How to Improve Your Golf Swing | Level Up Your Game

How to improve golf swing requires a lot of factors to consider. While it may seem like it’s over in a second, that split second requires the most crucial know-how with the proper swing technique.

In this article, I will be guiding you on how to improve golf swing entirely for you to play a better golf game.

How to Improve Your Golf Swing

Working on how do I improve my golf swing was perhaps my biggest struggle in the beginning.

For many golfers, the goal is to deliver a swing with the maximum distance.

However, from what I learned over the years, the key to how can I improve my golf swing lies in consistency and accuracy.

What this requires is superb control of your club once you execute the swing.

Aside from that crucial takeaway. Here are some of my top tips on how to improve your golf swing:

• Make a Game Plan

The first thing on how to improve your golf swing is to make a clear game plan.

What you must do is identify how much training time you need per week in order to attain your goal. During this period, you must be able to work on the errors in your swing.

Furthermore, your game plan must also include necessary exercises and muscle training that will enhance your strength and stamina.

• Watch and Learn

Personally, watching pro and advanced players immensely helped how do I improve my golf swing. It pushed me to work on my swings more in order to stay at the top of my game.

I recommend monitoring the swing performance of golfers in tournaments and even just on the course.

It will provide you with crucial insight on how you can enhance your swing timing and muscle memory.

Learn the Basic Swing Skills

Of course, how to improve your golf swing requires the basic knowledge of essential swing skills.

Typically, here are the general guidelines on how to execute your swing:

• • For the backswing, swing the club back while keeping a balanced stance and control on your club.
    
  • The best power of a golf swing is produced by coiling the shoulders and back.
    
  • From your swing’s peak, you must be able to create a smooth transition down the downswing. It would require coordination from your upper and lower torso’s motions.
    
  • Take note of the proper movement of your feet during the duration of your swing. During your backswing, you must shift the body weight from your left foot to the right. Then, do the reverse action and transition your weight to the left during the downswing.
    
  • Extend your arms once the club hits the ball at impact. The finish position of your feet must form a V to maintain a square clubface.

Maintain Relaxed Arms

Remember, putting more force at impact doesn’t equate to long ball distance. More often than not, this will only lead to loss of control or even a pure miss.

It happens because you’re only exerting the force on your arms instead of distributing it in the process of doing so.

Hence, it is essential to keep your arms relaxed and steady for a balanced swing.

Furthermore, always remember that you must distribute your power in your hips and upper body as well.

Take It Slowly but Surely

While speed is crucial when it comes to how to improve golf swing, you have to know the exact timing that you need.

Note that when you move very fast, it risks you from getting out of balance and position as well as missing necessary swing steps.

Instead, what you need to do first is to make sure that you have the proper stance and position.

Make sure that you have a clear perspective of the target and your swing path. It would also help to run through the steps in your mind before you execute them.

Taking your swing slowly but surely will guarantee an efficient shot at impact.

Know the Proper Grip

Learning the proper grip is, no doubt, one of the most critical fundamentals on how to improve golf swing.

You have to ensure that you’re putting the right pressure that is not too firm and not too loose. Why?

• An excessively firm grip typically results in a slice.
• A grip that is too loose can result in a complete miss.

It’s vital to know what is a suitable grip for your club and for your skill.

That’s why you have to know which among the types and strengths of grip works best for you.

Types of Grips

• Overlapping grip
• Interlocking grip
• Ten finger grip

Strength of Grips

• Neutral grip
• Strong grip
• Weak grip

Look at the Ball

This a simple but effective tip on how to improve golf swing efficiently: always look at the ball.

This trick allows you to guarantee that you will execute a square shot during the impact.

Try to keep your head steady on your swing’s duration for a more precise and controlled shot.

Common Golf Swing Mistakes

The swing part of golf is perhaps one of the most intricate elements of the game. That’s why how to improve golf swing typically revolves around addressing these mistakes.

Solving one error can be a crucial step in addressing all other mistakes that get in your way.

Here are the most common golf swing mistakes that you must take note of:

• Disregarding Warm-Ups

Warming up is an essential but commonly overlooked element when playing a round of golf.

It can be a cause of cramps when you hit a swing and even injuries in the worst cases.

Making it a habit to warm-up is one of the most important lessons you can learn from pros. You have to do basic stretches for your arms, legs, and upper and lower body.

Furthermore, it would also help to take smooth initial swings for all your clubs before the actual round. Loosening up is key in executing powerful and easy swings.

• Swinging Forcefully

Again, swinging forcefully is NOT the key on how to improve golf swing. Aside from a fast enough speed, you must be able to strike the midpoint of the clubface.

It would allow for a clean and consistent shot with a good stance as well.

