It is important to develop a pre-shot routine.  A pre-shot routine will give you the opportunity to look closely at your situation.  Get behind the ball to start your pre-shot routine.  This will allow the best advantage.  You will be able to line the ball with the target use your golf club to line up the two together.  Once you have determined your aim so your ball will move in the direction of the target when you hit it.  Etch the path of the ball and the target in your mind you will be ready to take your shot.

Next you will want to line up your body with the ball, making sure to check your shoulders, hips, thighs and feet.  You should be parallel and left of the target.  Keeping your eye on the ball you can take your best shot.  As long as it on the line to your target, it won’t matter so much if you don’t hit the ball perfectly.

With practice and experience all of this will become a habit.   Since it is necessary for you to have a target to aim for, it is important to work on this pre-shot routine till it becomes old hand.

All great golfers have a good golf set-up position.  If you are determined to improve your score, focus on the basics, which are successful.  Many people overlook one of the most important basics, the set-up position.  Your swing is developed from your set-up position.

A good golf set-up position ensures the proper posture and placement of the feet, which will allow you to be able to keep your balance during your swing.  All of the really great golfers are balance from the time they first focus on the ball to the end of their swing.  Staying balance will ensure you are able to hit the ball squarely in the middle of the clubface.  They key to being consistent in hitting the ball with the correct spot on the club is balance.  With a good set-up you will remain balance all through your swing.

With a good set-up position you can control the direction your shot with power.  The ball position and body alignment are key elements in the pre-swing; it creates conditions enabling you to take control.  When you first focus on the ball, your body alignment will have complete control of the path and the angle you swing your club.  Basically your set-up affects all aspects of your swing.

If you want to be a great player, a good set-up position will put in a position where you are at an advantage.  A good set-up will allow you to connect with the ball and achieve a good impact position.  When you set-up, make sure you set-up with good impact in mind.

Most people who have played the game of golf will tell you it is one of the most difficult games to play and play well.  They love or at least enjoy playing the game, but will also tell you not many people every master the game.  Even Tiger has his off days.

This could be the reason there are so many people trying to sell you something to improve your skill and to help you score.  The swing aids are just one of them.  The swing aids for the most part do work, and they will help you improve your game.  However, do we have to be able to swing like the Pros on the PGA tour to enjoy playing the game?  Probably not, but it sure helps.

The reality is the basics we have heard numerous of times, such as “don’t lift your head”, “keep your arms straight”, and “turn your hips”.  These tips all have one thing in common which is to make your golf club come through the down swing, and hit the ball with the club face in just the right spot, so the ball will go right where you want it.  Straight down the green.

Now all those tips are important to follow for you to achieve that “perfect swing”, but you don’t have to have the “perfect swing” to play a decent round of golf.  Of course you would still like to be able to accomplish that “perfect swing”.  So let’s talk about some important points to help you bring your club square on the ball when you hit it, so the ball will go straight.

When all else fails, it is always best to go back to the basics.  Do your best to keep your front arm as straight as possible.  This will ensure your club will hit the ball for it to go straight.  Keep your head down or better yet, keep your eye on the ball.  You still want to keep your chin elevated enough for your shoulders to rotate giving your swing more power.  Don’t stoop over the ball.  Your back needs to be straight and bend at the hips.  While keeping your back straight and chin up lean forward a little bit.  Your knees need to be slightly bent.  This goes for any and every shot you make.  Don’t bend them too much, just enough to be noticed.  The key point in your swing is following through your swing with you hips.  Your back hip will come forward and your front hip will go back because the buckle of your belt should be pointing in the direction of your target.

To look more closely at the golf swing, we should note there are three parts to a golf swing.   First there is the back swing, followed by the downward swing and lastly impacting the ball while following through.

The back swing is very important to the golf swing as a whole.  Reason being if you start badly you will end badly.  In other words, if the back swing is not performed correctly, the rest of the swing is useless.  For the back swing focus should be on the body rotation, the arm position and the club.

The downward swing starts with the legs and hips.  It does not start with the arms even though the arms do the actual swing of the club.  During the downward swing there should be a transfer of weight from the back to the front using your knees, your thighs, and your hips in a forward movement.

As the club impacts the ball, your weight should be on your outside forward heel and the inside of your rear foot.

The golf swing is an unnatural movement the body will violently resist.  So for all three portions of the golf swing to be performed correctly is impossible without specific golf exercises to ready and strengthen the muscles needed to do the golf swing.  For this reason golfers find it so difficult to get right.  The swing itself many look simple and easy to do, but in reality is one of the hardest things to master.

Good rhythm and balance is important to every swing because it is the key to consistency in your swing.  If you rush your swing, your balance will be off and result in poor ball flight.  Golfers who are outstanding in hitting the ball are seldom off balance when they strike the ball and their rhythm bonds their positions and movements.  Their swings may appear to be effortless, but are actually swinging effortless and hitting solid.   To correctly arrange your body motion to arrive at the striking point with a position of control and power you must have great rhythm.  In turn to be more consistent when hitting your ball, your body must be balanced.  Good rhythm and balance are connected.  You need both to be a great golfer.

Here is a drill to help you improve your balance and rhythm.  In the ground line up 5 tees about 4 inches apart.  Then stand just inside the closest tee.   Swing a 7-iron back and forward through with a continuous motion.  Keep moving forward clipping each tee out of the ground.  Repeat three more times.  This will allow you to find a swing pace which will help you maintain your balance and still generate speed of the club.

Memorize your balance points while doing this drill.  You can close your eyes and feel your balance as you step up to the ball, then make the back swing and stop with the club in the air, feel your balance on your back foot.  Finish the swing and hold, feel your weight on your front foot and tap your back toe.

One of the best drills is to practice your swing in slow motion.  Line up 10 teed balls and make your full swing in slow motion.  Your balls will only travel about 10 –15 yards, but this only about 10 percent of your normal swing speed.  With every set of 10 balls increase your speed by 10-percent.  By the time you reach 80-percent you will have found your best balance and rhythm speed.  You might be surprised to find you are hitting the ball solid and the distance your ball has traveled.