Today's Golf Tips - Lose Control to Gain Control

When I begin teaching a beginner student, I don't put the golf club in their hands for a lesson or two. The reason is that they want to start out trying to hit the ball by simply swinging the club with their arms. They are not conscious of what the body needs to be doing during the golf swing. In many cases, because they are only using the upper body, they are incapable of even hitting the ground!

When you initially start learning how to swing a golf club, you need to learn how to lose control of the club, and let your body, and gravity, do the work for you. What you need to focus on first are the fundamentals of the body movement. The photos below are examples of how I teach without the golf club. My students will swing a basketball or dodgeball, and learn how to just let their arms follow the body, particularly in the downswing.





Until the student can move the body properly, it will be difficult for them to swing a golf club properly. The main issue usually arises to start the downswing. Most beginners don't trust that the club will hit the ball if they let the lower body lead the downswing. They then try to hit the ball by using their arms, and this is what causes a variety of bad shots...topped shots, fat shots, slices, shots on the toe, etc.

Learn how to lose control and trust that moving the body properly will result in a good golf swing. Once you learn to lose control, you will gain better control over the golf ball!

Scott Cole
www.howtogolfyourbest.com