Golf swings vary by the individual, but many consistencies are common to every good swing, no matter the age, gender or stature of the player. One way to see the similarities is to look for triangles in stages such as the setup, backswing, impact zone and follow-through. A triangle even is at work in the basic grip.
The Grip
A standard golf grip throughout the world is the Vardon grip. The grip was developed by Harry Vardon, a dominant English player who won seven major professional championships between 1896 and 1914. You can see a triangle in this grip formed by the line of the shaft and the V formed by the thumb and forefinger of both hands.
Setup and Impact
Your shoulders and arms form the most important triangle in the golf swing. A key to distance is swinging the club on as wide an arc as possible, so your arms should be straight at address, which makes for a solid triangle. Tension is a distance-killer in the golf swing, so your arms should hang naturally to meet the club's grip, not locked straight at the elbows. The whole point of the backswing and downswing is to return you to the same position as your setup, with a solid triangle formed by your shoulders and arms, this time moving powerfully through the ball with a square club face.
Backswing and Follow-Through
You might have heard the old swing tip of "keep your left arm straight," which applies to right-handed players. As with the setup, your arm can bend slightly without penalty, but a relaxed but straight left arm keeps the arc wide to the top of the backswing. You form a triangle at this point in the swing by your trailing elbow--right for right-handers--bending and pointing to your right hip. On the follow through for that right-handed player, the opposite happens--the right arm extends through the hitting area and through and moves around the body as the left elbow crooks and points down to the left hip.
Lag
A consistent method of professional golfers is delaying the release of the wrist cock as late as possible in the swing. This technique allows a swing to release the clubhead through the hitting area as one would cracking a whip. The triangle here is open-ended, formed by the straight left arm and the shaft as the wrist is cocked.
Putting
More strokes occur in a round on the green than anywhere else on the course, and the triangle in this part of the swing, again formed by the shoulders and arms, is key for accuracy and distance control. In putting, the triangle stays intact throughout the swing, and you simply rock the triangle, back and through, like a pendulum. You can lean over and bend your arms if you feel more comfortable that way, but keep your arms the same throughout the swing.
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