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It seems as though many golfers are unaware of the importance the hands play in the execution of the golf swing. Obviously, we know that the hands grip the golf club and attach the body to the club. But what is the importance of them during the swing?

The answer has to do with releasing of the club. Let’s go back and do a quick golf biomechanics review. During the swing, from address position to follow-through, the hands are active in a passive type of manner.

Let me explain. The goal of the golf swing is to move the club on the correct swing plane to induce the intended golf shot that you want. This occurs through the body’s moving through a series of positions. These positions are found within the different phases of the golf swing.

The phases of the swing are address, take-away, backswing, transition, downswing, impact, and follow-through. During all of these movements the body is performing, the golf club is being moved upon a swing plane. The swing plane is the path upon which the golf club is to travel. Proper impact with the golf ball requires the golf club’s traveling upon the correct swing plane.

In order for the club to travel on the correct swing plane it is necessary for the clubface to open and close. Oftentimes, in golf terms the opening and closing, of the clubface is termed “releasing of the club.” This is where the hands become an integral part of the golf swing.

If you talk to almost any instructor, they will say that any good player has “great hands.” This statement refers to exactly what was described above (the releasing of the club correctly). It’s obvious if you look at players such as Tiger, Phil, or Vijay.

I even remember walking the course at Doral in Miami with top-5 teaching instructor, Rick Smith. One point he continued to return to in terms of discussing the golf swing was “hands.” He stated more than once how any PGA Tour player has great hands. This just provides additional support for how important the hands are in terms of the golf swing.

But what does this all mean? Well, we know the hands are involved in the “opening and closing” of the clubface during your swing. This movement allows for the proper release of the club. As I mentioned, the hands are “active in your golf swing, but in a passive manner.”

Again, to open and close the clubface during the golf swing the hands move back during the backswing, hinge at the top of the backswing, return the club to square at impact, and release the club afterwards. In order for this to occur the hands must be passive!

What do I mean by passive?

You cannot force the hands to move through the golf swing and release the club. This creates tension in the golf swing, affects tempo, and, overall, results in poor shots. If you do not believe me, go to the driving range, grip a club as hard as you can, and attempt to swing. The results will be much less than optimal.

I think Dean Reinmuth, ranked by Golf Digest as a top-30 teaching pro, puts it best when speaking about the hands in the golf swing. He discusses “feel” as an integral part of the golf swing. He states that in order to have a successful golf swing you must be “tension free.”

“Feeling” the club move on the swing plane is an indicator of being “tension free.” And in order to have this feeling, your hands must be relaxed (i.e. passive).

How do you develop good hands in your golf swing?

Easier said than done. In order to develop “feel” in the golf swing, remove “tension” from your golf swing and develop great hands, you must develop three fundamentals.

Fundamental number one is an understanding of the golf swing. In order to know what the body and golf club are to do during the swing you must know the biomechanics of the golf swing. If you don’t, how are you going to know what the body and club are to be doing during each phase of the golf swing?

Secondly, you must develop the mechanics of the golf swing. Your body and mind must integrate the movements of the golf swing into a repeatable movement. This occurs through proper instruction and practice of the correct golf swing mechanics.

Finally, it is necessary to develop the body. Yes, the body! Your body must have the flexibility, strength, endurance, and power to perform the golf swing correctly. If the body is inflexible, weak, and powerless, how are you going to be able to perform the mechanics of the swing correctly?

The obvious answer is: you are not! Developing great hands in your golf swing comes down to developing a “basket” of fundamentals within your golf swing. Understand the biomechanics of the golf swing, develop the proper mechanics within your golf swing, and develop a body to support your swing. These are the keys to developing great hands in your golf game.

About the Author

Sean Cochran is one of the most recognized golf fitness instructors in the world today. He travels the PGA Tour regularly with 2005 PGA & 2004 Masters Champion Phil Mickelson. To learn more about Sean and his golf fitness programs go to http://www.seancochran.com

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1. Stance

The power of your drive all begins with your stance. There are two things you want to do with your stance; increase the distance of the stance from the ball and spread your feet wider. By spreading your feet wider, you will have better balance and control allowing you to get a short and wide swing. In turn, this will allow you to get the control and power necessary for a strong drive.

