The three most common errors I see when giving golf lessons are failing to (1) get down in an good athletic posture, (2) slow down the backswing, and (3) stay down through the top of the backswing. Committing one or any combination of these flaws makes it hard for you to achieve consistency. And inconsistency makes it all but impossible for you achieve a low score or a low golf handicap. But you can generate consistency by correcting those three flaws.
If you want to be more consistent—and achieve a low golf handicap—you need to get down, slow down, and stay down. Correct these problems and you will see a big improvement in your swing and your game. Getting down makes it easier to start the club on the correct swing path. Slowing down makes it easier to keep the club on the right swing path. And staying down keeps your spine angle intact, vital to returning the clubface’s center to the ball at impact.
Below are some adjustments that make it easier to get down, slow down, and stay down.
Begin with Good Athletic Posture
A good athletic posture, as I’ve said in my golf tips, is one of the keys to generating power. Poor posture, on the other hand, short-circuits power. If you bend over too much, your shoulders turn to much, creating a reverse weight shift. That in turn moves the body’s weight over the left leg rather than the right leg on the backswing (right-handers). Once the weight shifts left, the result is usually an out-to-in downswing path. If you stand too upright, you’ll tend to swing too far inside. In either case, you’ll either pull or slice.
The address position for the golf swing is the same as for most athletic contests. It resembles that of a tennis player prepared to return a serve or a shortstop ready to field a ground ball. Unfortunately, many weekend golfers don’t achieve this type of posture. Here are the keys to attaining it.
- Set your feet about shoulder width apart (for a driver)
- Center your weight over the insides of your heels
- Hold the club in front of you (like a tennis play waiting to return a serve)
- Flex your knees enough so you can move in any direction
- Adjust your upper arms so they hang directly under the shoulders
If you use these keys as guidelines, you’ll achieve a posture that will help you get down when hitting the ball.
Center Your Weight
Centering your body weight—maintaining your balance—is a key to driving the ball with power. Center your body weight over the balls of your feet, as I’ve mentioned in my golf tips. Unfortunately, many weekend golfers move their weight too far forward of their feet, making it harder to maintain their original positions. Centering your weight over the insides of your heels moves it more toward the center of your feet, improving balance. And balance is a must when swinging a club. Focus on maintaining the correct weight distribution in your posture and you’ll build a solid foundation from which to drive the ball.
Keep the Backswing Under Control
One of the biggest problems I see with players taking my golf lessons is the speed of the backswing. Weekend golfers take the club away too quickly. This swing fault breaks down the proper “chain reaction” needed for a good swing. As a result, some parts of the swing race ahead of the others before the other parts have a chance to get started, disrupting your rhythm. Rhythm is the saving grace of many a golf swing.
If you’re going to achieve a swing delivering power and consistency, it’s vital that you allow each phase of the swing to be completed before moving into the next. That’s because the completion of one phase of the swing triggers the start of the next. If one phase isn’t completed, the stimulus needed to start the next doesn’t occur. If the backswing is fast, control of the rest of the swing is lost. For maximum power, you need maximum control, so slow your backswing down.
One way to do this is to copy Ernie Els. Everyone has his or her own pace at which he or she plays. Some people are more comfortable playing quickly. Some are more comfortable playing slowly. So the speed of everyone’s backswing will be slightly different, but it must be done at your pace. Els maintains his pace by using a key phrase as a timing device. As he takes the club back, he repeats the phrase “low and slow” to himself. This phrase not only reminds him to take the club back slowly, but also to stay low on the takeaway.
Other professionals use different phrases, like “smooth and slow,” to time the pace of their backswings. Instead of juggling different swing thoughts, find a phrase that fits your pace. Then use it as a timing device for your backswing. The perfect phrase will encourage a smooth takeaway and a slow backswing. You can also try visualizing the takeaway of a pro with a similar pace as your own.
If you want to achieve the swing you’ve always wanted, work hard on three critical keys: get down into an athletic posture, slow down your backswing, and stay down through the swing. If you master those three swing keys, you’ll be well on your way to developing a consistent, powerful swing that produces a low golf handicap.
