Luke is an avid weekend-warrior golfer from the East Coast who plays golf more than he cares to admit.
Sequence of the golf swing where Harnessing the Power of Momentum for distance and accuracy is what separates us amateur weekend warrior golfers and the pros – for starters. The golf swing sequence is composed of seven basic phases. Starting from the set up, the sequence includes address position, take away, backswing, downswing transition, impact point, follow through and finish.
Key takeaway:
Sequence of the golf swing steps
- Address Position
- Take Away
- Backswing
- Downswing Transition
- Impact Point
- Follow Through
- Finish
Address Position
This is where a golfer sets their feet shoulder-width apart and with weight evenly distributed. Hands should be placed slightly ahead of the ball.
There are several ways to address the golf ball during a golf swing. The most common methods include the neutral stance, open stance and closed stance.
The neutral stance is when the feet of the golfer are parallel to each other. An open stance has the lead foot pointing towards the target while the back foot points away from it.
Finally, in a closed stance, both feet face away from the target with both heels about shoulder width apart and toes slightly wider than that. Additionally, some golfers prefer to keep hands ahead of the ball in all stances for greater control through impact.
What are common mistakes golfers make at address?
In your sequence of the golf swing – right at the beginning – these are the most common pitfalls or mistakes to try and avoid:
Common mistakes golfers make at address include poor posture, incorrect ball position, improper alignment or grip, and lack of balance.
Poor posture can be caused by standing too close or too far away from the ball, while an incorrect ball position can result in shots that do not feel natural.
Improper alignment includes aiming too far left or right of the target, as well as addressing the ball with an open or closed stance rather than a neutral one.
Additionally, an improper grip will lead to difficulty controlling the clubface through impact, and lack of balance can cause erratic swings and poor contact with the ball.
Take Away
Here is where the golfer engages their upper body by moving in a slow, methodical manner; maintaining consistent rhythm throughout the swing while keeping the head still and arms connected to their torso.
How to have a smooth golf swing takeaway
In order to have a smooth golf swing takeaway, it is important to begin with proper posture and an appropriate grip.
When addressing the ball, keep your hips slightly open and your chin tucked in towards your chest. Keep your arms relaxed with elbows close together.
Then, while maintaining these elements of posture and grip, begin the backswing by initiating the movement with the lower body while keeping your arms close to your side.
As the club reaches hip height, allow it to turn slightly away from you as you lock in your wrists and forearms. This will help create a smooth transition into the top of the swing.
Backswing
At this point in the sequence, the left arm should remain straight with no lateral movement as the hips and shoulders rotate together. The right arm should be bent at a 90 degree angle with wrists staying connected to core muscle groups on both sides of the body.
Why is the backswing vital in a golf swing sequence?
The backswing is an essential part of a successful golf swing as it helps to generate power and control. A smooth, balanced backswing will help a golfer build momentum, enabling them to strike the ball with maximum force.
Additionally, a good backswing will also help to improve accuracy by allowing the golfer to hit their target more consistently. By having an optimal backswing setup and motion, a golfer will be able to hit the ball farther and straighter than they would without it.
Downswing Transition
A shift in weight onto front foot is done here as arms remain connected throughout this motion. A clockwise rotation of hips for extra power is encouraged during this phase.
Improve the downswing
Improving the downswing transition in a golf swing requires a few different elements. First, focus on your body rotation. Ensure that it is consistent throughout the transition from backswing to downswing and make sure that you start with your lower body first.
It is also important to maintain your wrist angle during the transition as this will help control the transfer of energy through the club head into the ball.
Additionally, avoid coming over-the-top or across the line as this can lead to issues with accuracy and consistency. Finally, practice regularly in order to hone your skills and become familiar with how your body should move during each phase of the golf swing.
Impact Point
To ensure accuracy and consistency in shot making ability, all three components of golf grip (pressure, connection, placement) should be maintained at impact before full contact with ball is made.
3 drills
Here are three drills to help improve the impact point in your golf swing:
1. The Fade Drill – This drill helps you become aware of how a strong grip and good rotation create a fade shot. Start by addressing your ball with a strong grip and rotate your body back as normal. As you transition from the backswing to downswing, tense your left arm and maintain this tension during the entire swing. This will create more momentum and accuracy, resulting in a more consistent ball flight path that curves slightly to the right (a fade).
2. The Draw Drill – This drill focuses on keeping your right elbow close to your body throughout the downswing. From address, focus on rotating around your spine angle while maintaining a straight line between your left arm and club shaft at all times. This enables an inside-out swing through impact that promotes hitting draws such as a power fade or baby draw.
3. Lag Release Drill – This drill helps establish better synchronization between the arms and body for maximum power at impact. Set up with an 8-iron or 7-iron and imagine there is a piece of string attached to the handle of your club that is pulled tight as far away from you as possible on the backswing (this creates lag).
As you transition from backswing to downswing, focus on snapping this “string” with both hands together instead of dragging it along with just one arm. This will create more powerful shots with better accuracy due to increased speed at impact.
Follow Through
Balance maintenance enables greater clubhead speeds as golfer finishes at high follow through position above shoulder level without sacrificing accuracy or consistency over multiple shots within each round of play.
Increase power
To increase power in your followthrough during a golf swing, start by ensuring your arms and body are still accelerating through the ball as you reach impact.
Focus on continuing to rotate your lower body and arms together, with the clubhead producing most of the power. Additionally, practice maintaining the angle between your left arm and shaft from address through impact.
Finally, work on generating more lag in your swing by delaying the release of your wrists until after impact for maximum whip-like motion and club head speed. With these steps in mind, you should be able to increase power in your followthrough and hit longer drives.
Finish
After completing an optimal swing sequence, golfer will reach an end result of a successful shot!
Practice
To practice the golf swing finish, start by setting up a few tees in front of you. Focus on accelerating your lower body and arms together through the ball, with the clubhead producing most of the power.
Then focus on finishing your swing with a full shoulder turn and arm extension. To check if you have finished correctly, look for your belt buckle to be facing the target and make sure your right heel is lifted off the ground.
Also, pay attention to how much lag you create during the downswing and make sure to delay the release of your wrists until after impact for maximum whip-like motion and clubhead speed.
With these steps in mind, you should be able to finish your golf swing correctly with every shot.
Golf Swing Sequence Recap
The important parts of the golf swing sequence are setting up with a good posture, creating lag in your downswing to maximize clubhead speed, accelerating through impact and finishing your swing with a full shoulder turn and arm extension.
Remember to focus on keeping proper angles between your arms and the shaft at address and impact, delay the release of your wrists until after impact for maximum whip-like motion, and make sure your belt buckle is facing the target when you finish.
With these steps in mind, you should be able to master the golf swing sequence!
