Part One: How to Stand
Some pros are good at teaching, others are not. The problem is that professional golfers are real athletes, and are usually 'naturals'. In other words, they know what to do, but not necessarily how they do it, let alone how to tell you what to do. Don't get me wrong: some pros are brilliant teachers, and these are usually people who are not winning a fortune on the Tour. They have learned to teach.
The thing is that to play golf well, when you have limited time to practice and play, you need a simple swing. We need to be able to repeat it easily, as we are not athletes. Just ordinary guys.
How you hold the club, how you stand
If you stand in the right position and hold the club the right way you are halfway there. If you don't get these things right you will not hit the ball well.
The first thing about the grip is that it is best for almost all of us to use an overlapping grip. If you are right-handed put the right hand on the grip, then overlap the little finger with the index finger - the one nearest the thumb - of your other hand.
This will feel odd if you are new to golf, but it works. Next, you lower the club to the ground. Look down at your left hand. You should be just able to see the third knuckle. If you can't you will swing too far out on the downswing, and have to pull the club back into the ball, resulting in a slicing action - the ball curves out to the right, losing lots of length.
Legs apart for a good foundation
How do you actually stand? Stand with your feet apart about as wide as your shoulders. The right foot should be at right angles to where you are hitting the ball - that is straight out in front of you - and the left foot should be turned about 10-15 degrees outward, toward the direction you are hitting.
Now stand up straight, lifting the club up, and make sure your shoulders are square. Then, lean forward, keeping your back straight till the club touches the ground just behind the ball. As you lean forward, so your knees will flex automatically to maintain balance. If they are straight up, then flex them a little. It is important that the knees are flexed and that your arms hang down more or less straight to the grip.
Now, make sure that the weight of your body is on the balls of your toes - not your heels. When you got that right, you are all set!
You need to practice getting in that position, with the grip right, and you are ready. In Part 2 of this article I will tell you the rest of the easiest way to swing a golf club.
