Watching Professional Golf Swings

Almost everybody who plays golf, and wants to improve their game, watches golf swings either on television or in person by going to tournaments. It is definitely a great and very productive way to improve your swing and your golf game as well. However, there is a right way and a wrong way to watch professional golf.

Have you have ever watched Tiger Woods or other great professionals play this game and say to yourself, "How do they make it look so easy and effortless?" It is to them. If there is one thing you can take away from watching great players play is this... when pro's swing a club or execute any golf shot, they don't think about technique. They focus only on the target and where they want to hit the ball. The reason they can do this is because they practice their mechanics and technique on the driving range until the moves their working on are ingrained in their sub-conscious. Then, when they play, they just pick a target and let their swing happen.

If you want to play what I call "effortless golf," and have your buddies and competitors say to you, "Man, you make the swing look so simple and effortless," then below are some great ideas you can use next time you practice. Also, this winter would be a good time to get your swing on track for the up and coming season. If you live up north and are seeing snow on the ground right now, you can still practice an effortless swing without hitting balls. Here is just one idea, set up a practice mat in your garage or other room and hit plastic balls into a net. There are many other ways you can practice efficiently without hitting golf balls.

Ways you can make your golf swing effortless:

Make sure your pre-shot fundamentals are in order. Pay attention to how you're holding the club, where your feet, body, and clubface are aligned, and your posture at address. If you start from a correct set-up you will have a better chance of making a good solid swing. You can practice your set-up and address anywhere. I personally know pros who practice their address position's and posture's with out hitting a single ball.

Set up a practice station next time you practice. Grab 2 clubs out of your bag and place them on the ground as follows: One club is on your feet line parallel to the target line. The second one is placed perpendicular on top of the first club to show your ball position. If you ever get to watch a pro practice at a golf tournament you will notice almost every one of them use this practice station, or something similar, as they hit balls so they won't develop any bad pre-shot habits.

Keep your swing simple as you can. Don't clutter your mind with 1000 different set-up and swing thoughts. I see amateurs all the time at driving ranges try to think their way through a swing, and they never improve because of that very reason. When you have too many thoughts in your head, you never let the natural athletic movement of the swing happen. Simplify the swing with one key thought or feeling on the backswing, and the same on the downswing. Below are excerpts from my book Golf Swing Connection which are examples you can use to simplify your swing:

Backswing
keep your upper left connection
a smooth move away from the ball
turn over the inside of your right leg

Downswing
turn your upper left connection
a full turn and release through
hit against a solid left leg

Practice how you play. On the driving range pick a target, line up and hit a shot as if you were on the golf course playing. Toward the end of your practice session, hit the last 10 balls like you would on the golf course. Pick a target, pick a club that you can hit the target with, go through your pre-shot routine, and swing away only focusing on the target or a key swing thought you've practiced that day and nothing else. If you honestly let the swing happen and focus only on the target or your key swing thought, you will be amazed how well you hit those last 10 balls.

These are some very effective ways you can practice your swing this winter or anytime you practice. Remember, make sure your pre-shot fundamentals are correct and simplify the golf swing so it's easier to execute on the range and when you play.

If you would like a way to make your golf swing effortless and also make the learning process easy as well, then go to golfswingconnection.com.