The Golf Swing: Phases Of Your Tee-off, Putt, Or Any Other Swing
Picture yourself in this scene at the first tee of a golf course.
* Hold the golf club loosely * Have my left thumb here * Bend
my knees there * Keep my eye on the ball * Get outta here you
miserable fly! * Don't talk on the tee * What was that important
tip dad told me yesterday? * Good grief! Everyone is staring at
me! * What did the golf teacher on the Golf Channel say last
week? * Rats! I got my 6-iron instead of my 9-iron! * What did
my neighbor's cat say to do? * Aaaaarrrrrrrggghhhh! * There's
too much to remember!
Don't despair! Below, you will learn an orderly solution to this
confusing state of affairs as you attempt to tee-off, putt,
chip, pitch, or play any other type of golf shot.
In time you will blend some of the following phases together as
one phase. But, never develop thoughts which jump back and forth
among these phases.
This is the 3rd article in my series which will lead you towards
good putting, chipping, and swing skills.
In my 2nd article I introduced you to the idea that most of our
poor golf skills come mostly from one wrong thought which is
buried in our subconscious thinking. Much of what I have taught
my golf students is designed to replace that wrong thinking with
a better thought which can become part of our subconscious
control of the golf swing.
This article will give you an overview of a very important part
of your golfing — what to think about when you try to hit
that white round "thingy" on the ground (or in the water or off
the neighbor's flower bed.)
By following a regular pattern in your effort to hit the golf
ball you will be able to give more attention to overcoming that
subconscious, natural desire to push your golf club through the
ball to make the ball get to point B.
You will learn about a basic step-by-step process that you can
follow for every golf shot. This is a bit lengthy but it covers
some important ideas.
I want you to know these phases before you get into my putting
and swing instructions. These lesson modules are given in a way
which follow these phases. You will be able to apply them in
your current golf outings. You will also be able to practice
these phases in a limited way if you practice putting on your
carpet at home.
This process separates a lot of things you try to remember into
a consistent order of events which will become a habit for you
to follow without giving much thought. In fact, at each phase
you will eventually focus on 1 or 2 ideas which will act as a
guide for doing that phase with very little thought.
Many of these phases are given in a way so that you can:
* do them * know that you are prepared for the remaining phases
* and then change your focus to the next phase without going
back to any thoughts of the phase you have just done
Your thoughts will be so organized that you will not feel like
you are running through a checklist of 20 to 50 tips that have
you fidgeting at the ball as you try to remember what to do.
Phase One - DISTANCE:
It begins as you arrive at the next tee-off or where your ball
lies from the previous hit. It makes you think of the distance
or the height of your next hit. When you know your distance or
height choose the club which is usually hitting the ball the
indicated distance Once the correct golf club is in your hands
you eliminate distance from any further part of your golf swing
steps This phase is the first of two phases which deal with you,
the golf ball, and where the ball is to land.
Optional Phase — PRACTICE SWINGS away from the ball or
tee-off:
Light, half-swings Practice your posture for the club in your
hands Practice your turn movements in posture. So important!
Training your back and "tummy" muscles to execute the main part
of swinging your golf club is the priority. Give thought to
these phases of playing your golf shot
Phase Two — POSITION at the ball and DIRECTION:
Here you place your feet with 3 objectives in mind: Line your
toes of both feet along a parallel line from the ball to it
destination. Move closer or farther from the ball to allow you
to be in good posture Move sideways to the ball so it is
positioned where you want it between your feet. My lesson
modules will teach you some ways to do this phase. When you are
satisfied that your feet are positioned do not move them again
until the momentum of your club, arms, and body pull you into an
upright posture as your swing is finishing. Once you have
completed this phase you can hold the club wherever you want to
prepare for the next phase. DIRECTION and DISTANCE are now
complete. You do not want to think of these 2 elements of your
golf swing process again. The remaining phases focus on you, the
golf club, the golf ball, and your swing movements and
non-movements.
Phase Three — TAKE HOLD of your golf CLUB
In this phase you "grip" your golf club in your desired manner.
As you do this your feet are not to move. This phase also places
the bottom of the club head in the correct alignment to your
body. My articles and lesson modules will help you develop a
desired grip on your club. Once you have taken hold of the club
you should not move your hands or fingers on the club for any
reason - no fidgeting!
Phase Four — POSTURE of your legs, body, head, and arms
Here you establish your foundation for controlled movements You
establish desired angles of all joints to allow the best freedom
of movement when you swing the club. You position yourself in
these angles while confirming that you feel almost the same
comfort you do while standing in a natural position. You do not
want to feel any stress. If you do then you will most likely be
out of posture in some part of your legs, body, arms, or head.
My articles and lesson modules will teach you how to practice a
good golf posture at home until you can feel what your posture
should be without going through the practice steps. You will
also learn to feel 3 body check points and one visual check
point so you can be in posture in 1 or 2 seconds once you have
gripped your golf club.
Phase Five — SNUG: not "loose" - not "relaxed" - not
"rigid"
What is THIS?!!! I have seen golfers "keeping their heads
still" so rigidly their heads quiver. I have seen golfers so
relaxed or loose that every move they try to make causes other
movements they don't want to make. The idea of relaxed means
that you are comfortable and confident in your head that you
have done some orderly steps to prepare you for the best golf
swing you can do. It is a "head" thing — not a body thing.
