**please note all swing tips are written with a right handed golfer in mind!

STARTING POSITIONS

When practicing or playing all golfers should be fully aware of the things they need to do before they attempt to send the ball to the target. I believe strongly that the two key elements that lead to poor swing fundamentals are aim and set-up. I believe strongly in these two fundamentals:
1) Good aim = good swing!
2) Good set-up = good swing!
**thus poor aim leads to poor swing!
**Thus poor set-up leads to poor swing!
**ALWAYS address the needs of your basic fundamental starting positions before you attack areas of your swing! 

AIMING

Learn how to develop a routine for aiming that is best suited to your needs and be sure that you introduce targets and an aiming routine into your practice. There are many props that can be helpful - laying clubs on the ground to coordinate body and club-face alignment, placing tees a few inches in front of your ball in line with a target will give you a nice intermediate target for aiming your club-face, ask a fellow golfer whom you trust has awareness to proper aim, to simply stand behind you and confirm your aim. Develop great awareness for how and where to aim the club-head for all shot's. Putts, Chips, iron shots, metal wood shots, ..etc since the club-face has the most influence on where the ball goes, we better learn how to consistently aim it in a direction we want our ball to go! Always remember that bad aim can lead to a bad swing!

THE GRIP

Your grip is the direct link to your golf club. Your grip has tremendous influence on your club-face position from the start of a swing, right through  to the the finish of a swing. Those influences will range from the club-face being square, open, or closed. How your hands and wrists will perform in the swing. How much tension you apply to the club. How various parts of your upper body will be positioned in your set-up...etc. Knowing all this, make sure your grip gets the attention it deserves. There are certainly great grips, good grips, and poor grips. There is no model grip. A grip must compliment the player, the players body style, the players swing, and the players desired ball-flight.

THE SET-UP

In order to make a consistent motion to your golf ball you must place your body over the ball properly and you must do it consistently.   

STANCE
Alot is written about the width of your stance. Start with it about shoulder width for full swing shot's and based on your flexibility, I have a few suggestions. If you are fairly flexible and struggle with balance a wider stance may be well suited for you. If you lack flexibility and struggle to turn or pivot, a narrower stance may be suited for you. Certainly explore a variety of stance widths as this may create some great new feelings for you in your swinging motion. If you tend to sway on your back-swing try straightening your right foot. If you struggle turning on your back-swing then turning your right toe outward may allow for better body motion in your back-swing. If your tendency on the downswing is to slide or have too much left knee movement then try placing your left foot in a fairly straight position. If you need a bit more knee and leg activity then you can have the left foot turned out. Again all this foot placement information is designed to help you explore and discover! 

POSTURE

Posture we will classify as how you place your body up to your golf ball prior to making your swing or stroke. When you watch how the top players in the world place their body over the golf ball you will notice one common trait. Although they generally look athletic and "ready" they all tend to look slightly different. Some look taller, some bent more over the ball, some very close to the ball, some further away, slight knee bend to more knee bend, the list goes on! I recommend:

a) a slight knee bend.
b) a bend forward from the waist and hip area which should keep your back and neck in a relatively straight position.
c) a slight tilt of the spine away from the target to accomodate the hand furthest from the target being lower on the club than the other hand.
**you should seek professional help in the pursuit of the best posture suited to your swing, balance, and body needs.

BALL FLIGHT

There are certainly many elements involved in why a ball flies the way it flies. Do your bad shot's curve too much to the right? Do your bad  shot's curve too much to the left? Does your ball go too high? Too low? Below is your checklist in specific order on how to possibly get the shape you want in your ball flight. If you want straight - well you are in search of the perfect shot!
a) as mentioned above, always check your grip first.
b) check your set-up. This includes posture, ball position and aim.
c) a swing that is "upright" or "up & down" usually produces a fade or a slice!
   this swing also will produce a higher ball-flight.
   a swing that is "around" your body usually will produce a draw or a hook!
   this swing also will produce a lower ball-flight.
d) a ball that goes high your ball position may be too far forward.
    a ball that goes low your ball position may be too far back.