How to Sequence a Golf Swing

Building a powerful, repeatable golf swing comes down to sequencing the entire motion correctly - from the moment you take the club back until you hold a balanced finish. Getting the chain of events right is the secret to unlocking the effortless power you see in good players. This guide will walk you through each phase of the swing sequence, giving you a clear, step-by-step roadmap to building a more efficient and consistent motion.

Understanding the Core Motion: It's a Turn, Not a Lift

Before we break down the individual parts, let's establish the fundamental concept. A great golf swing is a rotational action. The club moves around your body in a circular-like path, powered primarily by the turning of your torso - your hips and shoulders. Many new golfers and even seasoned players make the mistake of thinking of the swing as an up-and-down "chopping" motion, using mostly their arms. This arm-dominant swing lacks both power and consistency.

To generate speed and repeat your swing under pressure, you must use your body as the engine. The goal is to rotate back, creating tension and storing energy, and then unwind through the ball, releasing that energy into the clubhead. As you move through this guide, keep this central idea in mind: turn, don't lift. Your arms and the club are simply responding to the rotation of your body.

Phase 1: Your Connection to the Club – The Grip

Your hands are your only connection to the golf club, making the grip the steering wheel for your entire swing. An improper grip forces you to make countless compensations just to get the clubface square at impact. A neutral, well-structured grip allows the club to work naturally without manipulation.

How to Build a Neutral Grip

For a right-handed golfer (lefties, just reverse this):

1. Get the Clubface Square: Start by setting the clubhead behind the ball with the leading edge aiming perfectly at your target. If your grip has a logo, make sure it's facing straight up. This is your initial point of reference.
2. Place Your Lead Hand (Left Hand): Approach the club from the side. You should feel the grip primarily in the fingers of your left hand, running diagonally from the base of your pinky to the middle of your index finger. Once the fingers are on, wrap your hand over the top.
   • Checkpoint 1: Look down. You should be able to see the first two knuckles on your left hand. If you see more (a "strong" grip) or fewer (a "weak" grip), the face will tend to twist shut or open, respectively.
   • Checkpoint 2: The "V" formed by your thumb and index finger should point roughly toward your right shoulder.
3. Place Your Trail Hand (Right Hand): Bring your right hand to the club so the palm faces your target, mirroring your left hand. The "lifeline" in the palm of your right hand should neatly cover your left thumb. The right-hand fingers then wrap around underneath.
4. Connect Your Hands: You have three common options for how your hands connect. There's no single "best" way, choose what feels most secure and comfortable to you.
   • Overlap (Vardon): The pinky finger of your right hand rests in the space between the index and middle finger of your left hand.
   • Interlock: The pinky of your right hand and the index finger of your left hand hook together.
   • Ten-Finger (Baseball): All ten fingers are on the club, with the pinky of your right hand snuggled up against the index finger of your left. This is often great for beginners or those with smaller hands.

A new grip will almost always feel strange. Stick with it. A fundamentally sound grip makes every other part of the golf swing infinitely easier.

Phase 2: The Foundation – Building a Solid Setup

Your setup or address position pre-sets a good swing. An athletic, balanced setup allows you to rotate freely and powerfully. Just like the grip, it can feel odd at first because you rarely stand this way in everyday life.

Follow these steps to establish a great foundation:

1. Start with Posture: The primary move is to bend forward from your hips, not your waist. Push your rear end back as if you were about to sit on a stool just behind you. This will keep your back relatively straight but tilted over the ball.
2. Let Your Arms Hang: From this tilted position, let your arms hang straight down naturally from your shoulders. This creates the proper amount of space between your body and the club. A common mistake is standing too upright, which cramps your arms against your body.
3. Establish Your Stance Width: For a middle-iron shot, your feet should be about shoulder-width apart. This provides a stable base that's wide enough for balance but narrow enough to allow for a full hip turn. Too narrow, and you'll struggle to turn, too wide, and your hips get locked up.
4. Check Your Weight Distribution: Your weight should be balanced 50/50 between your left and right feet. You should also feel the weight balanced in the middle of your feet, not on your toes or heels.
5. Ball Position: A simple rule of thumb for ball position is to start in the middle.
   • For short irons (PW, 9i, 8i), place the ball in the direct center of your stance.
   • For mid-irons (7i, 6i, 5i), move it about one ball-width forward of center.
   • For fairway woods and your driver, the ball moves progressively more forward, with the driver positioned off the inside of your lead heel.

