How to swing a golf club in five simple steps

Whether you just started your golf journey or need a few pointers before hitting balls with friends, there are a few things you should know to set yourself up for success — and Erika Larkin, a GOLF Top 100 Teacher, can help. 

According to Larkin there are only five key areas of the golf swing that you should focus on when starting out: your grip, stance, backswing, downswing and tempo. And in this quick video, she breaks down each of them and gives you a few tips that will help simplify the golf swing and even prevent bad habits from forming down the road. 

Follow along with her instruction below to build a solid swing in five minutes or less.

Take a neutral grip

The first step to every good golf swing is a proper grip. While there are many hand placements to choose from, Larkin says that a neutral grip is the best place to start for a beginner.

To set your hands correctly, Larkin says to take your lead hand (left hand for right-handed golfers, right hand for lefties) and ‘crunch’ the lower knuckles of that hand so they create a pocket for the club to rest in. 

Lay the grip in the crook you’ve created, then wrap the rest of your hand on top of the club. As Larkin demonstrates, you should be able to lift the club up and move it side to side with just this hand on the grip. One key thing is you always want to grip the club in your fingers, not the palms of your hand. 

Next, we’re going to add in your other hand, or trail hand. Crunch your fingers again to create another pocket, and wrap them around the club. Grip the club in your fingers, not your palms, and nestle your trail hand on top of your lead thumb. You’ll know you’ve nailed it when both thumbs point down the shaft, and your fingers line up in a row on the back of the grip. 

From here, you can either leave your hands in a 10-finger grip formation, or try other hand placement options. Some golfers prefer an interlocking grip, where the first finger of your top hand and the pinky finger of your bottom hand intertwine. Or perhaps you like to use an overlap grip, where the pinky finger of your bottom hand overlaps the first finger of your top hand. Find what feels best for you and stick with it.

Get into your ‘ready position’

Step 2 is getting into your golf setup, and with Larkin’s quick checkpoints, it’ll only take you a minute to get into ready position. Start with your feet about shoulder-width distance and allow your knees to soften. This will get you in a stable, athletic position.

Next, you need some forward bend in your stance to promote good rotation in your swing. Larkin says you can achieve this proper golf posture by hinging from the hips, similarly to how you slide your butt back when sitting in a chair.

Driving

The final step of getting into your golf setup is to find your arm position. To do that, Larkin says to let your arms hang naturally. Not only does this help you understand where your arms and hands should be at address, it also gives you an idea of how far they should be from your body when swinging a club.

Master the push and turn motion

Now that you’ve got your grip and posture set, it’s time to get swinging, but how you start your swing might surprise you. Larkin explains that your feet are actually what ignites the motion for you to take the club back and through. 

“The key to turning on your golf swing is actually in your feet. Particularly your lead foot,” Larkin says. 

In the video above, Larkin demonstrates how she uses her left foot to push herself away from the target.

“I’m going to get in my ready position and I’m going to push myself to the right and rotate back into my right heel,” Larkin says, 

As you practice this push and turn motion, notice how your arms will naturally start to respond to this body movement and create a nice back swinging motion, Larkin says. 

Once you’ve formed your backswing, it’s time to incorporate a club. Grab a high-lofted iron like an 8 or 9-iron and make small swings. See if you can clip the grass as you swing at an even pace.

“Feel that pressure move back and forth,” Larkin says.

Let your arms and the weight of the club swing back and through, and remember to stay in your golf posture during your backswing.

Learn to hit the brakes

Believe it or not, being able to stop in the downswing is crucial to your follow-through and necessary for making solid, center-face contact. Larkin explains that you should put the brakes on just past impact to create a balanced finish. 

“When we swing through we want to engage the front side of the body and put the brakes on through and past impact so you can come to a nice balance position and control your shot,” Larkin says.

Instruction

As you practice making this stop in your swing, Larkin says to think about getting your weight forward and keeping your feet controlled. Finishing on your lead side with minimal movement in your feet will lead to a more stable follow through, leading to more center-face strikes. 

Sync up your swing

Tempo might be one of the most important keys to work on as a beginner golfer. The reason being that poor tempo can lead to throwing off your swing plane, increasing tension and manipulating the clubface. 

“Instead, we want to swing in a way where we have smooth acceleration,” Larkin says

One swing thought Larkin mentions that might help is to start smooth and build your speed. You can also use a metronome while you practice to develop a fluid swing. 

Check out more of Erika Larkin’s helpful How Tos and start building a better golf game.