Golf Tips

Be A Swinger, Not a Hitter

The foremost thought of golfers as they attempt to make just about every type of golf shot from putting to full swing should be to make a swinging motion. The best golfers demonstrate the swinging motion as the simplest, most effective motion for playing the game of golf.

Those of us that study the top golfers have noticed how Tiger Woods’ “golf swing” has changed over the past year. Tiger has improved his basic motion primarily by changing his arm thrusting motion into a swinging motion. This technique has improved his accuracy without sacrificing his distance. Annika Sorenstam has been the top LPGA player for several years and has always been a pure swinger of the golf club.

Even though the make-up of the swinging motion is rather simple, it takes a great effort from golfers to make this motion, and make it consistently. This is so because of the natural-born instincts we all have to make a much different motion – a hitting motion. Think about it. You have a club in your hands and you are going to hit something with it. This mostly ineffective hitting motion is the natural motion of almost every golfer until they have been conditioned to make the swinging motion.

Proper analysis, instruction, training and coaching are essential for most golfers to avoid frustration and enjoy playing golf at a satisfactory level. I use K-Vest, Tomi, JC Video, Explanar and Power Swing Fan – the best technology in motion analysis and training equipment to accelerate student progress in programming the swinging motion and taming the “hit impulse”.

I see three types of “hit impulses” from golfers:

1. Power hit impulse,
2. Contact hit impulse and
3. Direction hit impulse.

The Power hit impulse is the most common reason I see golfers “tense up” and use the club improperly in a full swing. Subconsciously, most golfers want to hit the ball strongly for power or distance.

The Contact hit impulse is commonly seen in intermediate to beginning level golfers that are having trouble making good ball-club contact. They tense up and force the club improperly in an effort to make proper ball-club contact. The Direction hit impulse is commonly seen in golfers of all skill levels that are having trouble with directional control. They tense up and force the club improperly in an effort to direct the ball.

Which muscles tense up in response to the “hit impulse”, to what degree they tense up and at what point in the motion determine the features of the usually inadequate golf shot. You may have heard the quote of “play golf to relax”. It’s actually the opposite. “Relax to play golf”!

From analyzing the swinging motion of the best golfers such as Tiger Woods and Annika Sorenstam, I have summarized that there are 3 elements to the swinging motion for pitching to full swings – “the lever”, “the connection”, and “the coordination”, and only 1 element for putting and chipping – “the connection”

Swing Element #1: The Connection

A rhythmic, simultaneous swing of the arms-club and rotation of the body/torso is the necessary “connection” for control that results in good ball-club contact and direction with consistency. Connection is also the main key for having power with control.

Even though it is a simultaneous swing of the arms-club and rotation of the body, to swing the golf club on the proper path, we need to think of initiating the swing motion with the swing of the arms-club and initiating the “down-swing” with the body. Think “swing-turn, turn-swing”. Also, for proper motion, concentrate on the arms-club swing with the upper body rotation and the lower body as a steady base that moves in a more responsive manner.

The Connection Training Exercise – An effective, “time sensitive” approach to programming your consistent arms-club swing and body rotation connection is to practice at home. You will see better golf shots more consistently if you take a few minutes each day to practice your “rhythmic, swing-turn, turn-swing” motion for putting, pitching and full length swings.

Practice this exercise with and without clubs. Practice without clubs is also effective and can make it easier to sense the simultaneous motion of the arms and body. 

Swing Element #2: The Lever

The lever action in the pitching to full swing is a fluid swinging, rotating and hinging action involving the arms, hands, wrists and golf club. The key to achieving the proper motion is to begin with and maintain a “just right” tension level of the arms and hands. The arms should be straight and relaxed and the hands should have just enough equal tension in both hands to bring the club head up from the ground and support the weight of the club with the shaft at horizontal.

The Lever Training Exercise – Programming your consistent lever action can also be practiced at home. You will see better golf shots more consistently if you take just a couple minutes each day to practice.

With straight and relaxed arms and the proper alignment and tension level of your hands on a 7 iron, swing your arms and golf club back and forth continuously with your hands reaching waist level on each side. The goal is to feel a rhythmic motion of your arms at a medium speed, feel a fluid rotation of your arms and club, and feel the club head weight’s upward and downward momentum creating a fluid wrists hinging action.

Swing Element #3: The Coordination

Most of the best golfers say simple “swing trigger words” to themselves prior to making their swing. “Soft” and “rhythmic, swing-turn, turn-swing” are the trigger words that work best for me and most of my students on almost every type of golf shot.

“Soft” is a trigger word that can help you achieve the proper lever action key of beginning with and maintaining the “just right” tension level in your arms and hands throughout your swing. “Rhythmic, swing-turn, turn-swing” are the other trigger words that can help you achieve the proper connection key of making a rhythmic, simultaneous swing of the arms-club and rotation of the body/torso.

I would estimate that 80% of poor golf shots from putting to driving are from tensing, thrusting arms. These swing trigger words are helpful in stopping the arms from behaving badly. A bad day on the golf course was usually a “bad arms day”. Swing through, don’t hit at. Be a swinger, not a hitter!