Once you are in position, feel athletic but relaxed. Any tension in your hands, arms, or shoulders will restrict your swing. Take a breath and let it go before you start your takeaway.

Phase 3: The Wind-Up – A Coordinated Backswing

The backswing is all about storing power. The goal is to create a full turn of your shoulders against the resistance of your hips. This coil creates a "rubber band" effect that will be unleashed in the downswing.

Executing the Backswing

1. The Takeaway: The first move away from the ball should be a "one-piece" takeaway. This means your hands, arms, shoulders, and hips all start turning away together. Think of it as a single unit composed of your arms and torso.
2. Stay Within the Cylinder: Imagine you are standing inside a barrel or cylinder. As you turn back, your goal is to rotate within the confines of that cylinder. Avoid swaying horizontally away from the target, instead, feel your right hip (for right-handers) turn behind you. This is a rotation, not a slide.
3. Set the Wrists: As the club reaches waist-high, allow your wrists to hinge naturally. A small, early wrist hinge helps set the club on the correct plane and angle. This is a common part that golfers miss, they often drag the club too far inside without letting the wrists set, putting the club in a poor position at the top.
4. Complete the Turn: Continue turning your shoulders until your back is facing the target. Your hips will have turned as well, but not as much as your shoulders - this separation creates the power coil. Only turn as far as your flexibility allows. A shorter, more controlled turn is far better than over-swinging and losing balance.

At the top of your backswing, you should feel balanced and powerful, ready to change directions smoothly.

Phase 4: Unleashing Power – The Downswing and Impact

This is where the magic happens. The downswing sequence happens in a flash, but getting the order right is what separates solid ball-strikers from the rest.

The "Ground-Up" Sequence

The downswing should start from the ground up. This is critically important.

1. The First Move Down: A small bump. Before you even think about unwinding your shoulders or throwing your hands, your first move is a slight lateral shift of your hips toward the target. It's not a huge lunge, but a subtle "bump" that transfers pressure to your lead foot. This move is the secret to hitting the ball first and then the turf, creating that pure, compressed strike.
2. Unwind the Hips and Torso: Immediately following that initial hip bump, your hips and torso begin to unwind and rotate open towards the target. This is your engine. Keep your arms and hands passive for a split second, letting the speed build naturally as your body pulls the club down.
3. The Release: As your body turns open, the club will naturally drop into the "slot" and accelerate towards the ball. At impact, your hips should be significantly open to the target, while your shoulders are closer to square. Your hands should be slightly ahead of the clubhead, promoting a downward strike on the ball.

Avoid the number one fault in the downswing: starting with your arms and shoulders. When your upper body leads the downswing, the club is thrown "over the top," resulting in pulls and slices. Trust the sequence: hip bump, then rotate.

Phase 5: The Grand Finale – The Follow-Through and Balanced Finish

What happens after the ball is gone is just as important as what happens before. A good follow-through is not something you "tack on" at the end, it's the natural result of a well-sequenced downswing.

Key Elements of a Great Finish

After impact, don't stop turning. Keep rotating your body all the way through to a full, balanced finish.

• Full Body Rotation: Your hips and chest should be pointing at the target, or even slightly left of it. Holding back your rotation is a major power leak.
• Weight Transfer: Your follow-through should pull you onto your front foot. At the finish, close to 90% of your weight should be on your lead leg. The heel of your trail foot (right foot for righties) will be completely off the ground.
• Balanced and Poised: Your goal is to hold your finish position until the ball lands. You should feel totally balanced, able to stand there comfortably. If you're falling backward or stumbling, it's a sign that your sequence or balance was off during the swing.

Final Thoughts

Mastering the golf swing sequence is about seamlessly linking your grip, setup, backswing, downswing, and finish into one fluid motion. Focus on rotating from your core, starting the downswing from the ground up, and turning through to a balanced finish. Practice each piece deliberately, and soon the sequence will become second nature, leading to more powerful and consistent golf.

For those moments on the course when theory meets reality - a weird lie, a tough club choice, or strategic uncertainty - it helps to have a reliable second opinion. We designed Caddie AI to be that on-demand coach in your pocket. You can get an instant, clear strategy before you swing or even snap a photo of a tricky lie for personalized advice. It's about removing the guesswork so you can trust your sequence and commit to every shot with confidence.