A typical golf instructor might use the following commands when teaching golf to beginners: "Keep your head down! Keep your left arm straight! Don't look up! Swing easy!" This approach can lead to an information overload, and is therefore a typical mistake instructors make.

Many golf instructors using this approach cloud their students' minds and bring about a level of paralysis by analysis. Beginners in the sport of golf learn most quickly when they limit their focus to the most important aspects of the golf swing; that is, the grip, the stance, the takeaway, and the downswing.

Gripping the golf club is the foremost component of the swing that beginning golfers must grasp. To identify the top hand position, a golfer has to let his/her hand hang down to allow a natural position to form. The club must then be gripped in this position, and the golfer must mirror the position with the bottom hand. J. D. Turner, a professional golfer has said, "for a good shot to occur, the grip must support the club at the top of the swing and rotate the clubface back to square at impact." A natural position will duly accomplish this. A golfer may overlap, interlock, or grip with all ten fingers, but he/she should make sure the grip is not in the palm of the hand and that the grip pressure is moderate.

The second focus that is essential to a good swing is a balanced, steady stance. The golf swing must start with a solid base of support with the feet shoulder-width apart, and weight evenly distributed with slight flexion in the knees. The upper body posture is central. The back ought to be fairly straight with the arms hanging naturally from the shoulders. The chin should be held up. Tiger Woods advises the beginning golfer to "avoid burying your chin in your chest. When your chin goes down, your back tends to bow and your weight slips back on your heels, making an in-balance swing difficult at best." [Read more...]