use a strong grip with your lead hand turned in more
  • Swing on an outside-to-in swing path
  • Try to remain balanced throughout your swing

 

Work on each one of these tips for a better golf swing at the range first. That’s where you learn your trade in golf. Work on one of these tips at a time. Trying to learn more than one at a time complicates things. Instead, keep things simple. Hit 30 to 50 balls a session—whether you’re a beginner or veteran.

Also, take your time with each shot. Pick out a target before hitting the ball. Then, go through your pre-shot routine and swing away—just like you’d do on the course. Take at least two practice swings before hitting the shot. Practicing with a purpose, as it’s called, and keep things simple, effective, and productive.

Five Proven Tips for A Better Golf Swing

 

Swing checks are great. They can help you develop a rhythmic, flawless swing. They can help you hit longer, straighter shots. And they can help you achieve a powerful, dynamic swing, one that’s repeatable again and again and again.



Building a repeatable swing also helps boost confidence and accuracy. More importantly, it helps boost consistency. That can help you reduce your average score, lower your golf handicap, and increases your chances to break 80 for the first time.

 

But golfers differ. So, successful swing checks will vary from golfer to golfer. What checks work for one golfer may not work for you. So, try all five of the checks below. Ingrain the ones that work for you, then discard the rest. They’ll take your game to the next level.

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The five swing checks include:

 

  1. Pre-set your wrists
  2. Align yourself correctly
  3. Turn through your swing
  4. Stand close to the ball
  5. Pre-program your finish




Below are the five proven golf tips for a better golf swing that have helped golfers take their games to the next level:

 

  • Pre-set your wrists — Wrist hinge boosts power. But some golfers roll their wrist instead of hinging them, short-circuiting power and eroding consistency. To improve both, pre-set your wrists at the address. That move gives you a head start in hinging them on the way to the top.

 

  • Align yourself at setup —Some golfers align themselves using the ball. That aligns you to the ball, however, not the target. Missing your targets cost you strokes. Instead, look at your target when aligning yourself. That helps you set up correctly and find your targets more consistently. Memorize this swing check.

 

  • Turn through the swing —Golfers that sway at address finish on their back foot. Swaying causes mishits. To hit laser-like shots time and time again, turn through your swing. Check your shoulder position at your finish. It needs to be over your front foot, with your other shoulder pointing at the target.



  • Stand the right distance from the ball — To generate consistent ballstriking, you must stand just the same distance from the ball every time. Try the golf drill below to find the right distance from the ball:

 

Address the ball. Now take your right hand off the club and move it back about a foot. Next, move it back to the club. If it falls naturally back in its original position, you’re the right distance from the ball. If it swings over your hand, you’re too far away. If it swings under the club, you’re too close.

 

  • Pre-program your finish — Learn how far your shots go with a full swing finish and a half swing finish for all your clubs. Hold these checkpoint for emphasis. Memorize them. Then, rehearse them in practice to boost. Pre-programming your finish like this helps you control distance and increase accuracy.

 

These fives tips for a better golf swing are proven. Ingrain the ones that work for you. Then take them to the course. They’ll help you boost ballstriking, pump up power, and hit frozen ropes with both your woods and irons.

 

More importantly, they’ll help you build a repeatable swing that enhances consistency. That, in turn, will cut strokes from your scores, lower your golf handicap, and increases your chances of breaking 80 .

 



 

Generate a Dynamic Takeaway with this Simple Golf Drill

 

If you want a practical tip for a better golf swing, there’s no better place to start than at the takeaway. If you’re like many golfers, you take this phase of the golf swing for granted. But shouldn’t, especially if you don’t play a lot.

 

Nailing down your takeaway pays off. It improves ball striking, increases consistency, and stabilizes your swing plane. Ingraining a one-piece takeaway is the first step to taking your swing to a new level.

 

Below is a proven golf drill that helps you ingrain a potent takeaway:



  • Insert a tee into the grip end of a 7-iron. Now set up to a ball. Take your trail hand off the club while keeping your lead head on the club with a slight set in the wrist. Sweep the club away with just your lead hand. Keep the tee close to your body, which stops looping—a deadly swing flaw.

 

  • Keep your body and the club connected as much as possible as you go back. Go back low and slow. Stop when you get to about two feet off the ground. Now put your trail hand on the grip and come forward about a foot beyond the ball.

 

  • Keep swinging the club back and forth a few times. Then take the club back to the top. Now come forward to hit the ball. If you’re doing this golf drill correctly, the ball should fly long and straight.

 

Use this simple drill to ingrain the mechanics of a killer takeaway. Also, don’t rush this move. Keep it low and slow going back.

 

The takeaway is a great place to ingrain tips for a better golf swing. Nailing down your takeaway pumps up your ballstriking, boost consistency, and keeps you on the right swing plane through the swing. That saves you trouble and cuts strokes from your scores and golf handicap.