Golf Information sponsered by Indy Golf Shop

Controlled Body Movement The Key Essential For Your Golf Game


Basic body movement is essential in any sport. Of course it is also essential for any type of physical activity we do.

As parents, we teach little children how to do the simplest of things. This includes how to move and how to control movements for precision and safety.

Basic body movement also means limiting movement to the essential movement for what you want to do. We control the desired movement. And, we prevent unwanted movement. We learn to keep our movements just firm enough to be coordinated. We also learn to allow just enough relaxation so the movements can flow through their proper range with the most comfort.

For many golfers, if you think about your hands doing something or even have much of your focus on your hands then, usually, you will do something incorrect with your hands.

Basic body movement, under control, is to be your main focus. When you become good at this part of your golf swing then can you try advanced hand movements. But, any of these hand movements should only be done in harmony with the dominant body and upper arm movements.

Even your arm movements need more focus in the early learning stages than any perceived hand movements. And, these arm movements should focus on movements generated in the upper arms which are as close to your body as possible.

A Special Lesson With A Good Golfer

A few years ago I did 2 golf lessons with a man who stood a little over 6 feet tall. He was having trouble spraying his hits with his mid-irons to his woods. I asked him to hit a ball with a wedge. He chose his 64 degree lob wedge and promptly hit a high, 95 yard hit.

What was he doing wanting a lesson from anyone? Answer: He had one wrong move that he wasn't aware he was doing.

I used my interpretation of Fred Couples' looping swing to guide him to the correct arm movement. When he tried my idea of Fred's swing Andy hit the ball higher and 15 yards farther.

He did not want to develop that move but he understood how to correct his error with the proper movement. He hit a lot of good golf balls afterwards and knew why he did so.

Andy's other problem involved chipping. He had a good hand movement in his chipping effort. He had no idea how to use that good movement with the movements of his body. As well, he had no idea of the importance of his body activity during his chipping.

A few minutes into the 2nd lesson he had learned how to time his hand movements with his body movements. He also learned where his hands should be in relation to his spine as he did the hand movements that he wanted.

His chipping improved dramatically within the lesson. His confidence was as high as possible that he could land a golf ball where he wanted. And, all it took was understanding how his arms and hands were to move in harmony with his body and also in relationship to his body position.

How I Developed My Understanding Of Basic Body Movement

I taught physical education from Grades 1 to 9. In one short span of time I could see the development of movement in all stages of growth. I could also see the physical and mental effort carried out by these children as they learned the skills and the games which I taught.

I used to teach the various Grades a level of a game which they could handle. I taught positional play in slow motion and then introduced body movements which enabled the students to move fluently up and down the playing surface. They quickly learned this and asked for more. That is when I taught the various skills. The game was taught first; and then came the skills.

In golf, there are a number of games played during a round.

  • We try to get a better score than someone else.

  • We try to get a personal best score during a round.

  • We try to play against the golf course to get a par round or better.

  • We try to get a better score than par on each hole.

BUT, usually forgotten is the game of playing each golf shot as good as we possibly can. It is this last "game" which I teach in my golf lessons.

The free articles combined with the instruction modules will teach you how to win "the game" of playing each hit during your round of golf.

Relating this to teaching golf swing skills I emphasize basic posture, alignment, control, and body movement. Arm and hand activity do not get taught until my students learn basic movements. Because of this, beginners and students who had never hit the ball in the air soon hit draws with even their short irons when they hit the ball over a fence.

You, The Ground, And The Golf Ball

We stand on the ground. The golf ball rests on the ground (er, usually). Before we try to dislodge that golf ball from its place on the ground we should learn a good method of relating what we do from our "perch" on the ground.

Between our connection to the ground and the ball's position on the ground we have a lot of body mass and joints along with that "stick" thing. We need movement to make the golf ball move. Therefore, we swing back and forth to make the golf club move the ball. But, those joints want to do all sorts of contortions during our golf swing efforts.

We need to develop an understanding of how to move at the fewest possible joints and how to control or prevent movements of the rest of our joints. This is basic to anything we do. It is very important to this "confusing" skill called the golf swing.

