Despite the fact you stand still and hit a stationary ball during a golf swing, it's often difficult to get the ball to go where you want it to go. You can avoid many swing problems before you even start your shot with a proper set-up. You'll also reduce errors if you de-emphasize your quest for power.
Know the Problems
For most recreational players, the slice, hook and lack of distance are the most frequent problems a poor swing causes. Understanding how these problems occur will help you improve your swing. A slice occurs primarily because your club travels from outside of your shoulders to inside, putting a left-to-right spin on the ball, if you're a right-hander. A hook is the opposite -- an inside-to-out swing causing the ball to travel from right to left. Lack of distance comes from lack of club speed. This often results from too much dependence on the upper body, leading to tense muscles, which slow the club down.
Set Up
Create a straight swing path and let your lower body do more work with a correct set up. If you stand too close to or far away from the ball, you'll create the swing paths that lead to slicing and hooking, respectively. Experiment with your proximity to the ball to gauge which position lets you swing the club straight forward. For distance, place the ball in the middle of your stance, equidistant between your front and back foot as your starting point. Move the ball slightly forward to get more of your weight into your shot and more distance. Placing the ball too far forward or back leads to hooking and slicing, respectively.
Use a Stronger Grip
A weak grip, which has your lower palm facing forward, feels more natural, but leads to a more open clubface that results in more slice. Using a stronger grip, which has your lower palm facing upward, may feel odd at first, but will close your clubface and decrease your slicing.
Use Bigger Muscles
Let your big muscles do the work to generate more distance. Rather than taking the club back with your arms pulling your shoulders and torso, push the club back by leaving your arms still and turning your core backward. This will help you keep your arms in a straight swing path as your shoulders push the club back. Begin your forward swing by leading with your hips. This will pull your core, shoulders and arms in that order. This also helps you keep your arms moving in a straight line toward the ball.
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