Most important thing to do in every golf swing

[Str8Putt11]

What is the most important thing to feel, move to make or any other tip you may have to make in every golf swing? There are lots of ways to hit the ball but is there one thing that must be done in every golf swing?

[Krt22]

Hit the small ball before the big ball

[oikos1]

No.

[oz dee cee]

Not worry about the result?

[sirparalot]

I can't say its something I physically do....Before my round as I warmup I need to accept the shot pattern/miss that I am hitting. Some days its a little left some days a little right. Happens to everyone but being willing to accept it and commit to it on a playing day is what helps me be most successful. If I am missing right in my warmup then I need to accept it and play it during the round vs. trying to fight it ( I prefer straight or draw but somedays its not there). When I accept the shot pattern and play it I have a more successful round. When I fight it and try to fix it during a round I have a miserable day. Yesterday I was hitting a push fade and I just went with it. I even told my playing partner that was the plan (not sure if that helped me commit to it). I aimed left and let the ball come back right and had a great day of scoring. I hit 2/3 of the fairways (misses were just off and never really in trouble) and just over 1/2 the greens and shot a tidy 77 which is solid for my HC. A few weeks ago on the same course I tried to fight my way through the miss spent my time in the right side rough all day and shot 90. Not a fun day.

[NEhomer]

Stare intently at the back of the ball until it's well on it's way.

 

You can automate grip and stance and all sorts of stuff but Jack Nicklaus still has to force himself to not look away from the ball. That never becomes automatic.

[TheCityGame]

Stare intently at the back of the ball until it's well on it's way.

OP is asking for ONE thing, and so many people disagree on what you wrote. Annika -- for instance, and so many more -- look up very quickly. And many people advocate a more relaxed focus on the ball, not "stare intently".

 

There is almost nothing you could say that is true of every golf swing. Even "hitting the little ball before the big ball" That's not true for a sand shot, or even the "muddy chunk" that I've seen demonstrated.

 

You could go with "grip the club above the head", but that's as much a rule of golf as a swing fundamental.

[Dave D]

Strike. end of discussion

[oz dee cee]

Be positive. Shut it down. Word... ?

[BrianMcG]

Exhale on the backswing.

[Petunia Sprinkle]

Exhale on the backswing.

 

Cue ‘gamesmanship’ accusations.

 

+1 for impact. In the twelve good shots I’ve ever hit, there were no other commonalities.

[Chowdah86]

Using the sweet spot. Part and Parcel to that is being able to feel the when the clubs center of gravity matches with the ball and when it doesn’t. Being able to feel this will also lead to being able to feel when you are swiping across the ball. That will lead to making changes to fix path athletically, not via some thought that lasts a week.

 

You will often hear a good player say "oh damn, caught that one off the heel a bit" or "that one was a little thinned". Conversely, you may often hear a bad player say something like "shoot, picked my head up" "didn’t keep my elbow down on that one" or some other reference to some distantly relevant body position.

 

I really think consistently striking the sweet spot is one of the most significant things separating good and poor golfers. No one talks about it which I think is nuts.

 

 

 

 

Adding to this: everyone is obsessed with driving distance. They want to hit it 280+ every time. The average Joe hits it like 220 (they think its 250, but its 220). And they think the best way to achieve more length is to get thier swing up to 110 mph. Well I say, lets try the sweet spot as a start!!

 

Most guys on tour AVERAGE between 2.6 and 2.5 yards per MPH in total distance with thier driver. If you could achieve an average of 2.6 yards in total drving distance per MPH of swing speed, you would only need a 96mph clubhead speed to hit it 250 on flat ground. The way to get there is via path and ultimately through purer, squarer strikes. Oh, and the shaft and club-head you have are fine.

 

 

This is important throughout the bag. Try hitting your putter on different parts of the face and see what happens. Do the same with all of your clubs.

 

 

[NEhomer]

Stare intently at the back of the ball until it's well on it's way.

OP is asking for ONE thing, and so many people disagree on what you wrote. Annika -- for instance, and so many more -- look up very quickly. And many people advocate a more relaxed focus on the ball, not "stare intently".

 

There is almost nothing you could say that is true of every golf swing. Even "hitting the little ball before the big ball" That's not true for a sand shot, or even the "muddy chunk" that I've seen demonstrated.

 

You could go with "grip the club above the head", but that's as much a rule of golf as a swing fundamental.

 

She appears to be looking down while the ball is leaving the tee here.

 

 

We'll have to disagree. EVERY fine golfer watches the ball past impact.

[Quick Bucket]

The most important thing to do is nothing.

[bogeypro]

Twirl the club.