You need to snug your joints just enough so that you do not have
unwanted movements when you carry out your intended movements.
Do you want to learn to do a "one piece takeaway"? Learn a
comfortable level of snugness in your body and you will be ready
to do this skill. (I have an article on how to do the "one piece
takeaway". Check out my website for its availability.) I also
have an article about firming a part of your body which is
seldom referred to in talk about golf swing technique. Watch for
this article.
Phase Six — WHERE IS YOUR SPINE?
"Whaaaat? Why it is behind my tummy and heart!" Right. But, it
is also at a specific angle that you set in Phase Four. To make
comfortable, controlled turns in the next 2 phases you need to
be aware of your spine angle.
A pause in the steps
Everything you have done in the phases listed above has been to
prepare you for the next 2 phases. You do not have to rush
through the above steps. But, you do not want to take too long
at each stage. Now, you are about to carry out the motion phases
which can last less than 3 seconds.
If you carefully prepare yourself in the above phases you will
be ready for the stresses you will experience in the takeaway
and return swing movements.
Phase Seven - TAKEAWAY or Backswing
Your golf swing can be ruined within the first inch of whatever
movement you do in this phase. Here, you need to know how to
comfortably do 2 critical movements. To maintain top control of
these 2 movements you must know how to do a whole lot of "don't
move this or that". But, the "whole lot" is taken care of in
Phase Five. This phase is a positional move which you will learn
to do in a rhythmic tempo with the next phase. You do not use
power or speed in this phase. You simply want to get your body,
arms, and golf club a suitable distance away from your start
position from where you can then apply a desired blow to the
golf ball. If you feel a bit weak during this phase and at the
end of this phase then that is OK -- if you feel comfortable and
ready for the "violence" of the next phase.
Phase Eight — THE RETURN SWING
If you have executed the phases above to where you feel
comfortable and ready then you have to do a lot of awkward work
to ruin a good return swing to the ball. An important part of
this phase which you mentally train yourself at home is to
realize that some of the muscles throughout your body, legs, and
upper arms have either bunched up or stretched out of their
position of Phase Six. Part of the return swing involves
"unbunching" or relaxing muscles which tightened to carry out
the takeaway phase. Part of the return swing involves tightening
the muscles which relaxed and stretched to allow the takeaway
movements. The above two activity groups have to be carried out
while holding as close as you can to the posture position set up
in Phase Four. All through this aggressive activity there are
stresses on your body which are often caused by desired
movements in other parts of your body. Most importantly, you
must not give in to the "one wrong thought" I have described in
the previous article of the series of free articles available on
my website. My lesson modules teach you a method of carrying out
3 essential movements which are basic to the return swing of
most of your golf shots.
Phase Nine — THE FOLLOW-THROUGH
The momentum you create in Phase Eight will determine how you
finish your swing movements after the ball has been hit. If you
lose your balance and lean or fall in the direction the ball is
flying then any swing error is minor. If you lose your balance
in any other direction then you have done something very
incorrect in Phase Eight. Many of the swing errors of the
previous 2 phases familiar to golfers will cause you to have an
incorrect finish position in this phase. The only time I teach
you anything about a correct finish to your swing is when I show
you my two basic turning exercises which come with all of my
lesson modules.
FOCUS Training As You Practice These Phases
Above, I use the word, "focus". In each phase you are to focus
on the purpose of that phase and on any steps you follow for
that particular phase. When you have completed the step(s) of a
phase you then change your focus to the steps and purpose of the
next phase. You keep doing this until all the phases have been
completed.
Phases 1 to 6 can be methodically thought out for every golf
swing you do for the rest of your life. Phases 7 to 9 happen
quickly in which you respond to a feeling or to 1 or 2 key
thoughts which you have practiced. You practice the steps of
each of these last 3 phases at home and at practice facilities.
You can use my swing instructions or my exercises to teach your
mind the steps in slow motion. The more your mind can
automatically remember the steps then the better it can direct
and guide your muscle movements during the quickness of the
actual golf swing.
Why Should You Practice These Phases?
In my lesson modules I will make frequent references to this
process as it applies to putting, chipping, pitching, and the
full swing.
These phases are a good starting point for you to learn as you
venture forth to learn to golf or to become a better golfer. You
will eventually develop your own process for playing a golf
shot.
Practice these phases at home until each of them becomes
automatic. You will begin to pick a one-word thought or phrase
which helps you to remember each step.
As you become adept at completing the whole routine you will
begin to see a panorama picture of your body, the ball, the
target destination, and the surrounding golf course or driving
range scenery.
Your goal is to be able to walk up to a tee or the ball in the
grass, set up to the ball, and make minor adjustments until you
feel comfortable and until you see the desired "picture". As
soon as you see the "picture" and feel comfortable you will
execute your golf swing before you have time to fidget or to get
apprehensive.
Apprehension causes nervousness which causes tension which
inhibits your golf swing. Someone says relax or be loose and the
next time you flop around like a rag doll and wonder why you hit
a poor golf shot.
Practice these phases and you will build confidence that you
will make your best swing most of the time.
Copyrite June 18, 2004
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