Correcting Your Awful Golf Swing - Tips to Help You Lower Your Score

If you suffer from a bad golf swing, there are some simple things you can do to improve it. When you hit the ball and it flies off in a random direction, the problem could be your swing or it might be something else like grip or address position. Let's look at some common mistakes golfers make and how they can be easily corrected.

It's All About Set-Up

In golf, it's not the swing that's all important - it's the set-up. How your body is positioned before you make the swing is really what puts your ball there. You've really got to take some time and work on this, and always pay attention to it when you're playing. Here are a few pointers on fixing your address position:

- Work On Grip. Find your neutral grip. This should be the position where your hands hang naturally. Don't twist things around and grip it in an unnatural way.

- Consistency. You should have the exact same set-up every time. Work on it and perfect it so that it's completely the same.

- Stay Relaxed. If your movements are stiff and jerky, the ball will go wherever it wants. In order to have perfect control over your swing, keep yourself relaxed and flexible.

- Stretch. Always stretch before you start. Posture and flexibility are key components to a successful golf swing.

Are You Winging It?

Watch out for the dreaded chicken wing! The chicken wing is when your arm and wrist go limp right after you make contact with the putter. It gets its silly name from the way your arm flies up in the air, looking like a chicken wing. If you're getting the chicken wing, your swing is losing all of its power to drive the ball home.

There are lots of ways to fix a chicken wing, but the main one is to make sure you're swinging through. Your body should be coiled back before the swing with all of your energy bound up; then, release that energy and transfer it to the ball. The chicken wing is most often caused by the golfer putting on the brakes right when they're about to make contact.

Work On Your Mental Game

Finally, work on your mental golf game. All of this "mental game" stuff is trendy right now, but it's more than just a trend; it's powerful stuff. Ask any pro golfer what's the most important part of the game and they'll tell you that it's the golfer's mindset. Spend some time learning how to get into the zone, breathing right, visualizing your shot and so on. These are all just as important as anything physical you do in the game.

Success with your golf swing is all about practice. There's just no way to make improvements without getting out there and putting. Work some regular exercises into your daily schedule. There are lots of things you can do at home, at the office, or anywhere else away from the green that will help your swing become stronger, straighter and more successful.