The best way to improve your golf swing is to get an expert eye to observe your technique and give you tailored advice on the adjustments you could make, along with practice, practice, practice We have opportunities for both at Ufford Park Resort, with the expert eye of our golf professional Sam Foster at SJF Golf. Plus there's plenty of opportunity to practice on Suffolk's only two-tier driving range, which was voted in the Top 10 Driving Ranges in Britain by Today's Golfer Magazine, as well as on our award-winning 18-hole golf course.
That said, here are a few handy tips to keep in mind:
- Pre-shot routine. Developing a ritual will help to allow you to focus on the shot and the feel. Once you know your balance, stance and grip for most situations you re likely to come across, your routine should set you up to pick the correct alignment easily.
- Visualise. Imagine everything going right in your mind s eye and avoid worrying about the things that could go wrong. It s important to focus on keeping the right mind set in order to set yourself up for success.
- Alignment. Once you can visualise the shot, set your club face alignment as needed (square, open, closed, etc) and then set your body in line with the club.
- Stance. Feet should be shoulder-width apart and parallel to the line you re aiming for, along with your knees, hips and shoulders. Keep your weight on the balls of your feet and evenly distributed. Once you re set, keep your eye on the ball and let your body complete the swing. The movement should start with your shoulders or chest by rotating your torso, as opposed to leading with your hands, to generate the most power and keep better control of the club. Remember the swing is circular and not vertical
- Breathe. Holding your breath causes tension and actually reduces the distance of your shot. In order to relax and allow your body to put full force into your swing, inhale on your upswing and exhale on your downswing.
