Thinking about how to start a golf swing can feel complicated, but it doesn't have to be. A powerful and consistent swing is simply built on a few core movements that anyone can learn. This guide is here to walk you through the entire sequence, piece by piece, from the way you hold the club to a perfect, balanced finish.
Before we touch on anything else, let’s get the main idea straight. A good golf swing is a rotational action. Imagine swinging a weight on a string around your body in a circle - that's the basic feeling. The club itself should move around your body in a circular path, powered primarily by the turning of your torso (your shoulders and hips).
Many new golfers - and even some experienced ones - make the mistake of thinking the swing is an up-and-down chopping motion, driven only by the arms. This is the quickest way to weak, inconsistent shots. We need to use our bigger muscles to generate real power and reliability. If you can focus on the idea that the swing is more rounded than it is vertical, you've already won half the battle. Everything that follows is about learning how to facilitate this natural, powerful rotation.
Your hands are your einzigen connection to the golf club, making the grip the single biggest influence on where the clubface points at impact. Think of it as the steering wheel for your golf ball. If your steering wheel is crooked, you'll have to make all sorts of compensating moves in your swing just to hit the ball straight. So let's get it right from the start.
First, make sure the clubface is pointing straight at your target. Many grips have a logo on them that can help with alignment. With the club resting on the ground, bring your left hand to the side of the grip. The key is to hold the club mostly in your fingers, from the base of your little finger to the middle portion of your index finger.
A Quick Warning: This will feel weird. A proper golf grip doesn't feel like holding a baseball bat or a tennis racket. It’s unique, and you have to trust that the odd feeling is telling you you’re doing it right. Stick with it!
Now, bring your right hand to the club. Just like with the left hand, the palm should face inwards toward your target, not up toward the sky or down at the ground.
Honestly, it doesn’t matter which one you choose. Try all three and go with what feels most comfortable and secure. The goal is for your hands to work as one unified team, not two separate ones.
Your setup, or posture, is your foundation for balance and power. Like the grip, standing over a golf ball correctly feels a little strange at first, because we don’t really stand like this in any other part of life.
Many players are afraid to stick their bum out, feeling self-conscious. Don’t be! All good golfers look this way. It puts your body in a position to rotate powerfully.
Now for your feet. For a mid-iron shot (like a 7, 8, or 9-iron), your feet should be about shoulder-width apart. This gives you a stable base that still allows your hips to turn freely. If your stance is too narrow, you’ll lose balance, too wide, and you’ll block your hip turn.
As a simple guide for ball position:
We’ve established the swing is a rotation, and now it's time to do it. The goal of the backswing is to wind up your body like a spring, storing energy that will be released through the ball.
Think about staying inside a cylinder. As you start the swing, you want to rotate your shoulders and hips away from the target, but without swaying side-to-side. The first move is a "one-piece takeaway," where your arms, hands, and torso all start moving back together.
As the club moves away from the ball, you'll want to add a little bit of wrist hinge. As your hands get to about waist-high, allow your wrists to start setting naturally. This simple move does two things: it helps get the club on the correct angled path around your body and adds a'd lag, which is a big source of power.
Rotate your shoulders and hips as far as you comfortably can while staying balanced. Don’t try to swing as far back as a pro on TV. Your backswing ends at whatever point is comfortable for your flexibility. From this coiled position, you are now ready to unleash.
This is where the magic happens. All the good preparation in your grip, setup, and backswing pays off here. The goal is simple: hit the ball first, then the ground (with an iron). This creates that pure compression and satisfying divot after the ball is gone.
How do we do that? The sequence is everything.
Resist the urge to lean back and "help" the ball into the air. The loft on your club is designed to do that for you. Trust it! By shifting forward and rotating through, you will naturally hit down on the ball, creating a high, beautiful ball flight.
Your swing isn’t over once you’ve hit the ball. The follow-through is a reflection of everything that happened before it, and a great finish is often a sign of a great swing.
Don't stop your rotation at impact. Keep turning your body all the way through until your chest and hips are facing your target. As this happens:
The final goal is to hold a balanced, "posed" finish. You should be able to hold your finish position for a few seconds without wobbling. This indicates that your sequence was smooth and you were in control the entire time. A little bit of athletic vanity here is a good thing - even if the shot wasn't perfect, finishing in an athletic pose builds great habits.
A golf swing can look complex, but it’s really just a chain of simple, connected movements. By starting with a sound grip and an athletic setup, you create a foundation to rotate around your body, unwind through the ball, and end in a state of perfect balance. Practice these pieces slowly, get comfortable with how they feel, and you’ll build a motion you can trust.
As you work through these steps, questions are bound to pop up on the range or during a round. It’s why we built Caddie AI, your 24/7 golf coach that lives on your phone. If you're ever questioning your ball position or need a smart strategy for a tricky par-4, just ask us. We can even analyze a photo of a tough lie and give you clear advice, taking the guesswork out of the game so you can play with more confidence.
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