A golf swing is the sum of several, interrelated parts, primarily the set up, grip, backswing and forward swing. A miscue in any one of these components of the swing can throw the entire stroke out of alignment, with disastrous results. Understanding how the four main elements of a golf stroke work can help you make adjustments within each, to keep you in the fairway and out of the rough.
Set-Up
Before you even move your club, you'll need to be properly aligned to your target, with the ball in the right position. If the ball is too far forward (close to your front foot), you may make contact with your club face facing left (if you are a right-hander), making your ball hook from right to left. If your ball is too far back in your stance, you will see the opposite effect. If the ball is too close to you, you will create an outside-to-inside swing, creating a slice. A ball too far away from your will cause the opposite problem. The basic rule of thumb is to place the ball equidistant between your front and back foot, moving the club slightly back as your club length shortens (higher numbered clubs).
Grip
If the palm of your lower hand is closed too much (facing forward), you are more likely to slice the ball. With a more open grip (palm facing up), you will be more likely to solve this problem, or cause a hook if you go too far. The top hand (left hand for righties), should be more closed, with the thumb and fleshy part of the heel of the hand on top of the shaft. In some instances, such as when you want to slice around an obstacle, you may want to close your lower hand (palm facing forward) to create a slice.
Backswing
The backswing in golf uses eccentric muscle contractions (your muscle extend), which store more energy than concentric contractions (your muscles contract). The takeback in a golf swing not only creates most of the energy you will use in the forward swing, but gets the club in position to come forward. In order to get maximum power and control during a backswing, you will want to rely on your torso to do much of the work, pushing the arms back, rather than trying to do the bulk of your work with the arms, trying to pull your upper body back. Your initial move should be from your core, turning your upper body and shoulders, with your arms extending naturally back and away from your body, working with your core turn, not fighting against your shoulders. At the top of the backswing, a slowdown or very short pause helps coordinate the shift into the forward swing, transferring the power built up during the backswing.
Forward Swing
Club head acceleration on the forward swing is effected primarily with a quick opening of the hips, which moves the torso forward, creating the internal shoulder rotation which creates most of the club head speed, according to tennis research on the striking motion by Dr. Bruce Elliott of the University of Western Australia. Opening up the hips brings the shoulders into the shot and collapses the elbows in, which makes the arms whip through the stroke. The forward swing finishes with a breaking of the wrists just prior to contact to align the club head with the target, and the follow through, which allows the arms to decelerate naturally after the ball is hit.
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