7 Steps to Your Perfect Golf Swing

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"Golf is one of the most diﬃcult sports to learn, but Troy makes is easy with these simple illustrations and descriptions of the golf swing!

Most of us don't ft the mold and Troy's suggestion to create your own swing for your own body will save you a lot of frustration and lead to faster development of a swing that will be repeatable for you.

Whether you are a brand new golfer or a seasoned one, these 7 simple steps in an easy to read format should be a staple of your golf training.

- Maria Palozola, LPGA top-50 best teacher

Introduction 4 The tools you need 6 The set up 8 The takeaway 12 The backswing 15 The downswing 19 The impact position 22 The follow-through 25 Your mental golf game 29 Summary of steps 34 What to do next 36 Recommendations 37 Disclaimer 38

Like a lot of sports, the golf swing is not a perfect science and there’s no one way to do it right. Tere are however, a number of important fundamentals of the golf swing that should be adhered to, in order to achieve the best regular and long term improvement. If you can achieve these fundamentals and apply them to your own unique style, you’ll enjoy fruitful and long lasting success in the game of golf.

You’ll notice in the headline, I highlighted ‘Your’ for a good reason. If you’ve ever watched the best players in the world on television or seen them play at a golf tournament you’ll realize that every golf swing is unique. Tese professionals all win at the highest level and yet every single golf swing is diﬀerent in some way.

Some golf swings are classical and fuent like Adam Scott and Rory McIlroy and some are home grown like Bubba Watson and John Daly. But, all of these golfers have achieved great success on the golf course due to their ability to return the club to the right position at impact every time.

Whilst we can learn a lot from studying professional golfer’s swings, it’s important not to copy their every move. It’s better to use them as a base or guideline and build that into your own swing. As I said, every golf swing is unique and it’s best to work on building the best golf swing you have and fnding out what works for you.

In saying that, you can’t just go out and swing the golf club any way you want and expect results! You may have a unique golf swing but if it breaks all of the fundamental parts of a sound golf swing, you’re not going to get any better.

We are all built diﬀerently and whether you are tall or short, fat or slim, your golf swing will look diﬀerent to the next person. However, great results can still be achieved regardless of where you ft into the body scale. Tis applies to both male and female young and old.

Copyright 2018 ©Troy Vayanos 4 What I intend to do is, go through these fundamentals and make it EASY for you to follow and develop your own unique golf swing so you can get IMMEDIATE results. Not improved scores in 2 years’, but real results such as lower golf scores and more distance oﬀ the tee with your driver.

Tese are the steps I’ve followed for more than 28 years ‘experience of playing golf. I’ve studied and used many golf instruction methods and learnt that these fundamentals are a must to producing a consistent, solid golf swing that repeats round afer round.

Use these steps as a guide to give you the insights on what you need to concentrate on, to improve the consistency in your golf game. You don’t have to nail these fundamentals perfectly so they match mine or any other golfer. However, you should strive to get as close as possible to what your body and fexibility allow you to.

TIP: Troughout the e-book I’ve included helpful links to content that delves deeper into the various topics. In the Pdf version of this book, you can simply click on each link to be taken to the respective web pages.

To make your job easier and to get the most out of your learning, there are some tools that I recommend.

• A mirror • Video Camera • Smartphone • Friend or loved one

Tese tools makes the analyses of your golf swing easier, and most golfers already have them.

MIRROR:

One of the most powerful tools you can use and a must for every golfer. You see, a mirror doesn’t lie, it will show you the exact positions you are in every step of the golf swing. A 360 degree mirror is better. It’s a smaller, golf designed mirror you can take to the golf driving range to watch your swing.

VIDEO CAMERA:

Recording your golf swing is one of the best things you can do for your game. It’s amazing what you’ll see and you might be surprised what you’re doing WRONG or even what you’re doing right. Tey are inexpensive and you don’t need the best around to get great results.

