The Parts of a Golf Swing

The Parts of a Golf Swing
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According to a 2005 study published in the "British Journal of Sports Medicine," the golf swing is a complex movement that uses your entire body to create power to propel a golf ball long distances with accuracy. The researchers of this study state that the golf swing relies on coordinated patterns of muscle recruitment to create a fluid and reproducible movement. The three main parts of a golf swing are the following: the stance, the backswing, and the downswing and follow-through.

Stance

During the stance phase of your golf swing, you grip your club and address your ball, assuming a balanced position. Unlike the other phases of your golf swing, the stance or address phase does not involve dynamic movements. GolfHelp.com states that the stance phase of your golf swing is important because it helps you reduce swing faults, improves your shot consistency and allows you to hit the ball at the appropriate point of your swing arc. Situating yourself square to the ball will encourage a square contact between your golf club and the ball. A square position means that your feet are situated perpendicular to the line of drive or parallel to the target line. To help you find the proper stance, it may be beneficial for you to envision a set of railroad tracks, upon which your feet are touching one rail and your ball the other. How far away you situate yourself from the ball depends largely on which type of club you're using. If you're using a driver, you'll position yourself farther away from the ball than if you're using a short iron.

Backswing

According to Golf-Swing-Magic.com, your golf backswing incorporates three distinct parts, including your pivot and weight transfer, raising your club away from your ball and into the air and bending or breaking your wrists in preparation for your downswing and follow-through. The backswing phase of your golf swing is intended to help you generate speed and power prior to you striking the ball. Golfers traditionally have been taught to keep their heads steady during the backswing phase, which was believed to be beneficial. However, according to Paul Wilson at MyGolfProShop.com, you want to rotate your head slightly during your backswing because it helps you create an axis around which to swing your club in a circular motion. Golf-Swing-Magic.com touts a wrist break early in your golf backswing as a constructive way to improve your overall swing, despite the fact that it contradicts conventional thinking about when your wrist break should occur.

Downswing and Follow-Through

The downswing and follow-through phase of your golf swing requires the perfect blend of technique and power, and it requires significant core strength to generate club head speed and control your trunk rotation. According to 1st-Beginners-Golf-Swing-Tips.com, your downswing and follow-through should not be forced but, rather, should be the natural result of everything---including the stance phase and backswing---that precedes it. GolfSwingGenius.com states that a proper downswing incorporates an unwinding of your upper body while your arms swing your club down toward your ball. At impact, after you have shifted your weight from your trailing foot to your forefoot, it's important to keep your hips behind the ball. If you feel as though your hips are out in front of the ball or your arms are positioned behind your body during your downswing, the efficiency and quality of your swing is likely to suffer.

References

Article reviewed by TheronN Last updated on: May 28, 2010

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