By: Joseph Gagliano, PGA Pro

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There is no one swing for every player, therefore no such thing as a perfect swing.  My teaching philosophy is to recognize each individual difference and adapt a message to fit the student.  I incorporate the basic pre-swing principles to form a foundation that will enable the student to reach their goals.  The person is always more important than their golf swing.

TEACHING ROUTINE

The time frame within each lesson is thirty minutes or an hour.  If a lesson takes longer than the scheduled time frame, something has gone wrong.  Arriving on time to all my lessons is crucial, because it shows the student that they are important to me.  A student can choose from a variety of lessons such as short game, long game, video analysis, clinics, golf schools and playing lessons.  I encourage all my students after each lesson to practice for a week and then take a follow up lesson to ensure that the student has not gone back to their old ways.  Before each lesson I like to speak with the student to find out their goals, problems or any physical limitations they may have.  First I evaluate the pre-swing fundamentals and then proceed to the golf swing.  I like to give a student a maximum of two things to work on, any more would usually serve as an overload and nothing will be accomplished.  My lessons are kept simple and fun in order to keep the students interested and confident that they can reach their goals for the lesson.  Once we have discovered the problems, I will use the three forms of learning; visual, verbal and kinesthetic to show the student how to correct the problem.  I like to conclude each lesson by writing up a swing analysis sheet, which includes everything we covered in the lesson plus applicable drills.


METHOD OF TEACHING

PRE-SWING

A. GRIP {PLACEMENT, POSITIONING, PRESSURE AND PRECISION ALL RELATE TO APPLYING THE HANDS TO THE CLUB}

1. Grip has the greatest influence upon clubface position.
2. Placement – how far up or down the shaft the hands are placed alters the clubs effective length.
3. Positioning – the rotation of hands on the grip from the normal position can cause the clubface to open or close, causing the ball to slice or hook.
4. Grip pressure – how hard you squeeze the grip, which influences timing, speed and control.  The player’s grip pressure should be constant throughout the swing.
5. Precision – taking the same grip pressure is critical for consistency.

Proper grip – Arms hang down so both palms are facing each other.  The grip lies diagonally across the fingertips in the left hand, starting at the index finger.  When you close your left hand, the grip should rest under the pad.  The grip lies in the fingers of the right hand and should match up with your left hand.  There should be a line created in between the thumb and pointer finger in both hands which points to the player’s right shoulder.

B. AIM {THE ALIGNMENT OF THE CLUBFACE AND BODY IN RELATION TO THE TARGET}

1.  Aim has a strong influence on producing the correct path, though is   does not guarantee it.
2.  The feet, shoulders and hips should all be lined up to the target.
3.  The clubface must be perpendicular to the intended target line.

Proper aim – The student should stand behind the ball and pick a spot four to six inches in front of the ball on their intended line.  Then the student should place the clubface behind the ball perpendicular to the target.  The feet, shoulders and hips should then be positioned parallel to the intended line.

C. SET-UP {A PLAYER’S BALL POSITION AND POSTURE}

1. The player’s ball position should be lined up with the logo on the left side of their shirt, to ensure that they are striking the ball at the bottom of their swing.
2. The position of the ball will affect the angle of approach and trajectory of the shot.
3. If the ball is played too far forward in the stance it reduces the angle of approach, adds loft to the face and results in a high shot.
4. A ball played further back in the stance produces the opposite.

Proper ball position – The student should always play the ball off the left side of their chest.  There is no difference in the ball position for an eight iron or a four iron; the only difference is the width of the student’s stance.

1. The posture should include a slight knee flex.
2. The spine angle should have a slight tilt to the right, due to right hand laying lower on the club
3. The back should be slightly ahead of the hips creating the arms to hang straight down.
4. The stance of the player is determined by the club selection.
5. The longer the club the wider the stance.  Wedge stance should be shoulder width apart.  A five iron stance should be lined up with the middle of the shoulders.  A driver stance should be lined up with the outside part of the shoulders.
Proper posture – Stand up straight and bend from your hips as if you were going to sit down on a seat.  Your body should be in an athletic position with minimum amount of tension.  The player who is 5’9 should play to his height and not like someone who is 5’5.

D.  SWING

1. The triangle formed by the shoulders and arms in the beginning of the swing should work as one unit rotating around your body.
2. The club should drag on the ground as long as possible.
3. The body should be relaxed; there should be no tension in the hands or arms throughout the swing.
4. Once the club has reached its farthest position away from the body the wrist should hinge creating a hammering motion.
5. The hands should never get behind the person’s body.  The hands should always be moving with the center of their chest.

2. TOP OF THE SWING

1. Left arm is extended.
2. Shoulders should be fully rotated at 90 degrees and hips at 45 degrees.
3. Right elbow points down to the ground and slightly below the left arm with the club parallel to the ground.
4. Weight is on the right side.
5. There should be the same amount of grip pressure as there was at address.
6. The spine angle should be maintained throughout the swing

3. DOWNSWING

1. The hips/lower body should start the downswing by rotating towards the target.
2. The butt-end of the club should be driving down at the ball.
3. The club, hands and arms should create as much lag as possible to generate speed and power.
4. The club should feel like it is swinging out towards right field.

4. FINISH

1. Right knee closed in on the left knee.
2. Weight is shifted on the left side.
3. Hips, shoulders and head should be facing the intended target.
4. Hands should finish over the left shoulder.
5. The entire swing should finish in a balanced state.