Golf Game Made Easy

I want to talk to you a little bit about some fundamentals of the golf backswing and why it’s important to your golf game. So many beginner and intermediate level golfers either don’t know how to take the club back properly or don’t realize why the backswing is so important, or both. Having a good backswing really gets your tempo going and allows you to set your body up to generate power on the downswing. It’s important to take the club back the right amount and at the correct speed in order to hit the ball flush. It’s also critical to maintain good balance, keep your head and lower body still and turn your upper body around your spine axis.

Let’s talk about these things in a little more detail. Note: the left and right arm distinctions are geared toward the right handed player, and they just need to be reversed if you’re left handed.

1. It’s very important to realize that a longer backswing doesn’t necessarily translate into more distance. In fact, a shorter backswing tends to give you more control and can help you generate just as much (if not more) distance. Don’t let that shaft of the club get past parallel (to the ground), and if possibly try to stop it before parallel. Short, compact swings increase consistency. Think about it for a minute; the more movement you have and the farther the club head travels, the less consistently it will hit the ball in the same place each time.
2. You never want your left arm to break down during the backswing. This means that you need a lot of flexibility and shoulder turn so you can keep your left arm straight throughout the entire backswing. This will generate a high arc, a lot of club head speed and give you much more consistency with your long game. The more that left arm bends, the less accurate your golf shots will be.
3. Your right arm will naturally bend, and this is good. When thinking about how to move your right arm in your backswing, imagine holding a tray full of drinks as a restaurant server would. If someone were to take the club out of your hands at the top of your backswing and move your left arm, your right arm should be in position to hold that tray and not spill the drinks (your hand would have to move a little since you’re not gripping the club, but you get the idea).
4. Keep your lower body and head very still throughout the golf backswing. This is very important for maintaining good contact with the ball. Don’t make the mistake of trying to move your head backward as the club goes back because the quality of ball/clubface contact will suffer. (It’s really easy to move your head naturally, but try to spend a lot of time practicing keeping it still before you tee it up again).

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