The post My favorite swing-thought of all-time came from Paula Creamer appeared first on Golf.

The post My favorite swing-thought of all-time came from Paula Creamer appeared first on Golf.

As any life-long purveyor of the big right miss would tell you, any number of things can lead to the block-slice. The big banana slice that soars right of right. It’s brutal to your scorecard and even worse to your psyche. 

For me, the big right miss most often shows up when I am swaying within my swing. The rhythmic motion of the backswing into the violent opposite motion of the downswing can lead to a lot of unnecessary movement. Especially for a former baseball player. 

Thankfully, I’ll always have Paula Creamer.

During an Adidas photoshoot last year, I asked Creamer for one thing that she always goes back to when she’s struggling. Her reset-button swing-thought, so to say. The lasting mindset she needs to square her game up again. She said she occasionally deals with swaying issues as well! My queen! I was in luck. 

Creamer said that whenever she’s got too much extra movement in her swing, she thinks about barrels. As in an old wooden beer barrel, hollow in the middle and standing about waist-high. Creamer thinks as though she’s swinging while standing in one of those barrels, which keeps her from moving significantly left to right. 

Think about it yourself! Lean too far right in one of those barrels and you’re toppling over. As Creamer told us in the video below, she knows how important turning is within her swing, but turning doesn’t require lateral movement. If she’s swinging within the barrel and knows how important it is to turn, there’s really just one way to do it. 

She adds a little pre-shot routine where she steps backward with her rear foot to really feel that turn before she wails away at the golf ball. Simple enough? It’s worked for me plenty of times. Check out her breakdown of the swing-thought below.

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The post Use this tip to easily find balance in your golf swing appeared first on Golf.

The post Use this tip to easily find balance in your golf swing appeared first on Golf.

The perfect golf swing begins with your setup, but most golfers suffer from some kind of imbalance at address. This can lead to your shoulders and pelvis tilting too far to one side or an uneven weight distribution.

That’s where the Balance Optimization Move (BOM) comes in. It is the product of GOLF Top 100 Teacher Dr. David Wright’s life work and is extremely simple.

With a club in hand, take your usual stance. Take a deep breath and pinch your shoulders toward your sternum so they’re rolled forward (illustration, below left). Next, release the breath and relax your traps, allowing your shoulders to move back to their normal position. Doing this creates a closed kinetic chain.

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Although simple, the BOM has a myriad of benefits. “It does everything from increasing shoulder rotation to set the path on plane to aiming the clubface down the target line, creating symmetry at address and minimizing physical stress on the body,” Dr. Wright explains.

First, it will level your hips and shoulders, which changes the orientation of your spine and pelvis, putting less pressure on your back as you swing. This means improved rotation and greater extension, which will help you generate more clubhead speed. Squaring up your hips and shoulders will also eliminate clubhead roll, making it easier to maintain a square clubface. You’ll also correct uneven weight distribution, setting you up for a balanced swing.

The BOM also improves your ability to line up directly to your target. At the same time, it will help you keep the club more in front of you as you swing to the top so that you can stay on plane. Add the BOM to your preshot routine the next time you’re on the course, and you’ll see and feel the difference immediately.

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The post Regular golfers reveal the best piece of golf advice they’ve ever received appeared first on Golf.

The post Regular golfers reveal the best piece of golf advice they’ve ever received appeared first on Golf.

We can’t help it. Recreational golfers, we love the game, and we’re unapologetically hooked on it. We’re also always trying to get better, which means we’re constantly on the hunt for a new tip that could prove the breakthrough for our games. There’s a ton of great information floating around out; the key is finding the piece of golf swing advice that works for you.

So, we asked the members of our How To Hit Every Shot Instruction group (which we invite you to join, too) a straightforward question: What’s the best piece of swing advice you’ve ever received? They came back with a host of simple pieces of advice that helped them the most — and could help you, too.

1. Stay in rhythm

Tempo is universal. But good tempo isn’t. Keeping a smooth rhythm in your golf swing can cover for a lot of sins, and it’s something golfers of every skill level can aspire to.

2. Grip it and rip it

Ah, yes, the John Daly approach. I respect it.

3. You’ll never see a good shot (aka, don’t look up)

Keeping your head down is probably the most common piece of swing advice ever — but don’t tell our Top 100 Teachers, who think it’s the worst piece of advice for golfers to follow.

4. When it’s breezy, swing easy

LPGA Tour player Anne van Dam says this is her favorite piece of advice, too

5. Swing the golf club like a mallet

I hadn’t heard this one before, but it’s probably a better way to hit down on the ball than keeping your head down.

6. Speed is more important than line in putting

This is especially important when lag putting, which is why it’s one of Jason Day’s putting keys.

7. Elbow and arms moving close to your body

Not all teachers like this piece of advice, but it’s Ben Hogan-approved.

8. Stop thinking too much

A universally helpful piece of advice here.

9. Don’t listen to random swing advice

This is also very helpful advice.

10. Hit the little ball before the big ball

A.k.a., hit the golf ball before the earth. If you’re hitting the big ball too early, you’ll struggle with fat shots.

11. Reverse K setup

So many golfers don’t set up to the golf ball with enough tilt, which can influence your swing path and cause a slice.

12. Don’t sway; rotate

This is a big one that most golfers need to learn at some point during their journey. You want to move a little side-to-side on the backswing, but not too much.

13. Swing with your feet together

Legendary coach Pete Cowen thinks 90 percent of golfers should swing this way.

14. It all starts with the correct grip

Preach!

15. Swing for right field

Lots of golfers start the game by coming over the top. Swinging for right field helps groove an in-to-out motion.

16. You only get one fast, and it shouldn’t be your backswing. Low and slow.

Low and slow is another of golf’s most time-tested tips.

The post Regular golfers reveal the best piece of golf advice they’ve ever received appeared first on Golf.