Key Positions: Face on

1) In address from face on look for the hands to be ahead of the ball so your left arm and the shaft form a straight line. Also check that you keep your ball position consistent, I like mine to be in line with my left ear. Build a solid base for your swing so flex your knees and find the stance width which gives you a base but also allows you to coil your hips.

2) As you start the motion of the swing let your left arm swing across your chest and you can allow your weight to work into your right knee but keep this motion very smooth. Speed build up at impact and in this position you should be looking for a very gradual acceleration. You can see I have very little turn in my chest and no turn in my hips.

3) When your hands are over your right foot allow your wrists to start gently hinging and try to keep your right arm close to your right side but don’t let your right arm start folding. The sensation that I have in this position is that my arms are swinging and that I am using my right leg to support my body.

4) I think this is a key position for all golfers. By the time your left arm is parallel to the ground the wrist hinge is done and the right arm has folded into the position it will be in at the top of the backswing. All I am trying to do is to set the club into this position and I don’t feel any speed or coil yet in my body. You can clearly see that my body is not fully turned or that my legs are wound up.

5) The top of the backswing for a medium iron. Please notice that although my body has really coiled up and my back is to the target my arm swing is quite short and that my club is far from parallel. My key is to really turn my back to the target but to keep my knees stable and my hips steady underneath my stretched torso.

6) Starting down to the ball I really try to let my weight start moving to my left toe and try to hold my back to the target. Let your arms start down your chest but don’t feel as though you are going to hit the ball. The longer you can keep the energy in your swing the more power you will build up, so keep patient and balanced.

7) Impact! Let your hips turn you through and feel that your whole right side is going to the target. I like the feeling that my right arm is straightening and that I am fully accelerating through to the finish

8) At the finish I want my right side to overtake my left side and I want to be supported on my left leg. A good test is to see if you can hold your finish in balance, which is the sign of a coordinated swing. Good balance is a key to consistency.