If you were asked to give someone 3 swing pointers,

[Mulligan Al]

what 3 would they be?

[Ian Hancock]

Re: If you were asked to give someone 3 swing pointers,

Hi Al,

My three most important pointers for any new golfer working on his/her swing would be..................


Set-up................Start right.

Swing plane..........Swing right

Rhythm................Swing smooth.

Finally of course then the mental side which I think is the most important part of golf once the swing has been achieved.


Ian.

[pnearn]

Re: If you were asked to give someone 3 swing pointers,

My 3 would be

Light grip - no Tension

Pause at the top - slow down the transition

Tempo, Timing and Rythmn - should work on this at least as much as the technicals

And although its not a swing pointer, dont forget the long game is 30%, the short game is 30%, Putting is 30% and the other 10% is in your head

[nickwbryant]

Re: If you were asked to give someone 3 swing pointers,

1) Must have perfect posture (never see a pro with bad posture)
2) Get a good grip (do see pros with bad grips but not too often, and cant think of one with orthodox swing)
3) Turn your shoulders while keeping your back leg bent as it was at address.

Whenever I get in trouble its usually one of those three that i have messed up on - usually posture.

nick

[LowPost42]

Re: If you were asked to give someone 3 swing pointers,

I'd say trailing elbow stays in, hips stay still (no sliding), and turn the shoulders.

[GregJWillis]

Re: If you were asked to give someone 3 swing pointers,

If they were beginners:
"Make contact last"
This means that your swing needs to be completed before you make contact with the ball. Everything else after contact does not make a hill-o-beans to the ball. 1. Rotate fully, 2. Release fully, 3. Stay fully in control.

If they were advanced:
"Visualize the result"
Most often a mid level player has "details in the brain". They have worked so hard to get where they are now, that they think that this is the normal way to play golf...inside all the details. When it is actually all about the results. Having them think about the result and not the details of all the things that make up the stroke will help them achieve the next level. If it a long putt, think about being within a 4 foot range rather then worried about the distance they have to take the club back, the head staying still, the grip pressure light, the arms hanging down and rotating just the shoulders. All these are details that you already know. Turn these thoughts off in the head and only focus on getting the ball to rest within this 4-foot range.

If they were scratch:
"Make them beat you"
If you are in match play, you are your worst foe most of the time. Do not take yourself out of the hole. Going for that "Super" shot every time will eventually open too many doors that a good player will be able to walk through more often then you are able to shut it on them. It is all about attrition at this level.
If you are in a stroke-play, then you must play your game, period. If there is a player out there that plays better, then good for them. You played your game at your best. Trying to "beat" other players by changing up your approach to the round because you think you have to play perfect, or go for every shot will do nothing but let everyone else pass you by as you make your mistakes - little mistakes can so easily turn into big ones.

[shootin4par]

Re: If you were asked to give someone 3 swing pointers,

get a grip, without a good one you are just wasing time.

get a preshot routine for setting up to the ball, that way set up is ALWAYS the same

err on the side of steep in your backswing, makes it easier to come from the inside on the downswing, too flat and it is much easier to come over the top.

[Mulligan Al]

Re: If you were asked to give someone 3 swing pointers,

Thanks guys, this is all such great advice.

I asked this question because I've had some time away from golf due to a knee injury (torn MCL) and upon my return I was told:

Keep both knees level to the ground on the back swing.
Stay connected with the armpits,
and, retain a constant and controlled light grip.

All three of these have made such a difference in my swing and have made my swing more compact and consistent.