A Trusted Guide To The Proper Golf Swing Sequence

Most golfers feel like the golf swing sequence is a complex set of movements that must be perfectly executed to maintain a good shot. However, it is not as challenging as most golfers believe. For amateur golfers, it may be a struggle at first, however, some of the movements may seem challenging but become much easier and more natural with lots of practice.

The Best Golf Swing Sequence

When it comes to understanding golf swing sequence, there is no shortcut.  There are 7 different sections that you need to know and follow if you want to master a golf swing sequence. Every section is a unique technique that golfers need to improve on. If you want to succeed in golf, you need to work your way through all of these sections and this requires lots of practice.

When you master these sections, you will notice an immediate difference in the golf swing sequence and will attain the longest distance. The proper golf sequence can be divided into 7 sections that are easy to master. This article will look at all the seven positions and ways that you can execute them to achieve the perfect golf swing sequence. The seven sections include the following:

• Address
• Takeaway or First Half
• The Backswing
• Transition
• The Downswing
• The Impact
• Follow-through and Finish

1. Address

The address position is mainly motionless, stance just before the player starts their swing. This is a critical stage that a player should get correct because if it is not started as required, you will lower the odds of finishing in the right position. A bad setup will result in problems later in your swing, for example, getting stuck in the downswing.

How you execute the address position reveals a lot about your golf sequence. You need to remain completely still before taking a swing.  If you are not in the right position, are restless, or moving around, it will ruin everything that will happen next.

You need to keep your spine straight while bending at the waist area. However, you should avoid bending the knees since this is what many amateur golfers do that ruins their golf swing sequence. Bending the knee is the right address when it comes to basketball, however, in golf, a slight bend at your waist works perfectly.

Make sure that your arms are loose and almost hanging freely while holding the golf club. You should also avoid extending the arms sideways or up and down. You should have a better grip and hold on your club and the best solution possible is to have the least resistance. Your golf ball must be centered at the middle part of the feet while keeping the feet and shoulder-width apart. You can correct this position over time depending on the type of golf club you use.

2. First Half / Takeaway

The takeaway is simply the first half of the golf swing. This is usually the time between the address and when the golf club and hands are about waist high. At this point, you have not yet made an impact, but it is still coming. And the only way that you can achieve this right is by ensuring that your first half is performed right.

During the takeaway, you need to put the big muscles of your body to work first and not the small muscles. One major mistake that amateur golfers do is using their small muscles. For you to start the first half of your swing, the first movement you make is with your arms and shoulder muscles and not your wrists. The arms and shoulders will draw the golf club directly back to the target line until your hands reach waist-high.

You need to maintain this position firm and steady. By slightly rotating your clubface, you will maintain balance with ease. When the club reaches the height of your waist, your toe will now be pointing up instead of downward to the ground. This helps in maintaining the square to square ball flight in golf to help you hit straighter and longer.

In most cases, amateur golfers will try keeping the clubface pointing the ball during the first half because they believe it is a better technique. However, this s what will ruin your direction and distance.

3. Backswing

The backswing consists of two parts including the top of the backswing which is followed by the transition. This is usually the part of the backswing sequence just before the hands and golf club start the downswing towards the golf ball. In the takeaway section, the club was at waist height and from this time on, your wrist action will now come into play.

When it comes to the backswing, there are a few things you need to know. It is at this point that your wrists will begin hinging a little more than what they did during the initial takeaway. You will still be using your big muscles like your shoulders for turning the body and the arms around the spine. However, you will also start using the small muscles to help in creating pivot motions.

You must ensure that your backswing direction targets the ball. Most times, new golfers lose control when it comes to this factor. Consequently, their backswing direction may be pointing to the left or right. As a result, they end up struggling more and will cause more movement as they try to correct this problem during the golf swing.

You must ensure that the shaft of the club and the target line is the same. If you are not sure about this, you can get help from a golf instructor since it is difficult to take notice of this positioning on your own. You can also get someone to record a video of yourself as you take the first backswing to know the areas you need to work on.

The most crucial part of the backswing is usually the control of the golf club. After you hit parallel, you need to know when to stop. This is because if you end up waiting for long, you will lose your balance. In addition, if you make it too short, then you will gain both strength and distance.  When your timing is right, then your golf swing will also be controlled better.

