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Golf Swing Basics – The 4 Pillars of the Golf Swing. Golf is a game that is both wonderfully simple to play and fiendishly difficult to master. At its heart lies the golf swing, which has been much talked about to the point where most people are ridiculously confused about where they should be putting their effort when it really comes to golf swing basics.

In this article, I will be addressing this confusion head-on and talking about the four pillars of the golf swing. Mastering these is the difference between building your game on a firm foundation or on quicksand, so is well worth getting properly to grips with.

Here are the four pillars:

1/ The Stance, Setup and Focus

The first pillar of the golf swing is your stance, setup and focus when settling down to strike the ball.

You need to make sure that your feet are shoulder width apart with the ball in the middle and a good feeling of balance in your feet. You should have your balance firm, but slightly edging towards the front of your feet so that when you come to strike the ball you can do so with maximum momentum.

Your grip should be firm, but light so that the club still feels like a living thing between your fingertips. There should be a light bend to your knees such that you really feel as though you are well connected to the ground. In addition, your arms should rest lightly and be free of tension so that they don’t carry any negativity or tenseness through the ball and cause you to hook it.

Finally, you need to make sure that your mind and eyes are 100% focused on the shot in hand and that you don’t let your mind wander.

Proper focus can be the difference between a great golf shot, or one that overall lacks conviction and is a little wayward.

2/ The Takeaway

The takeaway portion of the back swing is important because it sets the rhythm for the rest of the stroke. If you get this part wrong then you can kiss goodbye to being able to hit through the ball properly.

Keep this nice and relaxed and don’t start off the stroke in too hectic a manner as this can throw off the timing for the rest of the stroke.

Gradually turn your shoulders into the swing and make sure that the face of your club is square as it comes through. This will help to stop you from cutting across the stroke and causing you to slice it. You can learn more about golf swing takeaway drills or golf swing mechanics which both will help you in your golf swing form.

3/ Body Rotation

You should make sure that your body is firmly planted in the ground when you take the stroke, so that you don’t sway. Swaying is an issue that is very much in evidence with amateur golfers and often means that they don’t have much idea where the ball will end up!

Golfers with this issue can be quite inconsistent in their golf game, with things sometimes going very well and other times their scoring seeming to be off.

When this happens, it is often a result of body rotation problems with the swing.

One way to help to correct this is by putting more focus on the arch in your right hip during the swing. Try to have no sideways movement and then you will know that you are on the right track.

(The history of golf is an interesting topic)

4/ A Full-Blooded Finish

Make sure that the end of the stroke is hit full-blooded so that the full force of the club is put to bear on the ball.

You will know this is the case when your weight has fully shifted to your front foot, and you are fully facing where you want the ball to go with your chest puffed out directly towards it.

Hold the moment of impact for a few seconds and enjoy the flight of the ball! 

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