USGolfer.net Golf Tip for March, 2002.

Before that first swing... some things to consider.

The snow has melted, the sun is shining and the temperatures are rising. With the signs of spring comes spring fever and golfers everywhere come out in droves. What’s the first club they grab out of the bag? THE DRIVER!! After a full winter with no conditioning, no stretching, no winter practice regimen, the driver should be the last club that golfers go for on their first swings of the year. Why you ask?

- First of all, the driver requires the longest and most aggressive swing of any club in the bag. After a long layoff, swinging this hard and fast may cause injuries such as strained muscles or tendonitis.
- Second, the driver has the least loft of any club in the bag, making it the most difficult of all the clubs to control the trajectory and direction of the balls flight. This being the case, many players start out very poorly and begin to make unnecessary adjustments to their swings to get the ball air born or on line with the target. Changing your swing may lead to confusion and finally frustration. Sound familiar?

This year take a better approach to your first day or week of golf. Begin with short swings and practice your short game before moving on to longer clubs like the driver.

When you go to the range or the golf course warm up with a wedge or short iron. Take half to three quarter swings concentrating on striking the ball solidly and accurately. Think of your tempo balance and concentrate on the swinging motion of the club. ( I recommend this to players all year long as a perfect warm up when practicing or beginning a round of golf. No professional golfers ever plays without warming up first.)

Use nothing longer then a 5 iron during your first practice session or first round of golf. If you are a beginner or intermediate player, tee the ball up every time until you are swinging comfortably. If you are not comfortable, you wont make good swing. Doing this will assist you developing solid contact sooner and will prevent you from being tempted into swinging too hard.

Here is an important fact to remember. The number one reason that players lose distance is poor ball contact. By following the above advice, you will find that, not only will your shots be more accurate, but your distance will also improve because you are striking the ball more solidly.

Once you have sufficiently warmed up and are swinging in balance, you may begin to make full-length swings and LET IT RIP! Just remember to warm up properly before every round.


Good Luck!