Golf Information

Step One: Take your stance with the mid-iron of your choice and make sure you have your right knee cocked in toward the center and your weight distributed evenly but focused on the right foot toward the instep. To begin the backswing shift your weight to the right foot by focusing down-pressure on the instep. There is a triangle created by the shoulders and arms by the joining of the hands. Keep this triangle intact and your hands in front of your body while you move the club away from the ball by rotating the large muscles of the shoulders. Your torso and hips follow.

You will be able to get the club waist high or higher through this rotation of the shoulders to about 90 degrees away from the target. Your shoulders are now at an angle that is perpendicular to the ball-target line, and the club is still in front of your chest and waist high. At this point look at the clubface and the leading edge of the club. The angle of the leading edge of the club (bottom edge) will match the angle of the top of your left forearm. If it doesn't you are rotating your hands in the takeaway. This relationship remains constant throughout the golf swing (from setup to follow-through). Your center of mass remains inside your stance. We keep the right knee cocked in and our weight is trapped by the instep of our right foot. This first part of the backswing is the big muscle movement.

If you master Step One and practice it regularly, you will always be able to get off the tee in those situations where muscles tighten up and your mouth goes dry. You will be relying on the big muscles of your body to get your swing stared. Those big muscles perform well under pressure, and once you get your swing started back on a reliable path it becomes almost automatic. Start it wrong, and you have no chance.

Steps Two and Three: We now use our middle muscles in our arms to lift our hands up over our right shoulder while maintaining a reaching left arm. At the same time you will begin the wrist cock, using your small muscles. This is the also the start of the second pendulum. When you cock the club the face of the club will remain square to the ball-target line (the leading edge will still match your left forearm). The cocking movement only elevates the club vertically from the ball-target line. Because of the backswing and the golfer's body rotation the toe of the club will end up pointing in a downward direction rather than up. The face of the club will be pointed toward the inside of the swing arc. When the club is cocked in this manner and the face remains square, the wrists can release naturally in the downswing. The wrists will return the hands to a neutral position, making contact with the ball and causing no negative effect on the ball flight. You do not have to manipulate this release. I guess this is what you would call swing magic. When your left arm starts to bend, stop. This is as far as you should take your backswing. How far you reach will depend on your flexibility. Your right arm will be bent with the leading edge of the golf club matching the top of your left forearm.

The Downswing: The first move of the downswing starts from the ground up. Release the down-pressure on the right leg and your legs shift your weight to the front foot. We reverse the motion of the club by uncoiling the muscles of the hips, torso and shoulders. The club will be rerouted down (not out) as you rotate and drop your right shoulder and arm toward your side. Just like pumping a park swing, you have to learn the feel of the downswing. Some will learn it better than others. As you learn to swing, let your arms, wrists and hands be passive and allow the club head to uncock naturally and square itself just before contact. It's only when you learn to feel that downswing happening time after time that you can join in. Remember to keep your arms and hands in front of your body throughout the downswing.

Your shoulder rotation must remain behind your hip rotation by 45 degrees in order for your swing to line up with the ball-target line. The center point of the swing arc or pendulum is the left shoulder. The right arm remains slightly bent and continues to act as a stabilizer as the arms deliver the club to a position inside the ball-target line. The front leg braces against the instep of the front foot.