Most golfers never think about where their swing actually begins.
They might focus on a single aspect of their takeaway like their hands, the club or their wrists — but Erika Larkin, a GOLF Top 100 Teacher, says the real motion starts much higher up. And understanding the start of your swing is key to improving your low-point control and becoming a better ball-striker.
“The golf swing is a lot like a pendulum swinging motion,” Larkin says. “If you take a smaller motion, the pendulum is swinging with our arms and the club together really from a point higher in our body than a lot of people visualize.”
When you start your swing with your chest, Larkin says, everything moves together like one smooth, controlled pendulum. But if you start your swing further down, like with the handle, this can result in a wristy swing that makes it difficult to dial in your swing’s low point.
Create your pendulum
To create this pendulum, you first need to rethink how you approach the swing. Most amateurs picture the club or hands as the center of motion, which often leads to inconsistency. Instead, Larkin says to visualize the club as an extension of your sternum. This simple shift allows your arms, body and club to move together in unison.
Start small, Larkin says. Rather than try to incorporate this new feel into your full swing, begin with a shorter, controlled motion. Remember, the motion should originate from your sternum.
“Think about the extension of the club pointing up toward the mid-section, sternum area of your chest and body, and try to move the pendulum as if it’s swinging from that upper moment,” she says.
Once you feel the pendulum in smaller swings, gradually extend it into longer, full swings.
“As you grow it, it doesn’t really change. It’s still moving from that taller, top point in your body,” Larkin says. “It’s connecting your arms and the club movement, swinging around you from a very stable point.”
With your pendulum anchored at the sternum, your swing should become smoother, more connected and easier to repeat, which Larkin says will translate to better low-point control.
Think of it as one long, graceful pendulum: arms and club moving together from the chest, wrists hinging freely, hands relaxed. It’s a subtle shift in how you think about your swing, but one that can immediately improve timing, consistency and power.
Sometimes, swinging smarter really is that simple.
