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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?