Hitting a golf ball seems easy to non-golfers. The ball is stationary. It may be sitting on top of neatly cut grass called a fairway or on top of a tee. You get to swing a club that has a large striking area. Making solid contact seems simple, but it is anything but. You must coordinate your legs, hips, core muscles, back, shoulders, arms and hands. You must do this in a rhythmic manner that is reminiscent of a pendulum. It has a back swing and a follow through of equal length with a transfer of energy from back leg to front leg in the middle of the swing.
Set-up
In order to swing the club properly, you have to set up squarely. If you want to have a pendulum-like swing, you must be balanced as you set up to swing the club. Your left foot--for a right-handed golfer--must be facing directly at your target. Your left foot needs to be directly under the left shoulder. Your feet should be a little wider than shoulder width apart. You should play the ball about one ball width closer to your front foot than your back foot. Your knees should be bent in an athletic position.
Pendulum Approach
In order to make the ball fly far and straight, you need to hit the ball with a swing that involves all of your body. In order to get all parts to function correctly, think of the golf swing as a pendulum. What happens on the backswing must also happen on the follow through. Your are not trying to mash the ball with all your might. You are trying to use a smooth and rhythmic swing to drive the ball high, far and straight.
Backswing
In order to hit the ball straight and far, you must get your club in the proper position to launch the ball. To do this, think of the golf swing as a double pendulum. The top of the pendulum is the left arm and the bottom part of the pendulum is the shaft of the club. During the swing, the left arm swings in a circular arc with the left shoulder socket as the hinge point. Then the club shaft gets pulled by the left wrist. The club then releases because the left wrist moves in a circular path. The motion of the left arm and the club shaft are two pendulums.
Impact
At the top of your swing, your weight should be on your right leg with your hips turned away from the ball and your wrists cocked. On impact, your wrists are now uncocked and your weight is on your left foot. Your hips are turning to and through the ball and your left arm is pulling the club in a circular pattern. You are trying to keep your lower body still. The combination of your upper body moving and your lower body staying still creates leverage that helps you drive the ball.
Follow Through
This is where you complete the pendulum movement. You finish with your hands up high, and all your weight is on your left side. Your hands should be as high as your head. As your head was down on the backswing, it should also remain down on the follow through until the swing is completed.
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