How Do I Go From Beginner To Intermediate??

One of the hardest challenges when improving your game is trying to replicate good swings. More specifically having the ability to try and have the body remain stable throughout the swing. If you are someone who is quite stiff or inflexible, the first area would be to practice holding your spine angle in a relatively fixed position while rotating.

I will often incorporate a drill at the start of clinics and private lessons that really target holding your spine angle in this fixed position. You want to first place the club behind your shoulders and make sure your back and legs are straight. You want to then tilt your spine angle at 45 degrees and bend your knees lightly. You should then have your right shoulder tilted down slightly. I would then ask students to look at something at eye level in front of them and try and move the left shoulder under the chin. When you look at something at eye level, you will be able to control your head position.

Once you can rotate well on the backswing whilst your head is stable, you can then practice moving onto the front foot on the downswing. You want to feel 100% of weight shifted onto the front foot once you have completed your swing. Now the important element when shifting weight is that the spine angle should of maintained right up until the ball is hit. You can then straighten yourself after impact. When then gripping a club, try and position yourself in front of the mirror and ensure your head stays relatively in the same position right up until impact.

A big element that will impact whether you can maintain spine angle successfully, is your distance from the ball. Most people tend to stand too far away which will often cause the spine angle to lift up on the backswing causing ‘topping’. Just ensure that you are standing within a handspan from the club at set-up. One final point is that previously I’d mentioned that golf is all about 45 degrees. Once your posture is set at a 45 degree angle and you swing around the body on this same angle instead of straight up, you will find that your ball striking will become more consistent and hence be able to move from Beginner to Intermediate.

If you’d like any further help in improving your game, just contact myself at David Waters Golf.