Golf Tips to Improve your Golf Swing

Left Knee during the Swing

Many golfers let the left knee collapse toward the right on the backswing. This causes your shoulder to drop, and makes your hips sway and overturn. To fix this, imagine your left knee going out toward the target on the backswing. You should feel tension and stability in both knees. Can't quite get it? Try this: Imagine that you're holding a basketball between your knees. Give it a try, you'll be amazed!

Hand Position during Backswing

Here's a good image to keep in mind during your backswing: Think of placing your right hand in a "hitchhiker" position. This means that when the club is at waist height, you should be able to look back and see your thumb pointing to the sky. Here's another trick: Imagine that your hand is in a handshake position, with the palm facing neither up nor down. These simple thoughts will ensure the beginning of your swing is correct !

Pause at the Top

Swinging too quickly is a common mistake. I'm not saying you shouldn't swing with power and acceleration — but rather, that you need to maintain a rhythm. The best way to accomplish this is to imagine a slight pause at the top of your backswing before changing direction and beginning the downswing. Do this and you'll find your ball in the middle of the fairway more often !

Rock-Solid Right Knee

On the backswing, it's crucial to keep weight on the inside of the right foot, and maintain a slight bend in the knee. Failure to do this can mean poor contact and a loss of power. As you take the club back, imagine that the right knee is braced and solid like a wall. This helps your upper body coil behind the ball, so you can make an aggressive move through it--and really send it flying !

Muscle It !

Golf isn't a wrist game. To achieve a powerful swing, you need to employ the big muscles of the legs and trunk. The common instinct of many amateurs is to hit at the ball with only the arms and wrists. Every once in a while this may connect, but for real consistency and power, use the whole body, not just part of it. Muscle it !

Hit Low Into the Wind

Many players feel that they need to hit it harder into a breeze, but this causes them to put more spin on the ball and hit it higher. To hit it lower and more controlled, put the ball back in your stance a few inches and keep your hands forward. Use a longer club than you would otherwise, and swing easy. Remember the old saying, "Swing with ease into the breeze."

Use Club Loft to Your Advantage

When trying to get the ball airborne, hit down and through it. By allowing the club's loft to do the work, you'll achieve good contact, resulting in a natural flight path. Remember, golf clubs have loft for a reason--use it to your advantage!

Swing Easy When It's Breezy

When you're playing in the wind, a simple but very good thought is "swing with ease into the breeze." This thought helps keep you from over swinging in the wind and, in turn, prevent your ball from sailing too high. Greg Norman said he used this one on his way to winning the 1994 British Open.

Solidify Your Swing's Foundation

A consistent golf swing requires a smooth tempo and good balance. Just as a house needs a solid foundation, so does your golf swing. Practice hitting some shots with your feet close together (about six inches apart). This forces you to maintain better balance, tempo, and rhythm and will prove effective when you go back to hitting from your normal stance.

Swing through the Ball, Not at It

Consistent, powerful swings usually have one thing in common--extension through the ball after hitting it. A good way you can learn to perfect this is to put a tee about eight inches in front of the ball you are hitting. Make an effort to hit not only the ball but also the tee. This will help to train you to swing through the ball, not at it.