17 Proven Golf Swing Tips to Actually Get Better at Golf
There are so many golf tips out there – too many, in fact. Golfers thrive on golf tips because they seem like the golden ticket to becoming a great player.
Here’s your fair warning: no single tip will make you a great golfer. However, one bad tip can make you a terrible golfer.
Here are 17 of the best golf swing tips to help you get better this season. These tips can be applied to any handicap player, from scratch to beginner.
Improve Your Golf Swing (Key Takeaways)
Don’t have time to read all 17 golf swing tips in great detail? Here are a few of the most important things to remember:
- Improving your golf swing is greatly impacted by your hands and wrists; make sure you understand the correct positions and angles.
- Good golf swing tips don’t always come from your friends or playing partners; be smart about what you listen to and who is saying it.
- Incorporating technology and instant feedback into your golf practice routine can help take your game to the next level.
- Golfers who want to improve their swing must be intentional about their movements and understand the proper positions in a golf swing.
- Great players consider all aspects of the game, from alignment to equipment and everything in between.
Contents
- 17 Golf Swing Tips You Can’t Afford to Miss
- Pay Attention to Wrist Movement and Angles in the Golf Swing
- It’s All in the Hands
- Clubface Angle is What Causes the Problems
- Left-Hand Needs to Be in Charge
- Learn to Compress the Ball
- Play with Different Stance Positions
- There is More than One Correct Swing
- Don’t Take it Easy
- In Difficult Conditions, Listen to Your Brain, Not Your Ego
- Never Swing Unless You Have a Specific Target
- Establish a Repeatable Routine (Time it!)
- Movement is Not Always a Good Thing
- The Ground is Your Friend
- Master Alignment
- Manage Your Emotions
- The Left Arm Dilemma
- Equipment Matters (It Doesn’t Need to Be New)
- FAQ
- Final Thoughts
17 Golf Swing Tips You Can’t Afford to Miss
Pay Attention to Wrist Movement and Angles in the Golf Swing
The role of the wrists in the golf swing is often misunderstood by amateur golfers. Your wrist angles control the clubface.
One of the best ways to get wrist movement worked out is to work with HackMotion.
HackMotion is a sensor worn on the wrist that analyzes your angle at setup and then how that angle changes throughout the swing. It’s like having your coach on your wrist.
As you wear the HackMotion sensor, you will get real-time feedback on what needs to be improved regarding wrist movement and the flexed position you need to have at impact.
It’s All in the Hands
If you are on the driving range this weekend, ask a few golfers about their least favorite area of the game to practice.
The answer is almost always the grip.
The golf grip is just a boring thing to practice. Whether you are new or have been around a while, it’s not nearly as exciting as trying a new takeaway or transition that is bound to lead to better ball flight and distance.
Here’s the crazy thing. The grip can be the ONLY thing you need to work on. Yes, that’s right, for some golfers, a poor grip causes all the other issues in their game.
To work on the consistency of your golf grip, use the HackMotion. HackMotion measures wrist angles at setup so you can compare how you are setting your hands on the club from one swing to the next.
Also, keep in mind that although a neutral grip is recommended both a strong and weak grip can work.
Clubface Angle is What Causes the Problems
If you hit a slice, your golf club face was open at impact.
Of course, you will need to do a bit more work to figure out what causes this clubface angle, but understanding that the clubface is in charge is a key factor.
See if you can move through a few swings in slow motion to see why the clubface angle is incorrect at impact; sometimes, you can feel it almost instantly.
For many golfers, stance and setup-related issues make the clubface incorrect at impact.
Left-Hand Needs to Be in Charge
For a right-handed player, the left-hand needs to be the one in charge.
Some handsy golfers get their right hand involved in some shots, but it’s very hard to stay consistent throughout your entire round.
Take some practice swings where just the left hand is on the club. Then put the right hand on and see the difference in the feel. Let the right hand be on for the ride. The lead hand and wrist controls the clubface angle.
Learn to Compress the Ball
Want to get the ball up a little higher in the air? Want to gain a few extra yards of distance?
You must hit and compress the ball.
So many amateur golfers try to pick the ball clean right from the top of the turf. Although the golf superintendents will probably love you for this, you are doing yourself a disservice.
To get great distance and trajectory with the iron shots, you need to hit down and through the ball, taking a divot just after impact.
Overall, compressing the golf ball is the easiest to learn when chipping.
Take a narrow stance, choke down on the club a bit, and then lean a little on your left side before you take the club back. When you strike the golf ball, you will want to ensure you still have some weight leaning on that left side and are ready to strike the ball cleanly.
Take what you learn in chipping to the full swing and you’ll be able to compress your iron shots as well.
Play with Different Stance Positions
The correct position of your stance will vary depending on the club you choose.
You have to feel comfortable standing over the golf ball. Take a session at the range to experiment with golf stance positions.
You will need an alignment stick or two; if you have a launch monitor, it certainly can’t hurt to use it.
The key is to set up a stance you believe is correct. Start with feet shoulder-width apart, weight balanced, feet square, and clubface square.
Hit some shots from this position and see what the results are like. Once you have a baseline, start playing around with different positions. Only change one thing at a time.
There is More than One Correct Swing
If you take a lesson from a golf professional who tells you there is only one correct way to swing a golf club, you may want to find a new professional.
There are lots of ways to swing a golf club and still be a great player.
Even professional golfers have swing flaws and issues because they all have unique motions in their swing.
We can all agree that certain features of impact must remain the same, but there are many ways to get there.
Don’t Take it Easy
Amateur golfers often think they need to swing slower and take it easy. Don’t do this.
In fact, one of the things that I have seen to be most detrimental to golfers is when they stop accelerating through the golf ball.
You can swing within your means, practice good tempo, and not be falling over at impact. In addition, you may want to take the club back slower. These are important things to consider.
However, if you try to slow the club down as you move through the impact position, you will more than likely hit behind the ball or even hit a shot to the right.
Golf is a sport, and athletes go after the golf ball to try and get distance and accuracy. You should be doing this as well.
Learn to improve your balance and to have a better tempo in your golf swing, but never stop going after the ball.