4. Transition

This step usually occurs at the end of the backswing where the body and the golf club begin moving in different directions towards the golf ball. This is a very crucial point of the golf swing because players must ensure that all their body parts move in unison. This is a tricky transition for most players because it necessitates perfect muscle coordination. Your body muscles must work together and end the swing in unison when hitting the target.

For amateur golfers, it is best that they start things pretty slowly and avoid taking the backswing too quickly. Later, you can then boost the speed of the downswing. Always remember that your backswing must always be steady, but it may not impact your distance.

During the transition phase, your lower body plays a crucial role just as skillfully as the upper body does. You need to move through the backswing with the torso and hips slightly tilted. As a result, the lower body will rotate towards the ball and let biological nature handle the rest. Naturally, the arms and shoulders will follow the posture of the lower body through to the impact.

5. Downswing

At the downswing phase, your hands will not be on the same path that they were on the backswing. Instead, they will drop down and be inside the path that is towards the golf ball. You should allow gravity to direct your hands and the club as you begin moving from the backswing to the downswing. At this point, the downswing is where you are throwing the club and the hands at the ball to make an impact.

During the downswing stage, the back elbow should be kept closer to the rib cage.  Most amateur golfers allow their elbows to flare out and this is known as a ‘chicken wing.’  With this move, a large size and uncontrollable chicken wing will be created. Therefore, you should keep the elbow in tight on the side and it will not be touching the ribs but keeping it close.

The Wrist Hinge

At the downswing stage, the wrist hinge must be maintained for the longest time possible. Most amateurs tend to release their wrist hinge immediately after the transition phase. This is known as casting since it looks more like casting a fish pole. The biggest problem with casting is that you will lose all the built-up tension and energy in the writs that may be converted to power. The lag effect refers to the action of maintaining this energy.

The Feet

In golf swing, the back foot has a significant role and many expert golfers allow the back heel to move up in the air just before the actual impact. This can come in handy in gaining extra distance, however, it can also make accuracy more challenging.

If you want to gain distance, your back heel must come off the ground naturally and should not be forced.  For you to achieve more accuracy, you must keep your heel on the ground for the lengthiest time until the actual impact. After the impact, your heel should come up if you want to solid shot.

6. Impact

In any golf swing, the impact position is the most critical for obvious reasons. During the impact stage, the club and golf ball come into contact with each other. Therefore, it is incredibly important for golfers to get this position correct so that they can hit a perfect shot. Impact positions can be divided into three including:

• Driver shots
• Regular fairway shots
• Shorts from the sand

Driver Shots

The ball of the tee or the driver is another impact position where the club approaches the golf ball from the inside. The difference in this case will be that the head of the club will move up slightly at impact. The clubhead tends to make contact with the golf ball’s underside and moves up in the air instead of moving off the ground. Therefore, in the driver shots, making contact with the ground is not acceptable.

Regular Fairway Shots

The regular fairway shots are similar to the irons out of the fairway. In order to attain this impact position, the golf clubhead must move in a downward motion towards the golf ball. The club should make contact first with the ball and then the ground afterward in this order. If you miss one or you reverse the order, then the ball will not achieve what it is intended to.

Sand Shots

Sand shots are also known as bunker shots. In this type of shot, you will make an impact with the sand first and then slide the club under the ball to make it fly in the air. The movement of the ball is caused by the displacement of the sand rather than the impact between the golf ball and the club.

7. Finish

Your body must work in unison and maintain balance. The heels should be slightly raised, the front of the foot should move towards the target and this also applies to the chest and shoulders. During impact, the arms should be freely hanging, but at this point, the arms should be aligned with our front shoulder. This is the ideal finishing posture for the best golf swing sequence.

Conclusion

Being an expert in weight transfer, shoulder turn, or takeaway is great, however, eventually; you will need to put the whole golf swing sequence together. A step-by-step guide of the golf swing is a perfect tool for every beginner player or a golfer that wants to improve their game. Hopefully, this article gives you all the information you need to know about the proper swing sequence and what it takes to play the game of golf.