The golf swing is arguably one of the most difficult athletic actions to perform. The golf swing requires you to draw the golf club through a long range of motion with proper technique and exact timing.

Any error in swing plane, timing, or sequence will cause your golf swing to suffer, and suffer it will. Unfortunately, the result of your golf swing suffering will be errant shots, poor golf scores, and frustration on the golf course.

Often the amateur is at a lost for why their golf swing results in errant shots. Countless hours are spent at the range in an effort to improve their golf swing. Hundreds or even thousands of dollars are spent on lessons each year, and not to mention the purchasing of new equipment.

It all adds up to a lot of time and money spent on improving the golf swing. Unfortunately, for many amateur golfers their handicaps and score never improve. Leading to the question “why is my golf game not improving?”

If this is you and this question lingers in your mind. The answer to your question could easily be staring right back at you in the mirror. The failure of improvement may have absolutely nothing to do with the driver you are swinging, the teaching pro helping you with your swing, or even your practice routine. It could all do with you! Yes you, the physical body swinging the golf club.

Keep in mind the golf club does not perform the mechanics of the golf swing. Nor do the mechanics of the golf swing execute themselves without you. It is you and your body executing the mechanics of the golf swing. The point to make is your body directly affects the mechanics of the golf swing.

Additionally, the golf swing requires your body to encompass certain physical qualities to execute the mechanics of the golf swing correctly. These physical qualities are certain levels of flexibility, muscular strength, balance, and power. If you are lacking the minimal amounts of flexibility, balance, strength, and power to execute the golf swing correctly. Compensations will occur even before you swing the golf club.

For example, let’s look at your flexibility. The golf swing requires you to draw the golf club through a large range of motion. The backswing requires a full shoulder turn to set the club in the correct slot for the downswing, and the finish position is almost a mirror image of the backswing.

In order to perform these parts of the golf swing correctly, the muscles of your body must be flexible. An inflexible body in which muscles are “tight” creates restrictions in movement. Restrictions in movement in relation to the golf swing will undoubtedly result in limitations pertaining to golf swing. The limitation will impede you from creating a full shoulder turn and balanced finish position. This causes compensations in the mechanics of the golf swing.

The entire body needs to be flexible for the golf swing. Certain muscles more than others are involved in the golf swing, and if these muscles are “tight” they will directly affect your golf swing. One such set of muscles is your hamstrings.

The hamstrings (back side of your upper leg) are often “tight” and cause problems to many people, not just golfers. However, they have a profound effect on the golf swing and it is not a good effect. Hamstrings that are “tight” are in a shortened position. The shortened position of the hamstrings has a direct effect on the position of your hips. Your hips will be “tucked”, directly affecting your posture. This in itself can hamper the ability to place oneself in the correct position at address within the golf swing, not to mention maintaining a proper spine angle during the swing.

Additionally, “tight” hamstrings place an undo amount of stress on the lower back. Large amounts of stress on the lower back cause fatigue, soreness, and increase the possibility of injury. If you are a golfer that has ever experienced lower back pain you know the effect it has on your ability to swing the golf club correctly.

A combination of a postural change and undo amounts of stress on the lower back, just begin to scratch the surface of the effect inflexible muscles can have on the golf swing. “Tight” muscles change the kinematics of the body. As a result, the biomechanics of the golf swing must be altered. These alterations usually lead to compensations in the mechanics of the golf swing resulting in errant shot patterns on the golf course.

And no matter what you do in terms of practice or instruction these alterations will not go away until you address them. Just as you address swing faults, you must address flexibility faults. Flexibility faults can be addressed through golf stretches.

Golf stretches enhance the flexibility of your body in relation to the golf swing. Golf stretches often times return muscles that are “tight” such as the hamstrings to their proper length. This results in the ability of your body to perform the biomechanics of the golf swing correctly. If you are one of many golfers who are not finding their golf swing improving through practice and instruction. Take a moment and look at the body swinging the golf club. This very well may be the root of your golf swing problems. Fix your flexibility faults through golf stretches and find yourself on the road to lower golf scores and more enjoyment in the game of golf.

Sean Cochran

By: Sean Cochran

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Did you know that the average golfer’s gross score is 107 shots? If you’ve hit with your golf driver perfectly one time, you can do it every time; you have a perfect, proper golf swing, just develop it. And now is always the time to fix an unpredictable golf swing.

Positive thinking and positive energy you send out will influence your game, just as negative thinking and therefore negative energy will affect it also. Understanding your golf swing is one of the first steps you can take toward swing improvement. Don’t worry about what others think or say about your swing if it isn’t up to snuff; work to improve it at your own speed. Golf also requires tough mental fitness as well as physical fitness and this is often overlooked.

When you swing, use muscles in your legs and trunk. Ask your golf pro to evaluate your posture and biomechanics while you are swinging. At the end of a backswing the hands should be above the right shoulder with the golf club pointing more or less in the intended direction of the ball flight.

And sidespin occurs when the clubface is not properly aligned perpendicularly to the plane of the swing and make sure not to grip the golf club too tightly. Accomplished golfers purposely use sidespin to ultimately steer the ball around obstacles or head toward the safe side of fairways and greens.

When you swing, if you have problems with your left knee buckling, imagine holding a soccer ball between your knees. The backswing is a simple rotation to the right, consisting of a shifting of the player’s body weight to the right side, turning of the pelvis and shoulders, lifting of the arms and flexing of the elbows and wrists. It is difficult for a golfer to practice hitting shots longer than short pitch shots, unless of course, one pays to play golf or pays to practice at a driving range or indoor golf training facility.

The most important thing about the golf swing is the angle, not the strength that is applied to it, that’s one of many swing secrets. Ideally putts and short chips are played without much movement of the body, but almost all other golf shots are played using variants of the full golf swing.

Consistent workouts will change your golf game forever. Turn to golf exercise and techniques if you want to gain more strength and power. To prevent injury and improve your swing speed and distance requires your body to be strong and flexible. Most golfers don’t know there are techniques that will greatly affect swing mechanics; you can get an edge by changing your approach.

Overall, investing in golf swing trainers will greatly improve your swing and your game. There are a wide range of golf swing aids and analyzers on the market today to help the beginning and advanced golfer improve swing techniques. Keep in mind that with some golf swing trainers, you will probably still need help from an expert.

Sporting goods stores also carry golf swing trainers and aids to improve your game. There are golf swing trainers that will help you with your swing alignment. There are lots of good golf swing aids on the market today.

Before buying any aid or trainer for your swing, check with a pro to get an idea of what problem you need to work on first; for example, backlift of golf swing, momentum of downward thrust or stance. Golf swing trainers and aids can often be found online and are often discounted or much cheaper. Be cautious about any claims in TV commercials and magazine ads; seek expert advice before you buy because the claims may not be reasonable.

If you apply combined mental and physical workouts, your reward will be super, proper, perfect golf swing improvement. Consider a golf vacation, maybe a Myrtle Beach vacation package, or a Las Vegas vacation to get in more practice and if you can’t take your golf clubs and golf accessories with you, you should be able to easily rent golf clubs, golf bags, golf carts and golf cart covers or any other golf accessories at any golf resort. Having a good plan and working on specific aspects of the swing or game should be your goal.

Try to concentrate on one of the weaknesses in your swing at a time. Make sure to find and use good golf swing trainers to help improve your game. And you’re sure to achieve a perfect, super, proper golf swing every time.

By: Helen Hecker

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