Grasping the fundamentals from the onset is vital to building a golf swing that will last.
So, you have a future golfer on your hands but don’t know where to start? The first six months of any new golfer’s development will define their progress and tendencies. Many things must be taken into consideration. Instruction that allows the golfer to grasp the fundamentals from the onset is vital to building a golf swing that will last. People often overlook equipment, too, especially when it comes to junior golfers. The common mistake I see parents make is giving children hand-me-down clubs they might grow into but that simply don’t fit right now. I get it! I’m a parent, too, but new golfers create compensating movements based on their equipment being too long and heavy.
So, you have the right equipment but don’t know what step to take next. Don’t fall into the trap of taking your junior to the range and teaching them your experiences. The rules you follow for your swing will probably not apply to theirs. It’s human nature to overcoach others. We desperately want the best for our kids, but that sometimes leads to coach desperation. I see this a lot when it comes to parent/child situations on the range. If the first thing doesn’t work, let’s try this instead. Before you know it, you have run out of ideas and frustration is at its highest. Regardless of someone’s ability to swing a golf club, you should always take a building block approach and not cut any corners. Stick to the PGA approach of posture, grip, alignment before even considering having someone hit a golf ball. Posture defines the shape of the swing and how much the body will pivot and rotate throughout the golf swing. Grip will influence most of the golf ball’s direction, and alignment determines whether the ball can stay on target. A breakdown in any of these areas will void a golfer of any consistency.
With two alignment sticks and four different-colored golf balls, create a practice station that highlights where the feet should be placed in relation to the golf ball. Your two alignment sticks should be placed on the ground, creating a letter “T.” Put both feet an equal distance on either side of the stick and toes parallel to their target. Place four different-colored balls in a row, starting from the middle of the stance and staggered toward the front heel. This will help identify the ball positions within the stance with different clubs.
As illustrated, the soccer ball position in the middle of the stance should be for any wedge, 9 and 8 iron, orange for a 7, 6, 5 and hybrid, yellow for fairway woods and red for a driver. Having different-colored golf balls creates a lasting memory for the new golfer and creates a systematic approach for the foundation of the golf swing.
To fully grasp what happens in the golf swing, you have a feel for what the body does and how it creates the correct sequence. Within the practice station, align your feet so that the alignment stick is toward the back inside heel. Make sure your weight is 50/50 as you cross your arms and place a golf club on the top of the shoulders. Posture should feel athletic and ready to move.
Maximizing the body’s rotation in its backswing is key to distance and power within the golf swing. In order to feel it, the golfer needs to rotate their body so that their weight shifts slightly in their inside back heel. At the resting point of the top of the backswing, the club across the shoulders should align up to the alignment stick between their feet. Spine angle should remain the same throughout the transition from address position to full backswing position.
Following the correct sequence will cause the weight to shift toward the opposite foot at impact. This weight shift starts from the ground up. Lead with the hips first, slightly rotating the opening toward the target. The shoulders will rotate back toward the target, too.
Complete the swing by completing the hip and shoulder rotation. The majority of the weight will be on the front foot, while the back foot “shows some shoe”—pivots to its toe. If done correctly, this position should be held for approximately five seconds.
Throughout the golf swing, there are key basic positions every level of golfer should know and recognize. Some theories have up to 16 positions, but for the average golfer, that’s way too many positions. Keep it simple and limit those positions to just four.
Stay with the practice station setup previously created, with both feet an equal distance on either side of the alignment stick on the ground. Weight should be evenly distributed while creating an athletic posture. While holding the golf club in the center of the body, notice how the arms and shaft of the golf club create a letter “Y.”
At the top of the backswing, the left arm should remain straight while the right arm folds at the elbow. The right forearm and golf club form a letter “L.” Creating this position demonstrates that the wrists have fully hinged on the backswing.
New golfers tend to avoid hitting the ground for fear of hurting themselves. Golf clubs, for the most part, are designed to lessen the club’s impact and not cause any harm. Weight at the moment of impact should be on the front foot, and the right arm straightens to help the club’s shaft angle lean forward through impact. Remember: No ground means no right arm extension; ground before the ball means no weight shift toward the front foot.
The swing isn’t finished when you hit the ball! At the end of the swing, most of the weight will be on the front foot. The back foot should have pivoted to its toe, and the heel is off the ground. The old saying “belt buckle to the target” is a simple reference to knowing if you fully finished the swing or not. I’m a big believer that new golfers decide whether they are going to stick with golf or not in the first few months. It takes a lot of dedication and discipline because golf is a difficult sport, period! Make sure that you give that new golfer in your life the right start and, as always, keep it fun.
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