How to Swing a Club

The golf swing can be complicated if you're not familiar with the process. Learn some tips for executing a great golf swing in this golf video.

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Turn your body
Wrist hinge
Return club to address position
Finish body turn
Face target

About this Author

Jay Golden has been a PGA Member since 1982 and was selected for the PGA National Teaching Committee in 1988. He has taught golfers of all levels ranging from stark beginners to professionals on the PGA and LPGA Tours. He has written hundreds of instruction articles and a book with the all-time winningest golfer of official tour events, Kathy Whitworth, entitled "Kathy Whitworth's Little Book of Golf Wisdom." He has also made numerous appearances on TV, has lectured on the topic of "How To Teach Golf" to PGA Members, and is an accomplished golfer and long driver.

JAY GOLDEN: In this segment I am going to show you how to swing a golf club. There are two basic ways to do it. One is a complicated way with many different movements, many different positions, swing planes, swing thoughts, angles. And another way is that the exact opposite side, which is a very simple way, which is you are a child and it is more like you have a stick in your hand and you are trying to hit a rock and you just take a swing and try to hit that rock. Both of these ways are very accepted. They are used by many professionals. And I am going to start right now, first, with the more complicated way, although, either way you have to have a good grip, the way you hold that club, the way you hold that stick. And in general, you want to hold it in a way that you have control of it, that you are not squeezing it too tight, you are not holding it too loose, you have control of it, your hands are holding the club and you could do what you want with that implement. Next, there is a backswing. When you bring the club back, it is going to be swung fully with a wrist hinge, an arm swing and a body turn. And hopefully that is not going to be done with too much manipulation, trying to bring it outside or inside. It is more on a natural path but the top of your backswing. There is a full body turn, a full arm swing and full wrist hinge. As you move in to your ball, you are going to be doing the opposite. You are going to be turning your body into the ball, swinging your arms into the ball and unhinging your hands and wrist into the ball so that the club head is in the same position as it was at address when you started. As you move in to your follow through, your speed and strength and movement is going to continue to turn your body, your arms and your hands. And when you finish, your body should be facing the target with your hands above your shoulders, standing on your right toe. Those are the basic fundamentals of the swing, however, the simple way. Many of those things could happen automatically. If you had a stick and you brought that stick back and you try to hit the rock, "Zing," like a child. Watch a child take a stick and try to hit a rock. And that is the simple way of making the golf swing. I hope that helps you out. Complicated, simple, it is all one swing.

How to Swing a Club Video

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