SMARTPHONE:

Much the same as the video camera, today’s smartphones record golf swings in high defnition and are perfect for golfers. Get a golf mate to record your swing on the course or driving range or even pick up a small, cheap tripod and record your golf swing.

If for some reason you don’t have any of the above, having another person to watch your movements can be just as eﬀective. Afer reading through this eBook you’ll know the positions you should be aiming for. Get your golf helper to watch you from behind or face on and guide you on where you should be and when you’ve done it right or wrong.

Te least exciting part of the golf swing for many but, it’s certainly not the least important. A good set up builds the foundation for a great golf swing and is a must for all golfers.

A poor set up means you’ll need to make compensations in your swing to overcome these mistakes. More compensations creates a greater chance for errors to arise and ruin your entire golf swing.

Remember what Jack Nicklaus said:

"If you set up correctly, there's a good chance you'll hit a reasonable shot, even if you make a mediocre swing. If you set up to the ball poorly, you'll hit a lousy shot even if you make the greatest swing in the world."

WHAT DOES A GOOD SET-UP LOOK LIKE?

Every good set up has a similar look that when done right gives you a better chance of making a great golf swing.

Have a look at the images below and I’ll highlight the key parts that make this set up something you should be aiming for.

• Nice straight back • Slight knee fex • Hands hanging below neck / chin line

Having a nice straight back enables you to turn and rotate your body easily in the golf swing. Ofen called an athletic set up, this is preferred over a hunched or arched back position.

A slight knee fex makes it THE SET-UP easier to maintain balance and stability in the golf Technique tip! swing. Too much or too little knee fex can hurt NICE, STRAIGHT BACK and hinder these areas.

Te correct position of the hands at set up allows you to swing the golf club HANDS HANGING around the axis of your BELOW NECK/CHIN body correctly. LINE Approximately below your neck / chin line is a great place to start. SLIGHT KNEE FLEX

• Slight tilt in shoulders • Hands slightly ahead of golf ball • Feet shoulder width apart

You should naturally have a tilt in your shoulders because you right hand is lower on the golf club than your lef. Tis tilt will be more obvious as you get into the longer clubs such as the driver.

To ensure you are well positioned to strike the golf ball with the hands in front of the ball, it’s ideal to have them slightly in front of it at set up. Tis makes it easier to make a smooth, one-piece takeaway to get the whole golf swing started on track.

A good golf set up has the feet about shoulder width apart so you can maintain balance and stability during the golf swing. Too narrow or too wide inhibits this and makes it diﬃcult to make a proper turn.

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- Dr. Bob Rotella

A critical part of the golf swing is the takeaway as it sets the foundation for the entire golf swing. Mess it up and you increase your chances of making a poor golf swing.

However, a good takeaway vastly increases your chances of making a nice on plane and solid golf swing.

Remember what Ben Hogan said:

“Get the start wrong and your problems will inevitably multiply throughout your golf swing. High-handicappers invariably overcomplicate the takeaway. Te secret is to keep each element as simple as possible”.

WHAT DOES A GOOD TAKEAWAY LOOK LIKE?

Every good takeaway moves in one piece which is why you’ll ofen hear it referred to as a one-piece takeaway. It means that your arms and shoulders move the club together with very little wrist break.

Have a look at the images below and I’ll pin point the key areas that make the one-piece takeaway something you should be aiming for.

• Right arm only slightly bent • Clubhead outside / in line with hands • Clubhead pointing approximately to the sky

Maintaining a reasonably straight right arm with little bend means you have not moved the club away with your wrists too much and used the big muscles to move the golf club.

When the clubhead is outside / in line with the hands, you keep the golf club on plane and make it easier to keep it on plane throughout the rest of the swing.

When the clubhead is pointing approximately towards the sky, you are keeping it square and it won’t require any manipulation to square it up through the impact position.

• Reasonably straight right arm • Shoulders and arms move away together • Lef hand golf glove logo pointing straight ahead

Te face on view demonstrates the importance of keeping the right arm reasonably straight using the shoulders and arms.

