Golf Swing

What is a golf swing?

The swing refers to the motion of hitting the ball, from the moment the club leaves its position behind the ball until the end of the swing, when the body is facing the target. The word comes from English to swing, “swing”: the club traces an arc around the body, much like a pendulum.

The same word is used for all shots, from the drive to the short approach shot. Only the swing amplitude and speed change. Putting, on the other hand, is a separate motion: we tend to refer to it as a “putt.”.

What are the phases of the swing?

To learn and correct it, we break the swing down into several steps, even though in reality it flows continuously:

1. The address: The starting position—club positioned behind the ball, body aligned with the target—determines much of what happens next.
2. The Takeaway (or in the takeaway): the first few centimeters of the backswing, where the hands, arms, and shoulders move together.
3. The Backswing (or take): The upper body rotates, the arms rise, and weight shifts to the back leg. On a full swing, the club often reaches a position roughly parallel to the ground at the top of the take, but this is a guideline, not a rule: many very good players don't take the club as high.
4. The downswing (or downswing): The movement begins at the lower body; weight shifts to the front leg (the left leg for a right-hander), and the club accelerates toward the ball.
5. The Impact: the moment the clubface makes contact with the ball. That is the only moment that matters for the ball: its direction and height depend on the position of the clubface and the club's path at that moment.
6. Follow-through and Finish: After impact, the club continues its path, the body finishes rotating, and the player ends up balanced on the front leg, with the chest facing the target.

Full swing, half swing: What's the difference?

Swinges are classified based on their amplitude, not on the club used:

• Full Swing: Full swing, full takeaway, and full finish. It’s used with the driver, woods, hybrids, and irons—including wedges when you want to maximize their distance.
• The Partial Swing (half-swing, three-quarter swing): The backswing is intentionally shortened to control the distance or keep the ball low, for example, when playing into the wind or for a 40- or 65-yard approach shot.
• Short shots around the green (chip, pitch): a compact swing, dominated by shoulder rotation, where control takes precedence over speed.

What is the swing plane?

The swing plane is the angle of the arc described by the club around the body. It depends primarily on the length of the club and the stance: a long driver is swung on a flatter plane than a shorter wedge. A club that deviates significantly from this plane during the downswing—for example, by coming “over the top” (from the outside in)—often results in a slice or a shot that curves to the left.

How can you improve your swing?

• Pay Attention to the Address: Grip, posture, alignment, and ball position account for a large portion of the flaws that are often thought to be related to movement.
• Working on Rhythm: A smooth build-up and gradual acceleration are better than a sudden move. A steady tempo is a common trait among all good players, regardless of their style.
• Finish in balance: Holding the finish position for two or three seconds is a good way to check the quality of the movement.
• Filming yourself from the front and in profile, to compare how we feel with what we're actually doing.
• Fix one thing at a time, with the help of a teacher, rather than giving a lot of instructions.
• Warm up Before you play: The swing puts a lot of strain on your back, hips, and shoulders.

There is no single swing: champions have very different techniques. What they have in common is a consistent impact, a good sequence (the lower body initiates the downswing), and balance maintained all the way through.