There are some basic elements of the golf swing that the golfer should use as a mental checklist when taking a shot. The first element is the body’s alignment toward the target. Stand five to ten feet behind the ball, with the ball directly between your body and the desired target. Locate guidance targets on the ground (leaves, blades of grass, dirt, etc.) inches in front and behind the golf ball that should be on a direct line with where you are standing and the target. Keep your eyes on those ground targets as you approach the ball.
Align the clubface behind the ball, with the center of the clubface on a direct line between the two ground targets you have selected. Grip the club with just enough tension to keep it from slipping in your hands throughout the course of the golf swing. Align your feet on a parallel plain with your ground targets, shoulder width apart, and the knees slightly bent. The front foot should be pointed slightly outward, toward the target, to allow your hips to flow freely through the swing.
Tilt your torso slightly towards the ball while keeping your back straight. The arms should now hang freely in front of the body to grip the club. The shoulders should be parallel with the ground targets and the toes, and your head should be tilted downward with your eyes on the ball. These motions described are known as the set-up, or addressing the ball.
You are ready to begin the golf swing. Keeping your back elbow tucked as closely to your ribs as possible, slowly take the club back on a straight line along the plain of the ground targets. Keep your front elbow locked throughout the back swing and never take your eyes off the ball. This motion should naturally tuck your chin into your front shoulder. Hips should remain still and slightly tilted, while the front knee will turn inward. At the apex of the back swing, allow your wrists to break slightly.
Bring the club downward toward the ball, uncoiling the wrists, and shifting your weight onto your front foot. You should attempt to generate force and speed on your down swing, while never take the clubface off of the target line. Upon making contact with the ball, the clubface should strike the ground as it moves through, taking a divot from the ground in the area past where the ball was lying, and through your second ground target.
Finish the golf swing with a nice, high follow through of the club. Your hips should be turned toward the target. Your weight should have shifted, and should now be firmly on your right foot. Smile and watch the ball fly toward the target.
Elements of a Golf Swing
Five Reasons Why The Golf Course Has Become An Extension Of The Board Room
Ask any corporate big wig, and he’ll tell you that most of those mergers were sealed in a game of golf. Ask any sales-based hotshot and he’ll tell you those he struck most of those deals in the golf course. Ask any movie producer and he’ll tell you that the winning treatment was offered while he was choosing an iron.
Golf has transcended the parameters of a mere sport. Today, it has become a social and a cultural phenomenon that allows people to get together in the spirit of fun and healthy competition. Under such an atmosphere, these people develop bonds that pave the way for the biggest deals that shape the commercial world.
But what is it, exactly, about the sport of golf that makes it an extension of the boardroom most of the time? How come the golf course became a venue where business and leisure do meet? And why do golfers feel that they belong to this brotherhood which they must uphold?
Hopefully, the five reasons we will discuss below would enlighten us on these questions.
1. No other sport can foster the development of relationships as much as when people take up golf. Whether for business ties or personal friendships, the long time spent together on the golf course allows you to get to know each other better and bond like the oldest of friends. You both go at your own pace, enjoying the scenery, managing your game, rejoicing over triumphs or trying over and over again to get that hole in one.
2. Golf allows you to see a different side of the person, other than the one you see in the boardroom. In this relaxed and leisurely setting, you can observe and discover the person’s prominent qualities which may convince you to either agree or disagree to a proposed business deal. Golf has been said to be a test of character. If you find out that he cheated on the score card, would you still take the risk of getting into business with him?
3. Golf does not need a lot of brawn unlike other sports. However, it requires a great deal of patience, intelligence, focus, creativity and control. Throughout the game, you will be able to recognize how this player is able to call his shots, control his pace, survey and analyze the golf course and strategize how to turn things to his advantage. If his game is good, one deduces business is good in his hands too.
4. Golf lets you expand your business circle. It’s a gold mine of business contacts, as almost all the executives play a round of golf every once in a while. Unlike in the usual business gatherings where conversation can be shallow and time is very limited, golf brings you much closer to another person than just being a mere acquaintance or “someone you know from the business”. Not only can you win business connections, a personal friendship with them is not that unlikely. Even if the whole point of golf playing is to discuss some things about business, it is inevitable for you to talk openly about other matters, like family, personal goals or your various interests. With the relationship taken a step further, the deal can materialize with more probability.
5. A round of golf gives you ample time to lobby a business or arrange a deal without the additional tension or stress. You can manage to give some key details and you are able to fully explain these. No more fancy presentations or hard core negotiating, just a pleasant talk during a game of golf. Such a relaxed pace and a breathtaking environment certainly makes for a far more agreeable mood.
Golfing Fitness
If you don’t exercise and stretch, you will probably develop back pain as a golfer. Golfing is a repetitive game. Because of this it places strain on certain areas of the body, including the back. In fact, many professional golfers experience back pain at one time or another during their career. Since you are a beginning golfer, the chances are high you will not experience much back pain. However, you will need to work to prevent back pain. To do this, make sure you get regular exercise and stretch your back after golfing. Remember when it comes to golf you very often must maintain the same (sometimes uncomfortable) postures repeatedly. Do what’s right and protect your back.
Strength train to add power to your game. You don’t have to be a bodybuilder to golf well, but you will need some strength and power behind each ball you hit. If you want to drive the ball further, you will have to have good technique. However, you will also have to be strong and powerful. So make sure you strength train important parts of your body including your abdomen, back, arms, forearms and shoulders.