[jut111]

Stare intently at the back of the ball until it's well on it's way.

OP is asking for ONE thing, and so many people disagree on what you wrote. Annika -- for instance, and so many more -- look up very quickly. And many people advocate a more relaxed focus on the ball, not "stare intently".

 

There is almost nothing you could say that is true of every golf swing. Even "hitting the little ball before the big ball" That's not true for a sand shot, or even the "muddy chunk" that I've seen demonstrated.

 

You could go with "grip the club above the head", but that's as much a rule of golf as a swing fundamental.

 

I've seen a TON of hackers practicing keeping the head down, watching the club hit the ball, whatever you want to call it.

 

I've never seen a good player doing it.

 

I'd go so far as to say you've never hit a bad shot cause your head came up early. Sure you're head may in fact come up early from losing posture, but thats the result, not the cause.

[Nard_S]

Rhythm & tempo.

[TheCityGame]

Stare intently at the back of the ball until it's well on it's way.

OP is asking for ONE thing, and so many people disagree on what you wrote. Annika -- for instance, and so many more -- look up very quickly. And many people advocate a more relaxed focus on the ball, not "stare intently".

 

There is almost nothing you could say that is true of every golf swing. Even "hitting the little ball before the big ball" That's not true for a sand shot, or even the "muddy chunk" that I've seen demonstrated.

 

You could go with "grip the club above the head", but that's as much a rule of golf as a swing fundamental.

 

She appears to be looking down while the ball is leaving the tee here.

 

 

We'll have to disagree. EVERY fine golfer watches the ball past impact.

OK, I might have misunderstood. I took what you said to mean, "keep staring at the spot where the back of the ball was", not "keep staring at the ball".

 

But, I'd disagree with that, too. Plenty of people keep their head down while the ball is well gone.

 

I'm just saying, I don't think either one is a fundamental.

 

It helps ME to stay down on the shot if I keep staring at the spot when the ball is gone. I need to come up eventually because of physics, but I stay down when the ball is gone.

 

Rickie. . .

[NEhomer]

I've never seen any player on any level of the game miss-hit a ball because they were looking at it.

[NEhomer]

I posted at the same time City!

 

....not here to argue but looking up prior to contact is generally a fatal mistake.

[Ri_Redneck]

Watch the ball disappear.

 

BT

[TTGolf77]

Stare intently at the back of the ball until it's well on it's way.

OP is asking for ONE thing, and so many people disagree on what you wrote. Annika -- for instance, and so many more -- look up very quickly. And many people advocate a more relaxed focus on the ball, not "stare intently".

 

There is almost nothing you could say that is true of every golf swing. Even "hitting the little ball before the big ball" That's not true for a sand shot, or even the "muddy chunk" that I've seen demonstrated.

 

You could go with "grip the club above the head", but that's as much a rule of golf as a swing fundamental.

 

She appears to be looking down while the ball is leaving the tee here.

 

 

We'll have to disagree. EVERY fine golfer watches the ball past impact.

 

David Duval is the obvious counter example.

[Petunia Sprinkle]

The most important thing to do is nothing.

 

So, around the time it’s starting to get too dark to play, someone comes out to the first tee from the clubhouse to inform you they’re closing?

 

 

 

[davep043]

I think the most common feature of most good swings is a relatively steady head. Staring at the ball or rotating forward, keep it steady until after contact.

[Quick Bucket]

The most important thing to do is nothing.

 

So, around the time it's starting to get too dark to play, someone comes out to the first tee from the clubhouse to inform you they're closing?

 

I'd tell that someone "its about time you got your keister out here, now go tell the group in front of me to hurry up". Gee whiz, slow play is getting out of hand.

[596]

Its not about the swing. Its about where the ball ends up. When playing well my swing is not in my head at all. My body already knows how. My focus is out there....the ball flight.......where I want the ball to be when it lands. If I think about the swing, things go bad or at least not as well as I want.

 

You think swing on the range. You play golf on the course. Don't think....know!!

[Tanner25]

Hit the small ball before the big ball

 

What makes that happen? Proper sequence or just hit a divot ahead of the ball?

[RobertBaron]

Whoa. Slow down. Catch your breath. Now, how do we want to do this?

[Atrayn]

The one thing is an acronym.....PSR! Pre Shot Routine....

Edit - for example: I played the 18th hole last night at St Andrews, in Illinois not Scotland and my preshot had me visualize the fade I needed to hit. I saw it, felt it and stepped up and hit it.

 

The guy after me, stepped up, pulled out his water ball and proceeded to splash it. His comment was priceless. "If I had played my regular ball it probably would have made it the extra yard I needed...."

[willmillar]

Don't try to kill it....