Golf swing basics are the key to improvement for most golfers. All amateur golfers (and even some professionals) attempt to replicate the “perfect” basic golf swing (think Tiger Woods on a good day). Doing this will improve their game dramatically – helping them to make effortless powerful golf shots. The problem is that there is no such thing as a generic perfect golf swing. Each player has their own, individual, perfect swing.

You see, each golfers’ body is different. Some are taller or shorter, more or less muscular, etc. So when it comes to golf swing basics we need to tailor the swing to the individual. Now, obviously just understanding the basics is not enough. You also need to practice your individual swing in order to achieve the results you desire.

Some golfers are fine hitting their irons, but cannot hit their driver well at all. For others it is the reverse. And for many golfers, especially those that play mainly on weekends – they have trouble hitting both irons and drivers. The most frequent result is a nasty slice or loss of power. Most of us have our standard blame list – bad weather, bad course, bad equipment.

For many people the real problem is that they have gotten away from golf swing basics. They have added complexity to their swing and thus made it much worse. By keeping the swing simple you will become more consistent and have much better results.

Just follow and practice these five basic golf swing fundamental to improve your mechanics and your overall golf game:

1. Alignment is the most important factor in hitting the ball square. The fundamental idea behind a good swing is to hit the ball dead center. This means that your setup to the ball is the most important element of the basic golf swing.
2. Be sure that your stance is comfortable and it will allow your body to rotate effortlessly. You can think of your spine as an axis around which your body will rotate. Find your center of gravity by sticking your backside out (yes it sounds strange, but really does work).
3. You must keep your eyes on the ball. This is an absolute essential to a proper golf swing, but is probably the most often ignored element. Yes, this one should be common sense. After all you need to see the ball in order to hit it. Looking up too soon in order to see where your ball went, will usually result in your ball going nowhere!
4. You need to take a different approach when it comes to your woods and irons. For your woods think “sweep”. Woods are designed to sweep the ball off the tee. However, for your irons think about “pinch”, as irons are made to pinch the ball off the ground.
5. Humming a tune can help your focus and also helps with your overall rhythm. Rhythm is an important aspect in striking the ball squarely and evenly. Personally, I like to hum Motown tunes, but anything will probably work.

So, when it comes to your golf swing basics remember the K.I.S.S. rule. The simpler your swing is the easier it is to maintain consistency and improve your swing over time.

Historically golfers have not been perceived as the best conditioned athletes. Recently, the game has changed and now most tour players are in excellent condition. However, the average player is not likely to go to the gym and workout like a professional athlete. They are left wondering how to get in shape for golf.

There are a number of great exercises to get in shape for golf that utilize golf clubs. This is very appealing to most golfers since it doesn’t feel like they are trying to get in shape. In addition the time spent feeling the weight and balance of their clubs allows them to swing better because they are more attuned to both their bodies and the clubs they are swinging.

Good golfers are very strong in the hands and forearms. To work on strength and flexibility in these areas grab two clubs, one in each hand. Standing up straight with a club in each hand simply flex the wrist upward until the club is pointing straight up in the air or as far as you can comfortably go. When this becomes easy to do, put two clubs in each hand, then three and so on. This is a great way to get in shape for golf by flexing the wrists. It will add a lot of zip at the bottom of your swing.

To build up your forearms hold one club between your two hands at arms length directly in front of you. The club shaft should be in your finger tips. Now, rotate the shaft away from you just using your fingers. You will start to feel a burn in your forearms. Then rotate the club towards you. This will be more difficult. You can also tie a weight to the middle of the club suspended by a piece of string. Then you will be trying to wind up the weight to the golf shaft. In time you should feel your forearms getting very tired. Strong forearms are important for getting in shape for golf because they help stabilize your swing path particularly in the impact zone area.

Finally. To loosen up your chest, arms and back. Bend over from the waist until your chest is parallel with the floor. Hold a club behind your back between both hands. Now, raise the club as high as you can go. For some of you that will only be about two inches or so. Other may be able to get the club high up over their shoulders. This is a great overall stretching routine and will really help you get in shape for golf. This stretch also tells you how high your hands should be in your backswing. If you can only get the club up to the middle of your back then you should have a relatively flat backswing. Otherwise you are disconnecting from what your body can really do.

In all of these stretches try and work for improvement. That can be an increase in the range of motion you are getting or in the amount of weight or resistance you are using.

Of course the best way to get in shape for golf is to play a lot of golf and/or hit la lot of golf balls. Just make certain that you are properly stretched out ahead of time.