Some Tips To Improve Your Golf Swing

by Edwin Shackleford

So, your golf swing needs improvement and you know it? Here are some tips in making better golf swings.

Tip no. 1. A great golf swing does not mean you have to swing with arms.
Behind your back, put your golf club while you turn your back to your target. It is like taking your club back as you hinge your arm at your shoulder.You could also practice the drill known as no arms.

Tip no. 2. You should not forget cocking wrists. Do not forget cocking your wrists. This might be difficult at first, but it will be natural to you with enough practice.

Tip no. 3. You should let the left arm clockwise slightly when you start the back swing. It is not really something that you actually should remember. It naturally happens if you would just allow it. This just means that you should not resist this movement that is just natural. You might not notice it, but you might have been resisting this movement because this causes the head of your golf club to go open slightly when you swing it. Just allow it to happen.

Tip no. 4. Plant your feet firmly on the ground. You might have copied this from baseball. That is, letting your foot heel in front to come above the ground when you swing your golf club back. Some people think that by doing this so, their back swing feels more huge.

It is something that seems lifting the front heel can easily make the body coil and for the tension to build that much harder. Letting the foot roll freely to the inside is fine. However, one should keep that foot on the ground to make golf back swing well-anchored.

Tip no. 5. From the bottom golf down swing.

Assuming that you accomplish all the drills correctly - from the golf stance, the golf grip you have, and your golf back swing. But you can still ruin everything if you begin the golf swing that you have with the shoulders. You might want to use a swing trigger to begin the golf down swing that you have with the lower part of your body. Tip no. 6. And again, on your golf down swing.

You should turn the belt buckle to your target.

Try turning your hips as powerful and fast as possible when you do your golf down swing, it works.

Edwin Shackleford has been helping individuals improve thier golf game for years. Visit His Site Today http://www.improve-your-golf-game.com/

Why is the Core Important to Golf?

by Sean Cochran

Introduction

The core is the "center of the body" and is a key component for many activities the body performs. A quick review of the core region will indicate: 1) there are a vast number of muscles incorporated in this section of the body and 2) the core is an integral part of all human movement, including your swing!

Let us first review the first point in terms of what comprises the core. The core is an anatomical part of the body. The easiest way to think about the core is in terms of a "section" of the body. This section of the body is all the muscles from your hips up to the chest, not just the muscles on the front of your body, but on the sides, and backside as well. A generalization will state that the muscles comprising the core are: the abdominals, lower back, obliques, glutes, hip flexors, hip extensors, and spinal stabilizers. This is a short list of muscle groups of the core, and not all the specific muscles in this region.

This quick review of the anatomical structure of the core indicates that there are vast number of muscle groups and muscles incorporated in this section of the body. Keep in mind that even though we just described many individual muscle groups and muscles, the entire core region works as a unit to create movement.

We must realize that human movement is integrated and not isolated. First, let us describe human movement. Human movement is a general statement that describes anything you do with your body. The tasks can be simple movements like getting out of a chair, walking, or standing. Human movement can also be a complex movement like swinging a golf club.

We now know what human movement encompasses. We can begin to understand what we are talking about when we say "integrated." To perform either a simple task (standing up) or a complex task (swinging a golf club), the body functions as a "unit." If you swing a golf club, do you just use your arms? The answer is obviously no! The same can be said when getting up from a chair. Do you just use your legs? The answer is a little less obvious, but again the answer is no. In either of the movements describe above, your body must integrate numerous muscles to perform the movement. These muscles are utilized to balance and stabilize the body.

The same idea holds true for the core region of the body. Bending over to pick up the newspaper, you are not just using your lower back. Additionally, you are using the abdominal structure, deep spinal stabilizing muscles, and many others. So again, the core works as a "unit" to create human movement, as does the rest of the body.

The Core in Relation to the Golf Swing

At this point, we know that the core functions as a unit and is comprised of many muscles. The next question is: What exactly does the core do during human movement?

The core is involved in every movement of the body:

1) It is responsible for stabilizing the spine,

2) It assists in the function of balance, and

3) It is responsible in the transfer of energy from your lower body into the upper body (think of a golf swing on this one). In addition, the core is the primary rotator of the body.