It’s important to let the shoulders and arms move the club away and not the wrists. Tis position shows how they all move away together in one piece.

Look at the glove logo on the lef hand and it should be pointing in the direction you are facing. Tis means a square clubface that doesn’t require any compensation throughout the golf swing.

Te backswing should continue on from the takeaway and get the club in a good position at the top. By achieving this, it makes the job easier, transitioning into a great looking downswing.

A great backswing makes the transition to the downswing much easier and increases the likelihood of making solid contact with the golf ball.

Remember what Hank Haney said:

“With a good backswing you have about 45° hip turn and 90° degree shoulder turn which creates a bit of tension resulting in a more powerful downswing on the inside”.

WHAT DOES A GOOD BACKSWING LOOK LIKE?

Every good backswing has the hands hinging up as the club moves up with the club close to the right arm. Tis keeps the golf swing on plane and a great chance of making solid contact with the golf ball.

Have a look at the images below and I’ll discuss the key parts that make a great looking backswing that you can focus on.

• Lef arm approximately on same plane line as shoulders • Flat lef wrist lining up with the lef arm • Right elbow pointing down or slightly lef

When the lef arm is roughly on the same line as the shoulders, you’re on plane. It doesn’t have to be perfect but somewhere close to this position either too high or too low.

Keeping the lef wrist fat is important and serves two purposes. It keeps the golf swing on plane and also makes it easier to shallow the golf club in the downswing to the impact position.

Te right elbow is another THE BACKSWING key at the top of the backswing. Keeping it tucked and not ‘fying’ is central to keep your swing consistent.

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• Back tilted away from target • Keeping the lef arm as straight as possible • 90° degree shoulder turn if possible

It’s important to have your back slightly tilted away from the target at the top of the backswing. Tis ensures you have transferred your weight correctly to the rear side and in a strong position to the commence the downswing.

A straight lef arm THE BACKSWING helps create extension, Technique tip! width and power in the backswing. Your fexibility will $$ determine for how MAKE A FULL 90° SHOULDER TURN long you can keep it IF POSSIBLE straight, but do the best you can.

A 90° shoulder turn is BACK TILTED not essential, but will SLIGHTLY AWAY FROM TARGET help you gain more KEEP$THE$LEFT$ARM$ AS$STRAIGHT$AS$ rotation and power POSSIBLE which will ultimately lead to more distance. Again, your fexibility and technique will determine this.

- Gary Player

Te downswing is the most challenging part of the golf swing for most golfers. It is where most golfers mess up their golf swings and ultimately fail in the long run.

If you have a good downswing it can overcome the poorest of takeaways and backswings allowing you to hit great golf shots.

Remember what Butch Harmon said:

“To start the downswing correctly, get your weight moving to the front foot. Tis move will drop your hands into the right position on the inside setting up for a powerful move through the golf ball”.

WHAT DOES A GOOD DOWNSWING LOOK LIKE?

Every good downswing has the lower body starting the movement when shifing your weight to the lead side. At the same time your arms drop setting the golf club in position to the impact area.

Have a look at the images below and I’ll highlight the keys that make a great looking downswing and what you should be aiming for.

• Shoulders still slightly closed • Flex maintained in legs • Club shaf splitting the right forearm

A key in the downswing is not letting your shoulders spin open too quickly which can throw you oﬀ balance and over the top. Keep your back to the target as long as possible before impact.

Keeping fex in the legs THE DOWNSWING plays two important roles. First it maintains Technique tip! your spine angle so you stay on plane and secondly it allows you to push oﬀ the ground for power increasing the SHOULDERS%% STILL distance of the shot. SLIGHTLY CLOSED

An integral position to CLUB SHAFT perfect is ensuring your SPLITTING THE golf shaf splits the right RIGHT FOREARM forearm in the downswing. Tis means FLEX%MAINTAINED% you are on plane and IN%LEGS perfectly positioned to strike the golf ball with maximum power.