2. Driving motion

Perfecting your driving motion can be particularly difficult, especially if you are a beginner. Getting a handle of your weight control is perhaps the most difficult aspect to your driving motion, but quite possible the most important part. You want to take your time and swing in rhythm.

3. Releasing the power

Driving the ball inquires a great deal of control and power together. If you have great control but no power, you will lack the distance required to set yourself up for a solid score. You want to build your power and release it throughout the swing. By keeping your swing short and wide, you will have great control over your swing while still releasing the power.

4. Know yourself

While there are a number of free driving tips that can be given to you, nobody knows you better than you. If you listen to others and swing outside of your boundaries, you will decrease your control and perhaps your power. It is vital that you distribute your weight evenly and stay balanced throughout the entire shot.

5. Practice

Practice, Practice, Practice!!! Go to the driving range as much as possible to help get a feel for your stance, your swinging motion and the power. Eventually you can take what you’ve learned on the driving range and apply it to your game on the golf course.

6. Imagine

Although it may sound cliché, it is crucial that you believe in your shot and your swing. Your odds of striking the ball solidly improve if you imagine the ball landing in the middle of the fairway.

By taking these free driving tips and applying them to your game on the golf course, you will find yourself striking the golf ball on the tee much more smoothly with great balance and power.

Knowing how to play golf like a pro means knowing what golf equipment you need and where to buy it. Visit Golfing-Proshop.com to find out about the best name brands in golfing equipment.

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Every golfer is looking to lower their golf score and improve their golf swing. And let’s face it, a proper golf swing is pretty complicated when you start putting together all the things you need – set up, golf grip, stance, addressing the ball, wrist cock, backswing, hip swivel, downswing, etc.

One great way to improve your golf score is to simplify your golf swing. So how do you do that?

Focusing on the one plane golf swing can go a long way toward simplifying your golf game and improving the consistency of your golf shots. What exactly is a one plan golf swing? A one plane golf swing keeps your club on one plane during the entire golf swing, which can minimize mistakes that you might make.

The one plane golf swing allows you to strike the ball with the club face square, improving the quality of your golf shot. This will help to minimize those bad slices and hooks that get you in so much trouble. A great way to develop a good one plane golf swing is to find a golf instructor that teaches this type of swing.

One good lesson with the right instructor can greatly improve your one plan golf swing, practically lowering your score overnight.

There are also golf swing training aids, such as the golf swing trainer, that are designed to keep your golf swing on one plane. This is an easy way to practice the one plane golf swing at home with minimal expense. You just need to put in the training time.

Finally, another training aid is one I’ve mentioned before, and that is making sure you are properly balanced throughout your swing. You do this by placing a quarter on your front shoe. If you are properly balanced with a one plane golf swing, the quarter should remain on your shoe throughout the swing.

If it falls off, you weren’t properly balanced throughout your golf swing. By being able to swing consistently without the quarter falling off your shoe, you’ll be better balanced for more of your golf shots, resulting in better, more consistent shots.

Check out more free articles and golf tips for improving your golf game at http://www.golftipsmadeeasy.com where avid golfer and freelance writer Tim Hathaway writes about ways to improve your golf game and you can grab your free report, The Perfect Golfing Vacation [http://www,golftipsmadeeasy.com]

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If you’re frustrated at not being able to drive the ball down the field at golf or wish to improve your strokes these golf swing tips should help you.

Golf is a popular and social sport which is played everywhere in the world. It is very popular in the United States and the United Kingdom. Many people aim to improve on their golf swing to lower their handicap so we’ve put together some golf swing tips to help you achieve that goal.

There are many golf swing tips on the internet but most of them neglect the two most important factors of perfect golfing. These two factors are posture and grip.

Your posture and grip can affect how high you hit the ball and also how high. A bad posture can lower performance and also be bad for your health because you will be more susceptible to injuries.

There are two grips that professional golfers use. These are the overlapped grip where the hands are overlapping each other and the interlocking where the fingers on your lower hand interlocks with your upper hand. You should use practice with both and then use the one that you are most comfortable with.

Before hitting the golf ball, you should take a few practice swings to get a feel of the swing and also correct your posture. Your back should be at an angle but straight and your chin should be behind the ball. Do not slouch as this will affect your range.

Find out more about Golf Swing Tips and discover how to lower your handicap and become a better golfer at http://golfswingtips.weebly.com/