Ready, Set, Swing | Golf Tips Magazine

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Full Swing

Ready, Set, Swing

Six ways to improve your game without ever swinging the club

By Tim Mahoney, PGA, With Charlie Schroeder

Page 2 of 4


Notice how both my hands (right) are rotated 45 degrees to the right. This is the perfect position for a square clubface. At left, you see the results. My clubface is on-plane, and as long as I continue to swing in the right sequence, I’m guaranteed to produce solid contact.

Good Grip = Square Clubface
Most golfers (especially new ones) don’t fully grasp the importance of a solid grip. Since your hands are the only contact you have with the golf club, how you hold it directly impacts your clubface position during the swing. Think of there being two clubfaces during the swing: one at the spine (the clubhead) and one where you hold the club (your hands). If your grip is incorrect, your clubface will mirror it and either be correspondingly open or shut.

FIND IT: Turn both your hands about 45 degrees to the right (lefties go the other direction). The “V” formed between your left hand’s thumb and forefinger should point at your chin and your right hand’s corresponding “V” should point at your right shoulder (shown at right). Check out the results (below). My clubface is square and on-plane. It’s hard to go wrong from here.


My athletic posture has given me a base from which this kind of rotation is possible. My shoulders are 90 degrees to my target line, while my hips are half that. This pivot creates the perfect scenario for a swing that uncoils with tremendous force and energy.	Good posture is overlooked by many golfers, but it shouldn’t be. It must be athletic (shown here), so don’t slouch! Notice how my back is straight and I’m hinging from the hips. I’m in a great starting position to hit the ball.

Good Posture = Good Pivot
Posture, along with grip, is a fundamental that tends to get overlooked by most casual golfers. All too often, I see golfers slouch over the ball so much at address that they look like they’re going to fall over! It’s important to keep in mind that the golf swing is an athletic motion, and like a linebacker eyeing a running back, golfers must be in an optimum starting position so they can physically “explode.” Rounded bodies simply can’t do that. Likewise, stand up too straight, and you can’t generate the proper tension in your swing.

FIND IT: Keep your back flat and hinge from the hips so if the club wasn’t in your hands, your arms would hang freely under your shoulders. When you reach the top of your backswing, your shoulders will be perpendicular to the target line and your hips will have rotated 45 degrees, creating a tense coil that can unwind with controlled rage.

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