This section is for people just beginning to learn the game and for those who want to review the basics.

GRIP

To be a consistent ball striker, you should strive to find a grip that helps your return the clubhead square to the ball at impact.

I recommend that you begin with a neutral grip. One where the thumb of the left hand sits just to the right of the shaft, so that the grip sits more in the fingers as opposed to the palm of the hand. This type grip will help you create wrist hinge and allow you to square the clubface at impact.

The right hand sits on top of the left so that the right hand covers the thumb of the left hand. Both “v”s that the thumbs and forefingers form should point to the right side of your face.

Experiment with the grip that suits you. I use the Vardon grip where the pinkie of the right hand piggy backs the forefinger of the left hand. You may want to use an interlocking grip or a baseball grip.

Make sure the grip pressure is the same in both hands. Tight enough so that the club doesn’t slip out of your hands, but loose enough so that the clubhead can swing freely. On a scale of 1 to 10, the grip pressure should be about a 4 or 5.

SET-UP/POSTURE

Good posture should be athletic. Think of golf as a sport. Start balanced and ready to go, as in any other sport.

Feet shoulder width apart. You back foot should be relatively square or straight and the left foot can be flaired out a few degrees.

Bend from your hip sockets, not your waist.

Flex your knees and let your arms hang naturally.

For the purposes of this program, let’s play the ball in the middle of the stance, so that the weight is distributed equally on both feet.

Make sure that your feet, knees, hips and especially shoulders are parallel or square.

With the club in your hands, your arms should hang down so that you have about one hand’s length between the butt end of the club and your legs.

PARTS OF THE SWING

Here are a few pointers to make sure that you are using correct swing biomechanics.

1. Left arm
2. Right arm
3. Both arms, elbows should be equal
4. Body angles through out the swing
5. Weight shift in 3 parts
6. The 6 basic positions I focus on in Cardio Golf
a. Half way back
b. Top of the backswing
c. Half way down
d. Impact
e. The release
f. The finish

Review this section often.