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By Lana Ortega, PGA, Photography by William Swartz
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 When I watch a golfer hit a 7-iron, then a driver, he or she invariably
amps up the swing speed with the longer club. Surely, the clubhead of
the driver moves faster because it’s longer, but it’s because of the
principles of physics, not because the golfer is swinging the club with
a faster tempo.
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By Karen Palacios-Jansen, LPGA, Photography by Sam Greenwood
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 The word “release” sometimes causes confusion among high-handicappers.
They know they have to release the club, but they’re not sure how or
when to do it. Here’s the skinny: A proper release happens naturally
when the golfer allows the clubface to square through impact as a
result of the proper path and clubhead speed. It’s not a position that
you can just put yourself into at impact—you have to arrive at it via
the proper sequence.
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By Brady Riggs, PGA, Illustration by Phil Franke
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 The biggest challenge for a golf student is to feel the proper mechanics. Fortunately, there’s a simple way to experience the feeling of the most important moment during the golf swing: impact.
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By Mike Corcoran, PGA, Photo by Warren Keating
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 In any sport, the feet and legs must work together in order for the
rest of the body to function properly, and golf is no exception. In a
fundamentally sound swing, the feet need to roll from side-to-side to
provide power and control. On the backswing, the left foot should roll
to the inside, and the heel should stay on or near the ground. During
the downswing, the right foot should roll to the inside before the heel
gets pulled up for the finish. By maintaining contact with the ground,
you’ll create leverage and be better able to swing in control.
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By Heath Talbot, PGA Illustration by Phil Franke
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 Recreational golfers who constantly struggle to fix their swing
problems would do well to fix their posture first. Rounding the back,
flexing the knees too much and tucking the head down to see the ball
are common setup faults that can lead to a poor swing. If your posture
isn’t right, you’ll be forced to swing with mostly your arms and hands,
creating very little shoulder turn.
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By Jay Golden, PGA, Illustrations by Phil Franké
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 In instant prior to completing his backswing, Ben Hogan initiated his
downswing with his body and arms, creating a lagging action or “snap.”
This move resulted in a type of torque similar to that of casting a
fishing pole.
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By Al Wagner, PGA, Illustration by Phil Franke
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 Many amateurs allow their right elbow to move too far away from their
body at the top of the backswing, so that their elbow is pointing
behind them, almost in the position of a baseball player in a batting
stance. This “flying” right elbow at the top of the swing is a frequent
cause of a nasty pull or slice.
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By Joe Buttitta, PGA, Illustration by Phil Franke
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 Let’s assume you get the club to the top of the backswing, positioned
somewhere above the right shoulder. You feel on balance, the swing is
on-plane, but you still manage to either slice the ball or push it to
the right to some degree. Frustrating as all hell, isn’t it?
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By Brady Riggs, PGA
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 Currently ranked fifth in the world, Retief Goosen is an elite-level
player who has two U.S. Open titles on his résumé and the potential to
win several more. Known for long, accurate driving and clutch putting,
Goosen’s swing is somewhat idiosyncratic, filled with compensating
moves that make it less than ideal by modern standards.
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By Jeff Quinney with Ryan M. Noll; Photography by D2 Productions
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 Without question, two of the most important factors that affect the
golf swing are balance and tempo. If you don’t have balance, then you
won’t have consistency. And if you lack a consistent tempo, you can
kiss control goodbye.
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Instruction 