• Lag angle maintained and parallel to ground at rear thigh • Lef shoulder stacked over lead leg ready for impact • Head positioned behind the golf ball

As you move through the downswing you should aim to get the hands to the rear thigh with the club still parallel to the ground. Try to get as close as possible as this means you have stored suﬃcient lag to create maximum power.

To get the lef shoulder stacked over the lead leg correctly it’s important to start your downswing correctly by shifing your weight to your lead leg. Tis helps to get into this position correctly.

By keeping your head positioned behind the golf ball in the downswing means you are in a great position to have the clubhead bottom out at the perfect spot at contact increasing solid contact and more power.

Te impact position is where it all happens and if you’ve performed the frst 4 parts of the swing right, it makes it much easier. It’s diﬀerent for irons and woods but my focus here is on irons.

When it all boils down to it, impact is the part that sets good golfers apart from the hackers. Take the time to practice and get it right and the pay-oﬀ will be huge in the long run.

Remember what Sean Foley said:

“Focus on getting the shaf in front of the golf ball at impact and your divots should start afer you strike the golf ball”.

WHAT DOES A GOOD IMPACT POSITION LOOK LIKE?

For golf iron shots a good impact position has the club handle in front of the ball producing a compressed, trapping position on the golf ball. Tis is ideal and how irons best work for power.

Have a look at the images below and I’ll highlight what makes a great looking impact position for your irons.

• Posture maintained from set up • Rear foot mostly down • Hips slightly open

At set up, you form an angle as you hold the club over the golf ball. When you reach the impact position, still maintain a similar angle. It doesn’t have to be exactly the same but close.

You’ll fnd this varies with a few of the top THE IMPACT players. However, most Technique tip! good players will keep their rear foot mostly POSTURE%% down at impact MAINTAINED FROM SETUP especially with their irons. With a driver, it raises up a bit more because of the faster speed of the club.

At impact the hips need HIPS%SLIGHTLY% to be slightly open to OPEN give yourself room to swing through and REAR FOOT DOWN provide separation in OR SLIGHTLY UP the shoulders ensuring maximum power and distance.

• Flat lead wrist • Lead foot, leg and shoulder in one line • Hands and handle in front of golf ball

A fat lead wrist at impact is critical especially with the irons, as it ensures you hit slightly down on the golf ball which is how irons are designed to be hit in order to gain maximum distance and ball fight.

Ideally, you want your THE IMPACT lead leg and shoulder stacked on top of each Technique tip! other at impact. Tis LEAD%FOOT,%LEG% ensures you maintain AND%SHOULDER% IN%ONE%LINE% lag and are best STACKED% positioned to hit down and through the golf ball with maximum speed.

HANDS%% AND HANDLE IN To ensure the FRONT OF BALL descending contact is made in your irons having the hands and FLAT%LEAD%% handle in front of the WRIST golf ball at impact is critical. It’s the only way to hit solid, crisp iron shots that fy further and straighter.

If you’ve performed the frst 5 steps of the golf swing correctly the follow through should be pretty easy. However, there are still some basic fundamentals you need to follow.

All great golfers have beautifully balanced follow throughs that complete the other good parts of the golf swing they have performed.

Remember what Michael Breed said:

“With a good follow through feel like the ball just gets in the way. Practice making swings with the golf club fnishing behind your head and pointing towards where the golf ball was”.

WHAT DOES A GOOD FOLLOW-THROUGH LOOK LIKE?

A key part in every good follow through is a balanced fnish. Tis shows the golfers right foot on its toes and the body fully turned around to the lef facing the target. All great golfers have a similar look.

Have a look at the images below and I’ll go through the key parts that make a great looking follow through in the golf swing.

• Right foot on its toes • Body facing the target • Lef foot pointing approximately at the ball

If you have shifed your weight to the lead side correctly in the downswing you should fnish on the toes of your right foot. Tis is a classical, balanced fnish you’ll see from all the best players.