• Poor Grip

Your swing requires a flowing motion in order to move your club flexibly. Having a poor grip is a perfect recipe for disaster.

When holding your club, the grip’s position must be more towards your fingers than your palms.

Your grip must not be too tight and not too loose; you must find the right firmness to be comfortable and flexible enough when holding it.

Here are the possible errors of grip mistakes:

• • Too strong: A swing that turns excessively to the right and slows down your swing
    
  • Too weak: Your swing may end up turning excessively to the left

As much as possible, try to relax your grip so that your palms are directly parallel and facing one another.

• Using the Wrong Clubs

Sometimes, the problem with your swing may lie in the club you’re using. Remember, golf clubs come in all sizes and shapes.

One way how to improve golf swing that may also address other golf mistakes on your part is to get a club fitting.

• Wrong Timing

Rushing your swing will never end up in a good result. Among other things, crucial is a vital element in perfecting your swing.

It must look unhurried and natural when you execute it. Achieved through endless practice and repetition of your swings.

A visual look of this would be a swing that moves gradually and steadily at the backswing’s peak.

It must slightly pause as your hips start to turn and build power and release the swing.

• Not Accelerating

An acceleration in your forward swing is a clear sign of a smooth and well-founded swing.

Most plates would tend to decrease this acceleration, which would disrupt the flow of the swing.

That’s why it’s essential to maintain a proper and well-time acceleration on improving your swing.

Along with adequate timing, this would enable you to build up a powerful shot.

• Not Fully Turning Your Shoulder

Failing to turn your shoulder during your swing fully is the main cause of losing your balance and leverage.

It typically happens when you try to extend your backswing while bending your left arm.

As a result, it would disrupt the power that your shoulder can generate.

Simple Exercise for a Better Golf Swing

As I’ve mentioned, paying attention to your physical body is essential in playing better golf.

It is because the major parts of your body coordinate with one another to generate a mighty swing.

Working on your muscles in your neck, shoulder, back, core, and hips is the key to a precise and powerful swing.

• Slow Sit Ups

The best workout routine for your core muscles is doing slow sit-ups every day. It works solely on your core and works in reverse as the typical sit-up.

What you will do during slow sit-ups is start sitting upright and then slowly lower your body down.

Here’s how you can execute slow sit-ups:

1. 1. Sit down on the floor and make sure your back is straight.
      
   2. Slightly bend your knees while arms are stretch above the head.
      
   3. Slowly lower your upper body until your head makes contact with the ground.
      
   4. Slowly raise your upper body while maintaining straight arms and back.

• Hip Crossover

Turning your hips is a crucial step in maintaining the proper form in your swing. It also helps you produce power and maintain accurate shots.

When you don’t turn your hips while doing your swing, you will end up with a pull or push of your strokes.

That’s why it’s common for many players to miss their backswing to downswing shift when they don’t do a full hip turn.

One of the best exercise routines to enhance your hip mobility is the hip crossover.

Here’s how you can execute the hip crossover:

1. 1. Lie down on the floor and bend tuck in your knees at 90 degrees.
      
   2. Keep your legs and feet together with your shoulder lying flat.
      
   3. Hold this position, and then twist your legs by your hip until it makes contact with the ground. Repeat it for both sides.

• Squatting

Aside from the hips, the legs are also a critical lower body part for your swing. The components of your legs are what guarantees a straight drive.

Poor posture and too much tightness on your leg muscle can compromise your backswing and downswing posture. The exercise routine that can address this is doing squats.

Here’s how you can execute squats:

1. 1. Stand straight and put enough distance between your feet.
      
   2. While keeping a straight back, slowly bend both your knees and lower your body.
      
   3. Make sure to hold this position for at least five seconds and then return to your first position.

• Leg Swings

Aside from the hip crossover, the leg swings can also work on your hips’ stiffness and mobility. This exercise routine also works on your lower back and leg muscles.

It would allow you to perform a swift and effective swing without any pain and risk of injury.

Here’s how you can execute leg swings:

1. 1. Stand with your feet apart with your dominating hand, holding the wall for balance.
      
   2. Keep your upper body straight, and then start swinging your non-dominant leg forwards and backward in one motion.
      
   3. Repeat this motion ten times and then switch your hands and legs.

Practice & Exercise Makes Perfect

Remember, practice always makes perfect—and this holds for the game of golf.

Continually repeat your best swing and work on errors until it becomes a habit.

It’s also essential to work on your physical body to ensure that it has the capacity to hold your swings.

How to improve golf swing requires you to master your skills with patience and extra effort.

Slowly, you’ll find that your effort has turned into fruition.

Last Updated on December 4, 2023 by Paul Roger Steinberg