No matter how frustrating it may be, we all know how important it is to stay at home during these uncertain times. It’s especially frustrating for anybody that loves to play golf and is used to getting out on the green or over to the driving range to practice their golf swing.
However, taking a trip to the golf course isn’t something that you necessarily need to do in order to practice perfecting your swing during the coronavirus lockdown, and there are a number of ways you can continue working on improving your game without needing to leave the house.
So, whether you’re new to golf or have been playing for a while, practicing your golf swing at home will give you the opportunity to make sure you’re correctly performing all of the movements that create a killer swing, and means that when you’re able to head out onto the course again you’ll be playing with a new found level of confidence and skill.
Use Your Space Wisely
If you’re lucky enough to have access to your own outside space during the lockdown, take the opportunity to use this to practice your swing. Bear in mind that you don’t actually have to hit a ball whilst you’re simply practicing, so even if you don’t have a large garden but instead have a small terrace or even a balcony, you’ll still be able to head out with your club and work on getting your swing correct.
Likewise, even if you don’t have access to any personal outside space at all, the lack of actually creating any impact with a golf ball will still allow you to practice your swing indoors. Just make sure that you’re in a spacious room away from anything that you could accidentally hit with your club – this includes other people!
Improvise
In fact, you don’t even need to break out your golf clubs in order to practice your swing. Instead, simply filling an empty plastic soda bottle with some water until you’ve reached the same sort of weight as your club will give you a perfect alternative to using your clubs, and will certainly reduce the risk of any accidental damage or injury if you’re practicing indoors.
This is also a fantastic way to teach your kids how to perform a golf swing if they’re getting bored during the lockdown, and means that you can pass on your skills without them having to use your clubs as they practice.
Record Yourself
Another good way to look at how your golf swing is performing is to grab your cell phone or a video camera and record yourself as you practice. This will allow you to easily highlight any imperfections in your posture or movements, and gives you the opportunity to focus on individual mistakes rather than having to focus on your swing as a whole.
Also, don’t be afraid to ask any family members or friends that you’re self isolating with to take a look at your swing as you carry it out. This can also be hugely beneficial in pinpointing any movements that may need adjusting.
Follow the Sequence
Getting out of practice can lead to old habits creeping back in, so whilst you’re taking the time to carry on working on your golf swing during the lockdown, make sure that you’re still following the sequence of movements that make up the perfect swing. We’ve broken these down below into individual chunks, so you can be certain that you’re not missing out any crucial steps.
Posture
Although it’s the one thing that is most commonly forgotten by novice and pro golfers alike, the posture that you adopt when you first step up to the ball is arguably the most important thing to make sure you’re getting correct.
Incorrect posture will set you up for failure before you’ve even begun to raise your club towards the sky, so getting it right is crucial. Make sure that you’re feet are positioned in a way that allows for the size of the club head, and that your weight is evenly distributed between the balls of both of your feet.
Keep your knees bent comfortably, and make sure your torso is pointed directly at the ball (or where you would imagine the ball to be in this case) as you address it.
The Takeaway
Remember that as you begin to raise your golf club skyward, you don’t actually have to do very much at all. Fight the temptation to grab on as tightly as possible or move upwards in a quick, jerking action, and instead simply practice slowly moving your shoulders away from where your target would be, keeping your lower body as still as possible and holding onto your club with a comfortable grip.
The Backswing
At this point you’ll want to make sure that your balance is correct. Your shoulders will be turning as a result of your takeaway, so now is the time to ensure that your feet are still firmly planted on the ground and that your legs are stable. Your weight should also be evenly distributed across the top of your legs at this point, and your right hip should be raised higher than the left.
The Transition
Getting your transition correct will have a huge impact on how the club head meets the ball, so take some time to make sure that you’re carrying it out correctly. To do this, your focus needs to be on your lower body and on your hips, with your currently raised right hip now needs to start rotating back into place and towards your target.
The Downswing
Getting your downswing perfect will ensure that the ball gets exactly where you want it to go upon impact, which in turn will lead you to being able to finish the course in as few hits as possible.
At this point, your grip on the club needs to be relaxed in order to allow it to swiftly flow through the air and have a greater amount of force on the ball, and your body position will also need to be adjusted.
To simplify this, you just need to make sure that your left hip begins to raise as you bring your hands back down and that the majority of your weight has shifted to your left leg. This will allow you to get a good shot at the ball without any stunted force behind the club.
Conclusion
Self isolation and social distancing have definitely taken their toll on our day to day lives, and not being able to get out into the wide open to play our favorite sport has been a struggle to say the least. But, try to take any frustration that the lockdown may be causing and focus it into something constructive. Working on your golf swing is certainly a good place to start!
As you can see, there are still a variety of ways that you can work on your golf swing even if you’re currently unable to get over to the golf course, and when you’re finally able to meet up with fellow competitors again, you’ll be able to amaze them with your finely tuned skills.
For more information on improving your golf swing you can visit my article The Ultimate Guide to Perfecting Your Golf Swing
(https://www.birdiescrazygolf.com/guides/the-ultimate-guide-to-perfecting-your-golf-swing/) at https://www.birdiescrazygolf.com/