Additionally with the THE FOLLOW-THROUGH correct weight shif, your body will rotate fully afer Technique tip! impact and ideally end up facing the target as you hold the fnish. It also means you’ve generated suﬃcient power.

Te lef foot position simply means that you have achieved the right BODY FACING amount of balance. Tis is THE TARGET the position at the set up and shouldn’t move too much afer that if you’re LEFT!! FOOT nice and balanced. POINTING APPROXIMATELY AT THE BALL

RIGHT FOOT ON ITS TOES

• Right foot on its toes • Body facing the target or slightly lef • Weight all in line stacked over lef side

Similar to the down the line view, if you have shifed your weight to the lead side correctly you should be balanced and up on the toes of your right foot.

If you’ve moved your THE FOLLOW-THROUGH weight correctly your Technique tip! whole body will rotate past impact and spin around facing at or slightly lef of the target depending on which club you hit.

A balanced fnish of the follow through should be a rough straight line starting from your lef leg through BODY FACING THE TARGET OR to the top of your head. SLIGHTLY LEFT Tis means you’ve done everything right and are RIGHT!! FOOT ON WEIGHT ALL IN ITS TOES balanced. LINE, STACKED OVER LEFT SIDE

- Gene Littler

Te last and fnal piece of creating your perfect golf swing is the mental side of the game.

If you don’t have a strong mental side to your golf game, swing changes or even the best swing in the world will fail eventually.

Tis is why the best golfers in the world not only have swing coaches but have dedicated sports psychologists’ in their corner as well.

Tey know that it’s so important to reaching the pinnacle of their sport.

Remember what Jack Nicklaus said:

“Golf is 10% set up, 10% technique and then 80% between the ears”

It’s so important and probably the frst thing I should have told you. However, if you’re like most golfers you’re more interested in fxing your golf swing frst rather your mental game.

Here are my top 4 mental golf game strategies that will not only lower your golf scores but you’ll have more fun on the golf course too!

MY TOP 4 MENTAL GOLF GAME STRATEGIES:

• Not score focused • Setting process goals • Playing your best shot • Switching oﬀ between shots

It may sound a bit counter intuitive or hypocritical to say you shouldn’t be thinking about your golf score. Afer all, I’ve just given you some great golf swing advice to produce a better, more consistent golf swing that works just for you.

However, if you are TOO score focused during your rounds it’s likely you lose the ability to focus on more important aspects that contribute to lower scores. Tings like following a routine, learning to switch oﬀ and breathing correctly. Forget about your score for each hole afer you’ve written it down, move on and focus ONLY on the current shot and the process.

Most golfers have goals such as; I want to break 100, or I want to get my handicap down to 10. Tese are fne as long term and written down goals, but are diﬃcult to accomplish if it’s your only focus before and during a round of golf.

Te reason is that these are goals you do not have 100% control over. For example, you cannot control or predict if you’re going to break 100 today. You might, you might not … it’s an unknown thing. So what happens if you don’t achieve it, you naturally get disappointed and down on yourself and you go back to square one.

However, the best goals to help you achieve your longer term goals are what’s called process goals. Tese are goals that you have 100% control over and a great chance to achieve every round of golf you play. Tey indirectly will help you achieve your longer term goals as well.

For example, if you make a goal of say singing your favourite song before every golf shot because it helps you relax. Tis is a process goal and one you can achieve 100% of the time to help you play better. You might have one that is, count to 3 during your golf swing to maintain a good tempo and block out negative thoughts.

Find a process goal that works for you to help you play your best golf and it will help you achieve your longer term goals in golf.

One of my favourite quotes in golf is: “play the shot you can hit, not the shot you think you should hit”.

I love this and it’s something you should incorporate into your golf game. For example, say you have 180-yards to the hole which would require a solid 5-wood to get there. You struggle to hit your 5-wood solidly and might only hit it well once in every 4 shots. However, your 6-iron is very accurate and you can hit it well 3 out of every 4 shots about 160-yards.