About The Author

Glen teaches his golf program for Ladysmith, BC Parks & Rec.

http://basicbodymovementforanygolfswing.com

golflesson@basicbodymovementforanygolfswing.com

gleno@basicbodymovementforanygolfswing.com


MORE RESOURCES:

Los Angeles Times

Golf Capsules: On The Fringe - Attention returns to Woods at Pebble Beach
Brownsville Herald
By DOUG FERGUSON, AP AP Courses: Pebble Beach Golf Links (6816 yards, par 72), Monterey Peninsula Country Club, Shore Course (6900 yards, par 72) and Spyglass Hill Golf Club (6833 yards, par 72). Last year: DA Points won his first PGA Tour title and ...
Shotgun Start: Previewing the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-AmYahoo! Sports (blog)
For Woods, Early Lesson in Pressure ResonatesNew York Times
Tiger Woods: I feel explosive againCNN
ESPN -Arizona Daily Star
all 1,003 news articles »


Cleveland News - Fox 8

Golfer stabbed in the leg after trying to play through
Yahoo! Sports (blog)
As Carpenter lay suffering with a punctured femoral artery and massive blood loss, a member of the foursome called 911 and told the dispatcher that the victim had fallen "on a golf club or something." Carpenter was rushed to the hospital, ...
Golf Course Brawl Could Cost Man His LegCleveland News - Fox 8
Golf club brawl severely injures manUPI.com
Man Impaled By Golf Club: Clay Carpenter Faces Leg AmputationHuffington Post
77Square.com -ESPN
all 59 news articles »


Telegraph.co.uk

Golf-Maturing McIlroy ready to play percentage game
Reuters UK
"I feel like I can play more controlled golf when I need to. When you're not playing as well, you need to know your limitations, reel it back in a little bit and play the percentages a bit more." This approach worked for McIlroy at January's Abu Dhabi ...
Rock confident heading into Dubai after winFox News
Rock star statusSkySports
Emirates Palace sponsors champion of Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf ChampionshipWAM - Emirates News Agency

all 193 news articles »


Golf Clap for Western Union
DailyFinance
By Seth Jayson, The Motley Fool Posted 9:38AM 02/08/12 Investing Western Union (NYS: WU) reported earnings on Feb. 7. Here are the numbers you need to know. For the quarter ended Dec. 31 (Q4), Western Union met expectations on revenues and on earnings ...

and more »


Hollywood Reporter

Clint Eastwood's Next Project: New Golf Network (Exclusive)
Hollywood Reporter
The Hollywood icon is adding to his resume the title of creative board chairman and founding shareholder of the forthcoming golf lifestyle TV network, Back9Network. It's a fitting addition, given the J. Edgar director's life-long love for the sport.
Clint Eastwood Helps Launch Golf Tv ChannelContactmusic.com

all 3 news articles »


AdAge.com

Golf Plus: Levin hopes he learns from Phoenix Open collapse
Sacramento Bee
Educational heartbreak followed by breakthrough victory – that's been the progression since people started getting paid to play golf. It usually doesn't happen within a week, as it did at the Phoenix Open for Kyle Stanley one week after he lost a ...
Golf: Tours glancePeoria Journal Star
Golf's Most Exciting (and Loudest) Hole—WMO's #16. A Fan's ReviewYahoo! Sports
Stanley's Coach Revels in Pupil's VictoryCybergolf National
NPR -AdAge.com -Montreal Gazette (blog)
all 37 news articles »


GCSAA/Golf Digest announce 2011 ELGA
Golf Course Industry Magazine
Doing more with less has been a way of life for Tim Powers, CGCS at Crystal Springs Golf Course in Burlingame, Calif., but it has not meant sacrificing a commitment to environmental stewardship for the 24-year GCSAA member. For his efforts, Powers and ...
Champions Tour major has donated $3 million-plus to charityGolf Club Business (press release)

all 2 news articles »


Golf-course restaurant wins public's acclaim
Victoria Times Colonist
By Kim Westad, Times Colonist February 8, 2012 3:06 AM Passions ran high Tuesday night at a special Saanich budget meeting to discuss the future of the Cedar Hill Golf Course and its restaurant, which are both losing hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Cedar Hill Golf Course fee hike proposed, public meeting tonightVancouver Sun
A brief history of the Cedar Hill golf courseSaanich News
Golfers asked to pay more for less at Cedar HillOak Bay News

all 15 news articles »


Irish Independent

California man accused of killing Chihuahua with golf club
Fox News
RIVERSIDE, California – A California man has been charged with felony animal cruelty after authorities say he killed a Chihuahua by teeing off on the 6-pound dog with a golf club. A spokesman for the Riverside County prosecutor's office says ...
Animal cruelty charges to be filed in Chihuahua golf club deathLos Angeles Times

all 214 news articles »


The Age

Lyidia Ko to face cream of golf in debut today
Stuff.co.nz
She may be a world No1 in her own right, but Lydia Ko will also be a star-struck autograph hunter when she competes alongside the cream of women's professional golf at Royal Melbourne today. The New Zealander, 14, makes her debut on the prestigious ...
Yani Tseng wants what Lexi Thompson hasESPN
Ladies primed for Royal MelbourneGolf365.co.za
Dominant Tseng still trying to improveOutcome Magazine
iseekgolf.com
all 155 news articles »

Google News

home | site map |
© 2007