This is probably giving you a pretty good idea of the relationship between the core and the golf swing. Keep all of these ideas about what the core is comprised of and what the functions of the core are as we move onto the next section.

The Core and the Golf Swing: the Connection

At this time create in your head the picture of a perfect golf swing. Start at address, go through the back swing, start the down swing, see the contact, and complete it with the follow through. Now, what do you see? Key in on what the body is doing during the different phases of the swing. The body is essentially creating a swing path through the process of weight transfer and rotation. These two components allow for the development and transfer of power (i.e. club head speed) into the golf club.

The core is important because golf is a rotational sport. The core is the region of the body that allows the body to rotate. The core is the area of the body that creates power during rotational activities. In addition to rotation, the core is the center point of balance for the body, and the core lends itself to the ability of weight transfer during the swing.

If golfers are to perform at their optimal levels, they must possess:

1) the ability to balance,

2) the ability to transfer weight efficiently, and

3) the ability to create rotational power. The core section of your body allows for these three components to occur. Improvement in your swing is contingent upon the development of this area of your body.

How Does the Core Development Improve your Game?

Core training allows for the development of the required power parameters and balance capacities for an efficient swing. Overall, the development of the core allows the golfer greater balance and the ability to develop more power in their swing. Combined with a mechanically sound swing, core development will increase distance off of the tee, accuracy, and consistency within your game.

Limited core strength, endurance, and power cause restrictions in balance capabilities, power outputs, and the ability to repeat a swing. This results in compensations with your swing resulting in less accuracy and distance on your shots. Additionally, the increased possibility of injury to your body occurs.

What Parameters of the Core Do I Develop for Improved Power and Balance

Golf is a sport that is classified as a functional athletic activity. A functional athletic activity is any sport requiring the entire body to be integrated in the performance of the activity.

What does that mean? Generally speaking, the golf swing utilizes the entire body from "feet to fingertips" to execute the swing. In order for a successful swing to occur, the body must maintain balance throughout the swing and create power to transfer into the golf club. The majority of golfers have limited balance and power capacities. This impedes their success on the course.

A golf-specific core program will focus on the areas of the body (hips, low back, abdominals, and obliques) that are required to develop the balance and power capacities required for the swing. Such a program will result in the development of the balance, stabilization, strength, and power capacities required for an efficient golf swing. Need additional information on core training for golf? Go to BioForce.com and you will discover additional information and products that will improve your golf gam

Sean Cochran is one of the most recognized golf fitness instructors in the world today. He travels the PGA Tour regularly with 2004 Masters Champion Phil Mickelson. He has made many of his golf tips, golf instruction and golf swing improvement techniques available to amateur golfers on the website www.bioforcegolf.com. Check out his manual and DVD, Your Body & Your Swing, on BioForceGolf.com

Balance Your Checkbook And Golf Swing

by Sean Cochran

We all search for it. Balance in our daily lives. Balance while riding a bike. Politicians are always debating a balanced budget in Washington, and most of us could use a little balance in our checkbooks. Balance is a term used in golf quite often as well. It's a "buzzword" and almost a cliché when it comes to the golf swing. I am sure you have heard numerous times from swing coaches that "you have to stay balanced when swinging your club." Others phrases that I hear when we talk about golf and balance are the following: "When it comes to a sand shot, dig your feet into the stand so you can stay balanced," "If the ball is on an uphill lie and above your feet, make sure you swing through the ball, and stayed balanced," and "Stay balanced when hitting the driver and get to the finish position in perfect balance." The list could go on and on, and I am sure all of you could probably add to the short list above.

Two questions always arise in my mind when I hear the word balance in association with golf: 1) what does balance exactly mean, and 2) how do I create balance in my golf swing? I am guessing quite a few of you have these same questions, or similar ones, when you talk about the subject of balance in relation to the golf swing.

I am going to answer both of these questions. We will first define balance and its relation to the golf swing. Secondly, we will discuss how you develop the balance capacities of your body in relation to the golf swing. So without further ado let's get started.

What is Balance?