Te smart play for you is to hit the club you can hit which in this case is the 6-iron. Yes, you’ll likely come up short, but you only have a short 20- yard pitch to get to the green instead of trying to get up and down out of a bunker, the trees or whatever other trouble your 5-wood might get you into. Tis is a smart strategy that results in lower scores and less frustration.

Golf is a long game, and sometimes stretches as long as 5 hours depending on the round of golf you’re playing.

It’s nearly impossible, and even the pros would agree, to stay focused on your golf game during this entire period. Just imagine trying to stay focused on your golf game for nearly 5 hours … eeek! No thanks.

Try this instead. When you’re just about to play your golf shot, switch into the zone and focus on your process goal. When the shot is fnished it’s time to switch oﬀ and think about other things. Talking to your golf partners, think about your loved ones and the big game that’s on tonight. Take your focus oﬀ your golf game and let your brain rest.

Tis will keep your brain nice and relaxed and ready to focus when you need it most, standing over the golf ball.

SETUP

• Nice straight back • Slight knee fex • Hands hanging below neck / chin line • Slight tilt in shoulders • Hands slightly ahead of golf ball • Feet shoulder width apart

TAKEAWAY

• Right arm with only slight bend • Clubhead outside / in line with hands • Clubhead pointing approximately to the sky • Reasonably straight right arm • Shoulders and arms move away together • Lef hand golf glove logo pointing straight ahead

BACKSWING

• Lef arm approximately on same plane line as shoulders • Flat lef wrist lining up with the lef arm • Right elbow pointing down or slightly lef • Back tilted away from target • Keeping the lef arm straight as possible • 90° degree shoulder turn if possible

• Shoulders still slightly closed • Flex maintained in legs • Club shaf splitting the right forearm • Lag angle maintained and parallel to ground at rear thigh • Lef shoulder stacked over lead leg ready for impact • Head positioned behind the golf ball

IMPACT

• Posture maintained from set up • Rear foot mostly down • Hips slightly open • Flat lead wrist • Lead foot, leg and shoulder in one line • Hands and handle in front of golf ball

FOLLOW-THROUGH

• Right foot on its toes • Body facing the target • Lef foot pointing approximately at the ball • Rear foot on its toes • Body facing the target or slightly lef • Weight all in line stacked over lef side

So now you have some powerful steps you can take to create your own powerful and consistent golf swing. Te next step is to start working on each piece and develop your golf swing.

If you’re working on your entire golf swing, ensure you start from the set up and work your way through until you feel like you’ve achieved the positions as close as possible. Golf is not a perfect science so you’ll never look exactly the same as me here or any other golfer. But work hard to get as close as possible that your body lets you.

You may only need to work on one area and that’s fne. If this is you, practice slowly and deliberately using specifc drills.

I have drills for each part of the golf swing you can use on my blog here www.hittingitsolid.com or my YouTube channel here www.youtube.com/user/hittingitsolid.

Remember, creating a good golf swing for you is a journey and should be enjoyed. Don’t rush it and work your way through each step slowly and you’ll enjoy this game for years to come.

If you have any questions about anything in this eBook please email me here: [email protected]

Good golfng, Troy

Maria Palozola

LPGA Top-50 best teacher

http://www.mariapalozola.com/

http://www.stlouisgolfessons.com/

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All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher, addressed “Attention: Permissions Coordinator,” at the address below:

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Te information in this book is meant to supplement, not replace, proper golf instruction training. Like any sport involving speed, equipment, balance and environmental factors golf poses some inherent risk. Te authors and publisher advise readers to take full responsibility for their safety and know their limits. Before practising the methods described in this eBook, be sure that your equipment is well maintained and do not take risks beyond your level of experience, aptitude, training, and comfort level. Additionally, ensure you have seen a medical professional if you are concerned about any physical limitations of performing these golf methods.

All use of methods and tips within this eBook is at reader’s own risk and responsibility. Troy Vayanos and hittingitsolid.com is not liable for any damages to people or equipment resulting from use or misuse of the information in this eBook.