The importance of arm swing in keeping your body in a good golf backswing

Every golfer needs to understand the basic principles of their golf swing. Maintaining a correct posture ensures your golf swing stays consistent, while you maintain power through the transition of weight from back swing to forward swing. 

 

Ruling out inconsistency remains the key to reducing your score, thus lowering your handicap. An insight into the separate elements of a good posture can help highlight potential faults in your swing. Remember a powerful posture leads to a powerful golfer.

Discover the five basic elements help understand the correct outline for a great golf posture.

Weight distribution in the golf swing

Firstly, it’s essential that your weight’s distributed evenly on the balls of your feet.  The balls of your feet, relates to the area directly behind your toes. You should not feel pressure pushing you forwards or backwards. The weight remains in the balls of your feet keeping a centralized equilibrium.

Straight spine with bending at the hips when you start your golf swing

A good posture relies on keeping your back straight. This may feel unnatural but it helps as you take a back swing, by allowing your body to naturally pivot on its hips. To accomplish a straight spine you’ll need to bend forward at the hips, slightly exaggerating pushing your bottom outwards.

Why you need to have flexed knees when you begin your back swing

Keeping your knees flexed gently, acts as suspension for your body as you build up into your golf swing. If the knees remain locked, the back swing becomes forced, not allowing for a true, resistance-free golf swing.

Remember to keep the chin raised with head above the ball

By resisting the temptation to rest your chin on your chest you’ll create a back swing free from inhibition. Your body has natural pivot points that a good golfing posture will keep as free as possible. Your head position stays above the ball, with many golfers preferring to look slightly behind the ball.

In building your swing allow your arms to hang free

Your arms will naturally hang free from your shoulders. No effort’s required to keep your arms forward or backward from your feet. Your arms simply will hang loose without any tension. This gives your body the ideal way of moving from back swing to forward swing in one natural movement. Most importantly it allows your arms to return to their original position upon return of the back swing.

A good posture will feel normal, taking advantage of your body’s natural pivot points. Powerful posture follows from the principles of what your body can physically accomplish. Your body exists as a perfect biological machine. There’s no need to create unnecessary tension, or to force your body to move in a way it’s not designed too. 

Keep you weight evenly spread on the balls of you feet. Straighten your spine keeping your knees flexed. Keep your head above the ball and slightly behind. Allowing your arms to hang free will add to the natural pendulum effect required for a great golf swing. 

Remaining consistent with a great golf swing all leads from having a firm, well-established golf posture. Take time to ensure all the elements of your posture are correct. You’ll find you become a stronger, more proficient golfer.

How to Read a Golf Green and Putt your Golf Ball

Reading a green is referring to a technique in golf of understanding how the slopes and conditions of a green will affect the direction your golf-ball will take when it comes time to take your putt. 

There are many conditions that can change the roll of your golf ball. To begin with you should examine the green on your approach before you even get close to your ball. 


Try to ascertain the way the green leans, or whether it sits flat like a table, or slopes in one general direction.

Look at the green side fringes and surroundings - the weather effect

Consideration needs to be given to the surrounds as well. Has there been recent rain and do the edges look saturated. Most greens are very effective at draining water, however playing a round early in the morning there will often be residual dew left on the putting surface. The same can be said if there has been a recent shower during your round of golf which will result in the green slowing down.

Feel the grass and look at the cut

One of the best ways to check for this is literally to stroke the green with your fingers and check for moisture. This has an added bonus as well. Brushing the green with your hand allows you to feel the length of the grass on the green. 


Both the moisture and length of grass will affect how well the ball rolls and so you will need to putt with more force than normal. The reverse can also be applied if the green is dry and the grass is short or has recently been cut, in this instance use less force, the greens in this condition are fast.

Having ascertained the general slope of the green on your approach and  the condition of the putting surface, you will now need to fine-tune your reading.

How to read a green for the best chance of putting your ball into the hole

Firstly kneel down behind the ball but far enough so you can clearly see the ball and look for any slopes or angles that lean away from the hole. Make sure that you can observe for slopes that lean to the left and to the right of your ball. You will need to factor this into what direction you will hit the ball when it comes to putt.

Now is a good time to walk to the back of the hole and look back towards your golf-ball. Ensure that the hole is also clearly visible and you are low to the ground. Judge whether the slopes from this side look and feel the same as from the ball-side.

The Etiquette of putting - look out for players lines and ball markers

Every golf player should have a  professional Ball Maker with a Divot Repair Tool.  
When you return to your golf ball walk wide around the whole watching out for other players ball markers. As you are walking check your natural sense of balance and feel in your feet any slopes that confirm the directions you saw whilst looking at the hole at ground-level.

Now you have all the elements of the green in your mind, and it is time to focus and decide the direction and pace you need to hit the ball into the cup, it is time to trust your senses and believe in your vision to sink the ball you have read the green successfully after-all.