I watch a lot of YouTube golf instruction. I am always looking for the Holy Grail to move my golf game to a higher level. These days after several joint-replacements and ongoing worsening of arthritis, I’ll settle for being able to re-capture what used to be some good parts of my game. To follow are some tips I’ve found helpful.
9 golfing tips that have worked for me
Golf Tip 1 – Brian Sparks 3 Deadly Don’ts
- (don’t) Keep your head still
- (don’t) Keep your leading arm straight
- (don’t) Keep your front foot rooted in the ground on the backswing
Easiest Swing in Golf Youtube site
Most seniors have difficulty with the fullness the backswing. The shoulders and hips just don’t turn easily as they did when we were younger. Trying to keep your front foot planted, just makes things worse. Allowing the heel of the front foot to come off the ground facilitates a fuller and easier backswing.
Trying to prevent your head from rotating inhibits your backswing. In my case, severe arthritis makes this “don’t do” a huge factor, but even if you have only a modest amount of loss of neck flexibility trying to keep your head still or your eye glued to the ball could be counterproductive. (BTW If you are “coming up” on your forward swing, it’s not due to your head; it’s something else about your swing)
Keeping your leading arm straight on the backswing affects the ease with which you can turn and adds tension to your arms. Tension in the arm muscles, shortening the length of your arms, can lead to topping the ball or other mishits. In general, tension and tightening my muscles in the swing is something I continually struggle with. It’s why practice swings or hitting balls on the range can go so well but disappear on the course. Tension, tight muscles.
>>>John Hayes demonstrates keeping the left arm flexible in this video.
Golf Tip 2 – Manuel de la Torre’s visualizing the target
De la Torre mandates picking your target before you take your golf stance, keeping your eye on it during your stance, and imbedding it in your mind as you make your golf swing. Manuel believes this allows your subconscious mind to direct your body to make the right swing to the target.
I have found this habit works. It may be as Manuel says subconsciously helps my swing. I think it also serves to divert my attention away from having a multitude of swing thoughts. That focus on the target also helps prevent the automatic tightening my grip at the top of my swing and tightening muscles of my forearms to begin the downswing.
John Hayes demonstrates the technique in this video
Golf Tip 3 – Full Finish of the Golf Swing
On any full swing, your club should finish over the forward (left for right-hand golfers) and you should be facing your target. If not, then it is likely the club head has started to slow down at the moment it strikes the ball. Thus distance is compromised and it is also possible the face of the club has opened up. Lack of full finish could also be a sign that you are hanging back on your rear foot, not shifting your weight to the forward foot as you hit the ball.
Golf Tip 4 – Flaring Toes of both Feet
Like allowing your front heel to lift off the ground, the practice of flared toes aid a fuller, easier backswing and swing finish. A bonus is less stress on knees and hips.
See Todd Kolb’s video on this tip: https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxQ1Q1TAiZhjrfIgK1kI1s1buwz0GSCPQz?si=wF82taRgJ_joMTrf
Golf Tip 5 – Thinking Box before Set Up
Golfing buddies Chris Lynch and Scott Starks (of Custom Clubs Golf Fitting) gave me this tip. Consistent with De la Torre’s visualizing the target, standing behind the ball and picking the target also gives you a chance to clear out swing thoughts and calm down before a shot. For me tension and excessive swing thoughts are a significant issue (and hard to break habits).
Golf Tip 6 – Sticking to a Set-Up Routine
Find a routine for aligning your feet and how you set up your body to the ball – and practice it. If you make it a routine, it is one less thing you have to think about. My habit is to line up with the feet together and the ball in the middle of my stance. Then I move my front foot and rear foot according to the club I am using. I have a routine with my driver and a slightly different routine with my 3 Fairway Wood. Over-thinking, in general, and especially over the ball can be a disabling habit that is hard to break.
A few more tips to improve your golfing and golfing experience
Golf Tip 7 – The importance of Rhythm, Swing Speed, Your Wrists and Hands
Easiest Swing coach Séan Herron explains here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaHTC2pUY7c
Golf Tip 8 – In Chipping. Keep the Weight on Lead Foot/Club Straight Back/Straight Thru
Todd Kolb offers 3 simple tips to improve your chipping in this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXKMACGp-B8
Golf Tip 9 – How the Baseball Closed Stance Can Help
This idea will aid your hip turn and improve your swing speed w/o stress
Todd Kolb demonstrates in this video:
Ross Reinhold – Recovering Duffer