This is a really great question and the perfect way to begin. So let's hear it! What is the definition of balance? Think about it for a minute and then write down a couple of your answers. I understand that this is not the easiest question to answer (trust me, I have asked it plenty of times), and it is okay if you are not able to create a good working definition of balance (that's part of what we are going to do with this article). Okay, time is up, what did you write down?
Well, let me tell you some of the replies I have received for this question and we will take if from there. Here are just a few that I hear: "head over your belly button between your feet," "swinging a club on the correct path," "knowing where your body is in space," and "kinesthetic awareness." All of these answers are somewhat correct, but none of them gives us a good sound understanding of what balance really means.

The definition of balance is simply the ability to control your body during movement. Sounds pretty simple, does it not? It really is when you think about it, but let's break this definition down so we understand it completely. Starting with the first portion of the definition: "the ability to control" means what? Well, it is probably easiest to imagine what "out of control" looks like. Take the mental image of a racecar crashing into the wall. We could describe the car as out of control. Now take the flip side of this, and what would this car look like if it were in control? It would probably zoom around the track without hitting anything. The body is the same; if your body is out of control it will, in a sense, crash or fall over. If the body is in control, then it performs whatever movement you are asking of it without "crashing." Take the example of a toddler running. Sometimes they get going so quickly that they get out of control and fall over. Other times they stay in control and are able to run.

Moving onto the second part of the definition: "your body." Pretty easy concept to understand, don't you think? Your body includes your torso, head, arms, legs, and anything attached to the arms or legs, like a golf club. Up to this point we can put together the first two parts of the definition and summarize it as: the body (including your arms, legs, torso, head, and golf club) must be under control. Let us add the final part of the definition into the mix to complete our understanding.

The final piece of the definition is: "during movement." This simply means anything your body is doing. It can be walking, running, throwing a baseball, or, in our world, swinging a golf club. Swinging a golf club is "our movement" when discussing this definition. We are now at the point to put the whole definition together. Let us use the example of a golf swing to create the connection we are looking for in terms of the definition.

Balance is the ability of your body (i.e. nerves, muscles, and skeleton) to swing a golf club effectively and efficiently on the correct path without changing the position of your body in such a way that it is detrimental to the swing and its outcome (i.e. contact with the ball). Pretty simple definition when you break it down, and from now on when your swing coach says, "You have to stay balanced," you know what he is talking about.

Developing Balance in Our Golf Swing

Okay, we now know the definition of balance and its relationship to the golf swing. Now, for the second question of this article: "how do we develop balance in relationship to our golf swing?" This next section will answer this question for you. I would also bet that the answer is not as obvious as it appears.

I will first say that developing balance in your swing is a combination of a couple of factors. The first and probably most obvious factor is mechanics. The golf swing is a biomechanical movement that requires the body to take the club through a specified swing path in a certain sequence and timing. The body must learn the biomechanical movement of a golf swing to become efficient with the movement. As your body becomes aware of the movement, more efficient with the movement, and has a better "feel" for the movement, the concept of balance in your swing will improve. So the first part of developing balance in your swing is linked to the mechanics of the swing and becoming more efficient with these mechanics. This all funnels down to two things: 1) proper instruction about the swing, and 2) practice. Practice, practice, and more practice is necessary to create better balance in your swing.

The second factor has to do with a term that many of you have probably heard before. That term is "muscle memory." Realize that within your body the skeleton is controlled by your muscles, muscles are controlled by nerves, and the nerves are told what to do by your brain. The messages sent to your muscles through your nerves by the brain create movement (i.e. muscles working to make the body move). These movements can either be efficient or inefficient. Inefficient movements by the muscular system tend to be "sloppy" and "unrefined." Efficient movements are just the opposite. Efficient movements by your muscular system are refined and technical. Improvement in balance is a result of the latter (i.e. efficient muscular movement). Efficient muscular movement is developed through training the muscles and nerves of your body to become more efficient. This is not done through typical exercises like bench press or leg press, but through stabilization and balance exercises.

As golfers we have our priorities. Let's get some balance in our golf swing by training our bodies, getting proper instruction, and certainly a lot of practice. Once we've got balance there, then we'll start talking about balancing our checkbook or helping Washington balance the federal budget.

Sean Cochran is one of the most recognized golf fitness instructors in the world today. He travels the PGA Tour regularly with 2004 Masters Champion Phil Mickelson. He has made many of his golf tips, golf instruction and golf swing improvement techniques available to amateur golfers on the website http://www.bioforcegolf.com/. Check out his manual and DVD, on BioForceGolf.com