Adopt a less-complex single-plane swing

By Kim Jeong-kyoo

To whack your ball successfully, swing your arms back on the same plane as your shoulders turn. Don’t aim to swing your hands high above your head at the top of your backswing. At address, tilt your upper body forward enough toward the ball from your hips and turn your shoulders fully. This swing method calls for fewer moving parts of your body, thus spelling fewer errors. Go for the one-plane swing if you feel comfortable swinging you golf club like a baseball bat. Do the same if you can hit your ball more firmly picturing an ice-hockey slap shot.

For a less-complicated single-plane swing, first adopt a strong grip. Grip your club with your left hand so you can see two or three knuckles on your hand. To control your club, you need to grip it firmly with the thumbs and forefingers of each hand. You cannot have control of your swing if you lose control of your club. To this end, press your thumbs firmly against your forefingers before you grip your club. You will create a crease between your thumbs and forefingers. Make sure they don’t separate when you hold your club.

Stand a little farther from your ball. Standing too close to your ball forces you to swing your arms on too steep a plane. Let your arms hang naturally from your shoulders so your hands are directly underneath your chin.

Set up in a bent posture, with your spine tilted forward toward the ball about 35 to 45 degrees. A line extended down from each shoulder will point just outside or beyond your toe line. Taller golfers will bend more from the hips than shorter players.

Make sure your spine stays straight, with your shoulders sitting directly over your hips, from the face-on view. Tilting your spine to the right adds unnecessary width to your backswing. Don’t set your right shoulder lower than your left. Or, avoid tilting your spine sideways to the right away from your target.

To this end, make sure your hands are just a touch ahead of the center of your body. Place your hands opposite the left seam of the zipper of your trousers. Your hands will be slightly behind your ball when you’re hitting your driver. They will be slightly ahead of your ball when you are using short irons. They will be roughly even with your ball when you are using middle- to long-irons.

Take your moderate to comfortably wide stance and flex your knees a little. Take a slightly wider stance, going for an extra-side stance when you hit your driver. You need a solid foundation for balance and stability for a big, fast-moving swing. Make sure your shoulders are inside or between your heels when you hit your driver. Make sure you align your feet staying parallel to the target line or slightly closed. Make sure your right foot is at a right angle to your target line. Keep your left foot flared out 35 to 45 degrees toward the target. That will leave your hips and shoulders slightly open. Keeping your hips open, you can move them more efficiently and move better on the downswing.

Play your ball roughly off your left instep for your driver, or off the tip of your left shoulder. For your irons, position your ball under your pectoral muscle or off the logo on your shirt. Narrow your stance gradually as the club you use shortens.

Keep your weight evenly balanced for normal full shots, with the weight toward the balls of your feet. Avoid placing more than 50 percent of your weight on your left foot, when you hit your driver. That pushes you to swing your club back too steeply, depriving you of your power and distance. However, place your weight just a touch more on your left foot when you’re hitting short irons.

Critically, keep your arms hanging naturally from your shoulders. To ensure this, press your left hand down toward the ground and loosen your grip. Doing this correctly, you will feel as if you are not gripping your club, rather as if you were holding an egg or bird, your left arm dangling from your left shoulder.

Waggle your club several times by pulling your right elbow backward toward your rear. At the top of your backward waggle, you need to be in position to hit your ball toward the target.

Swing your club back the way you’ve waggled. If you swing back correctly, your left arm will swing across your chest.

Also, your clubface will remain square to your swing plane about hip-high. Put differently, the leading edge of your club will be at a 45-degree angle, halfway between toe-up and face-down. Don’t try rotating your forearms to open your clubface so the toe of your club points straight upward roughly hip-high.

Similarly, your club shaft will sit over your insteps about hip-high. That helps you swing your arms around your body. Typically, your club shaft becomes horizontal and parallel to the target line when you swing your club back about hip-high.

Once you’ve swung your club back about hip-high, rotate your left forearm and right wrist as you hinge your wrists. Complete your backswing by turning your shoulders fully so your left shoulder hits your chin. The more you turn your shoulders, the greater power you will create.

Point your right-elbow behind you at the top of your backswing. Pull your right elbow back as far as possible. Try to let your right elbow joint go backward at least to the seam of your shirt. Still, your dominant move completing your backswing is letting your left shoulder hit your chin.

Also, let your left arm sit across your chest and stay firmly pressed against your chest. At the top of your backswing, your left arm will rest horizontally. Unless you are supple enough, you’ll leave your club laid off rather than remaining parallel to the target line. Your club shaft will point left of your target. Make sure you leave your clubface square or slightly closed.

As for your hips, keep them centered between your feet. Move them slightly left toward the target. Still, don’t try to turn your hips more than 45 degrees. If you turn your hips too much, you cannot create enough torque between your upper body and lower body.

Remember you need to pull your right elbow inward toward your rear and turn your shoulders fully. Make sure your back faces the target or that your left shoulder touches your chin.