- A good grip is needed to control the clubhead so that it hits the ball at a straight angle. The two main grips are the overlapping grip (Vardon) and the interlocking grip. In the overlapping grip, the pinky of the top hand overlaps with the index finger of the bottom hand. In the interlocking grip, the pinky of the top hand sits between the index and middle fingers of the bottom hand.
Your goal is to find a grip that feels comfortable in your hand and also gives you maximum control of your clubhead. If your clubhead is controlling you, it doesn't matter how good the grip feels. While there are two main grip types (plus a third type, known as the baseball grip), slight variations will exist. Try out different grips and see how they feel and what impact they make on the ball. Diagrams of proper grips can help, but everyone's hands are a little bit different. The most important thing to remember is you want a grip that isn't too loose in your hands but also not too tight. Your hands should not hurt during the golf swing. - Always keep your feet shoulder-width apart. You want to keep the ball at the front-midpoint between your legs. This means that the ball will be off center, slightly closer to your front foot. A slight leg bend will help keep your swing loose. Make sure not to bend your legs too much, though. A helpful way to imagine your stance is to think of railroad tracks. If the ball is on one of the rails, you will want your feet on the other rail. This analogy will help give you the proper distance you should stand from your ball. Like the grip, it will take some slight adjustments before you find a stance that feels just right.
Leg positioning is only half of the stance battle. For a complete stance, you will also want to ensure your head is down, your eyes are focused on the ball and your hands dangle without any tension in your arm muscles. - Now that you have some tips for the proper swing setup, it's time to tackle the swing motion itself. The golf swing has three basic parts: the takeaway (when the club is pulled back), the backswing (when the club is cocked) and the downswing (when the swing releases and hits the ball).
To execute a proper takeaway, you will want to keep your arms and club straight as you pull back. Your shoulders can tilt a bit, but for the most part, your body will remain very still during the takeaway. As you pull the club back, shift your weight to your back foot.
The backswing is one of the trickiest parts of the shot. As your takeaway angle reaches 45 degrees, you will cock the club over your head. During the backswing, turn your shoulders until your front shoulder is under your chin. Once this occurs, you will be at the top of your backswing. To get the best swing arc, extend your arms back, hinge your wrists and align your front forearm with the clubface. As you cock the club, twist the body rather than lift it up. Keep your head down and focused on the ball the whole time.
The downswing should be the reverse of your backswing. You will shift your weight from your back foot to your front foot as you uncoil the club. One of the biggest mistakes beginning golfers make is to lead with the hands during the backswing. This will cause a disruption in power and mechanics. Let your shoulders start your downswing. Your arms and hands will follow until your clubface makes a direct and straight impact on the ball. - If you find yourself slicing the ball, it's possible that your clubface is too far open. On the other hand, if your ball hooks, you may have a closed clubface. To hit the ball straight, you want your clubface to be square. This is why the mechanics of the downswing are so important. If you lead with your hands, your clubface won't be square unless you resort to power-reducing adjustments.
Hooks and slices can also result from improper swing paths. The swing path is simply the path that the complete swing takes. An ideal swing path goes slightly inward as you cock the club and then squares out toward the ball on the downswing. If you go from an inside takeaway to an outside downswing, the ball will hook. Likewise, if you go from an outside takeaway to an inside downswing, the ball will slice. Try having a friend videotape your swing to analyze your swing path.