When trying to get the perfect grip or the perfect golf swing, you may find yourself falling short. This can happen whether you are an advanced golfer, beginner golfer, or average golfer. Getting accurate gold shots can be done with a lot of practice, but sometimes the ball flight or ball speed can be off, messing up your positive angle.
This is why you may see people take many practice swings before they take one excellent swing or why people may change up their type of club or swing style.
Getting better takes more than just focusing on hip rotation, neutral grip, a wider stance, or even a proper stance. Your whole body must be involved, including your upper body.
It is also more than just getting straight shots and using wedges properly. You need to know golf etiquette.
Steps to Hit a Golf Ball
When you are hitting a golf ball, the first thing you need to be concerned about is your posture. Having the proper posture can make your swing smoother, provide the extra swing speed you need, and have the ball go where it should. Generally, you want to ensure that your knees are bent just slightly, and you have a lot of weight on the balls of your feet.
Then, you want to angle your body, so you are leaning slightly away from the ball. If you are struggling, don’t be too frustrated. It can take some time to make sure your body is properly in the correct position. It isn’t a natural position by any means, and you will have to actively think about how your body is situated every time for a while until you get the hang of it.
Next, you want to think about your grip. As a new golfer, you generally want to start with a neutral grip until you get a better idea of what works well for you and how to position your entire swing. This position involves placing your left at the club’s top so that you are only half an inch away from the very top.
Then, you want to take your other hand and place it over the other. Your right hand should have its palm situated over the left thumb. Watching videos of how people hold clubs can greatly help you get a feel for the natural shape and position your hands so you can be sure about what you are doing and prepare for a powerful swing.
Next, you have the swing. There are four main steps to any swing, no matter which type you decide works for you. These are:
- The takeaway – This is just part one of the backswings. It is what sets up your swing and determines if it will be good or not. You will be moving the club backward, away from the ball. Your arms will remain straight, and the movement will come from your wrists.
- The backswing – the backswing is designed to continue the motion of the takeaway. As the name suggests, you are continuing the backward movement of the takeaway. When performing the backswing, you want to bend your leading knee and turn your hips slightly before shifting your weight towards your other food. You will twist further back, but don’t bend your arm.
- The downswing – In the downswing, you will be moving the fastest. Everything you just did in the backswing, you are now basically doing in reverse. You will want to shift your weight towards your lead food, turn your hips, and follow through with your arms and shoulders.
- The follow-through – In the follow-through, you’ve already hit the ball. However, that doesn’t mean you want to just stop right there. Making the movement smooth and consistent until the end helps to ensure the stroke is smooth and reduces drag or injury. To do this, all the weight needs to be on your leading foot, which is generally your left one. With your other foot, only the very tip of it should be touching the ground. You want to remain balanced enough that this position can be maintained for 10 or more seconds. Your club should be over your leading shoulder.
What Are the Different Types of Swings to Hit a Golf Ball?
There are five main different types of golf ball swings. These are:
- Drive – This is the movement you do with your driver. It is a good one to give you lots of distance. While precision can be helpful here, you primarily focus on driving the ball a great distance.
- Putt – Putt is what you do when you are very close to the hole and just need a bit more distance. Here, precision is critical, and being able to read the slope is essential.
- Chip – This is a unique swing where you don’t follow through and do a shortened swing.
- Flop shots – This swing is designed to help you get out of rough areas, allowing you to move your ball high in the air and not get further stuck in the rough patches.
- Punch shot – A punch swing helps on windy days and when you need to stay under trees. It allows you to ensure you don’t swing up into the trees and that your ball doesn’t veer too far off course.
What Are the Most Common Mistakes When Hitting a Golf Ball?
There are a lot of areas where players can make mistakes when hitting a golf ball. For example, you can severely mess up your shot by not following the correct posture, having the proper grip, or performing a swing correctly.
Thankfully, it is easy to practice your swing, especially if you use the Stacker golf pyramid to practice shot after shot while keeping an eye on the golf ball lefts and knowing when it’s time to change clubs. It also looks a lot nicer and more professional than a bucket.
Another common mistake is using the wrong swing type for your situation. Learning where certain swings do best and where they should be avoided is important.
You also need to plan where you are swinging. Don’t simply swing and hope for the best. You should know where you want to go to achieve a proper swing, even if you don’t quite make it.
What Are the Five Rules of Golf?
The five rules of golf are simple.
The first is – A player must play the ball as it lies. This means you can’t move the ball to better conditions or to suit your swing. You must adjust for it.
Next, we have the number of golf clubs you can have in your bag. While you can have as few clubs as you would like, you have a maximum number you need to stick to. You can’t lug around every golf club you ever bought with you.
Stay silent is number three. This means you should not offer advice or comment on another person’s swing when someone is taking their turn. Simply watch and focus on your game.
Number four is that while you can take your time to set up a ball, you don’t want to take forever. You shouldn’t feel rushed, but if you take too long, you will be taking away the fun for others.
And finally, as with many other games and hobbies, don’t be a sore loser. It is always nice to win, but if it’s just not your day, keep smiling and enjoy the game.
