When first learning to swing a golf club, there are hundreds of things beginners try to remember. The amount of white noise rattling around in their head is a constant source of distraction, frustration and knowledge. For many would be golfers, breaking down this information is very important to improving and really enjoying the game.

Recently, I had the opportunity to have a range session with my older sister, Donna. After many years of wanting, she finally decided to dedicated 2 or 3 days a week to playing and improving her game. She has made great strides and as we started at the range she explained how she learned to fundamentals.

Donna Working On her Golf Swing.

Donna likes to use a checklist of things to do before she hits the ball. She uses it as a reminder and it helps her stay focused on the few things that are important successful contact. When we started, she had three things. When we finished, she had seven things. She wanted to write them down, but I promised her I would combine all the seven steps in on list for her to use as a basis for her golf swing.

As I write this list, it is important that you the reader understand that this list is specific to her. We developed it after hitting balls to meet the mental cues she needs for a successful golf swing. However, this list is universal and you may find it helpful as you continue to improve your golf game.

• Place your feet at a comfortable distance apart. Approximately shoulder width works best. Remember to place your left foot slightly open so your toes are to the left of your left heel.
• Place the ball forward in your stance. With the longer clubs like your driver, the ball should be in line with your left heel.
• Keep your left arm straight as you can through the entire golf swing. By keeping your left arm straight, you can generate power, build consistency, and develop a repeatable swing.
• Keep your head still. One of the major issues beginners have is that their head moves far too much during their golf swing. Many tell beginners to keep you head down, but that advice is misleading. There is some movement of our head during a golf swing, however, the less the better.
• Focus on the point of contact and count to one. The point of this step is to focus on the point of contact between the ball and the club. Additionally, but counting to one, you keep you head still and allow the rest of your body to complete the swing before looking for your ball.
• Follow through high. Ensure your hands follow through high and come to rest near the nape of your neck on the left side. It is important to finish your swing to its completion with a nice high finish.
• Lastly, less is more. Most amateurs have a tendency to over swing. The thing they must try and swing their club as fast as they can and this extra effort causes the player to out of balance when swinging. Therefore, it is important to focus on swinging at 80% of maximum and work from there.

The above is the list is something my sister and I developed to help her improve her golf swing. This process is very useful for her and for other amateurs learning to play golf. I am proud of my sister’s efforts to improve her golf swing. The original list will be beneficial and as my sister improves, she will remove some items and replace them with others; it is all about the evolution of our own golf swing.

Do you have a checklist?

I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!

Written by Jim Burton from The Grateful Golfer blog.