Parts of Your Swing May Actually Be Hurting Your Game

There is a very useful method that many accountants use called "The cost/benefit analysis". You may be familiar with it. The analysis is done to cut the company costs that do not provide a specific benefit. It's done on all the different costs of the company, and then the accountants can then analyze which costs provide a lot of benefit, versus which costs provide little benefit. Then quite simply, the costs that provide little benefit are cut.

The golf swing is really quite complicated. The reason that I wrote "The Simple Golf Swing" was to get rid of all the unnecessary movements that end up causing many golfers trouble. To do this, I applied the cost/benefit method, but I did it in golf terms.

Just as an example, we'll use the wrist cock. In analyzing the golf swing, I found that the wrist cock at the top of one's backswing, produced great results for a few golfers. However, for the vast majority of golfers, it actually proved to cause MANY inconsistencies.

So it was simply cut out of "The Simple Golf Swing". That may sound too simple of a solution, but it really works. You'd be amazed at the consistency that is added by removing this one small move. See, the difference is that golf magazines or videos, want you to spend countless hours of your time correcting this small move. You would have many disappointing rounds if you tried to do that. It's simply not worth it for most golfers.

I agree that you must have a significant wrist cock to compete on the professional tour. However, it has been proven to me many times over that you do not need a wrist cock to hit the ball 250 down the middle of the fairway. You do not need that extra 40-60 yards that professionals need. All you need to break 80 is to be able to hit the ball 220-250 yards down the middle of the fairway. More importantly, you need to be able to do this every time.

Other examples of what you could easily cut out of your swing would be the following:

- Lateral (horizontal) movement to achieve the proper weight transfer
- All lower body conscious movements. (The Simple Golf Swing will help you to make the correct lower body movements happen automatically, and cut out all the unnecessary actions)
- Extended backswing
- Those are just a few examples. The list goes on and on, but the point of all this is that "Simple is Better" for the vast number of golfers.

I could write forever on this subject, but I won't take up all your time. If you would like to see the simple method I've been talking about please check out "The Simple Golf Swing"

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Yours Sincerely,

David Nevogt

What is a Draw and How it will Lower Your Golf Score – Lesson # 2

Today we have a great tip about keeping your golf swing on the correct swing path. Most golfers bring the club back either too far inside, or too far outside. The swing path that you have to be especially careful about is swinging the club too far outside. Swinging the club too far outside to initiate the backswing usually means that you haven't completed the correct shoulder turn. This will cause you to slice the golf ball, because your golf swing will be way too vertical and steep.

We have a great checkpoint for you in this golf lesson that will enable you to check your swing half way back to make sure that you are starting the backswing on the correct swing path.

Please notice in the below picture that the face of the golf club is square to the path. And the correct path is a slight arc to the inside. The club face will actually remain square to the swing path for most of the backswing.










This is the position we want you to start getting to half way through your backswing. We're going to take you through all three points to remember in three separate pictures. In the first one below, please notice that the shaft of the golf club is parallel to the ground. We cal this position 9 o'clock, as you can see we've added a clock graphic so you can easily understand the position we are talking about.










Now, in the picture below, please see that we are still in the 9 o'clock position, but we've changed the view. Now you can see from behind what we're referring to. The important part of this picture is that halfway through your backswing, the shaft should be parallel to your feet line.










Finally, you can see in the picture below that the toe of the club is in the air at the 9 o'clock position as well.










Now, I need to take a moment to explain the significance of this position and what it will do for your game.

By making sure that the club is at the 9 o'clock position in the first place will correct any fault that you have as far as picking the club up too fast, or not picking it up at all. This will ensure that you have completed the one-peice takeaway correctly.

By making sure that the shaft is parallel to your feet line at 9 o'clock, you will ensure that you're bring the club back on the correct path. This will ensure that you are not too far inside or too far outside. It will also ensure that you're getting a good shoulder turn which will add power to your swing.

By making sure the toe is in the air, you are ensuring that you're rotating the clubface correctly around the shaft of the club. The club should not swing straight back and straight through. The clubface needs to open on the backswing, and close in the downswing. This move provides power and consistency to the golf swing. So... by getting to this one position, we're correcting many mistakes that you may be experiencing in your golf swing... Coming too far inside, too far outside, not rotating correctly around the shaft, etc...

Practice getting to this simple position, and your game should improve dramatically.

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Sincerely,

David Nevogt

Draw Lesson 2

Hopefully you were able to get out and practice that last lesson. If not, please do so when you get a chance, because it's a greatfundamental that will have a positive impact on your swing path,which in turn will encourage a draw.

Today we want to discuss some specifics on why you want the ballflight that a draw produces.

Benefits of the Draw Ball Flight:

-A draw goes further (both in the air and on the roll) because ofright-to-left spin. As we discussed in the last lesson, enteringthe impact zone on the inside path which produces this spin.

-Chances of hitting the fairway increase - Imagine for a moment,standing on the first tee, with a wide open fairway to hit. You'reaiming directly down the middle like most golfers do). The majorproblem with this is that by aiming down the middle of the fairwayyou have left yourself only with a very small amount of room forerror. Let me explain - You aim down the middle, and you fade theball slightly. Chances are, you're in the rough, right? The samething happens if you pull the ball left. Our goal with creatingthis system is to have you hit the longest, most consistent shotpossible. Once you can draw the ball (and you will be able to drawit every time), you can start aiming down the right side of thefairway. Now, you have some more room to work with. Hit the ballstraight, and you're on the right side of the fairway. If you hitthe ball with a draw, you're in the middle or left side of thefairway. Now you have the whole fairway to work with! You'rereally going to increase the percentage of fairways you hit, andthat will translate into lower scores, guaranteed. And I know whatyou're thinking... What if I slice it? Well, you'll just have totrust us on that one. Once we can get you to make impact with theball, with your swing on the correct path, you won't be slicing theball.

-Lower Trajectory Shot - typically draws have a bit less loft onthem, so you're going to be hitting the ball with a little lessloft, which is great because your ball will be effected less bywind. This happens because you will be learning how to close yourclubface the correct way. First you should understand that byopening the clubface at impact you are effectively adding loft tothe clubface. An open clubface at impact (bad), adds loft to theclub, decreases distance (just like a 7 iron doesn't go as far as a5 iron - because of the extra loft), and causes the ball to driftright. A closing clubface at impact (correct), will give you thecorrect loft that the club should have, it will increase yourdistance (because the club has the correct amount of loft atimpact), and it will cause the ball to drift left. So the spin,in conjunction with less loft on the club, is what produces thatboring shot like the pros hit.

Benefits of The Golf Swing Mechanics that Produce a Draw:

-We're going to teach you how to keep your swing on the correctpath. The correct swing path is extremely important, and there'san easy way to make sure that you remain on this path throughoutyour swing. Swing path is really the foundation of a good swing. If you can get that correct, the chances are likely that you'll beplaying pretty good golf. However, since it is such a hard thingto measure and correct it's an area where most golfers struggle. We teach a one-plane swing, and in this video, you'll be learning alot about how to keep the club shaft on same plane throughout yourentire swing.

-You'll Get Better impact- when you start swinging on path that weteach, you'll be entering the impact zone from an inside path. Swinging on this path gives you consistency first, but also power. It adds consistency because you'll be on that same plane throughoutyour entire swing. If you can do this, the chances of hitting theball successfully, increase dramatically. It also adds powerbecause you'll be releasing your whole body through the ball in thecorrect manner. Of course, there are a few things that need to cometogether in order to do this, but once you understand the mechanicsyou'll catch on quick. Finally, You'll learn how to actually hitthe clubs in your bag, as they were meant to be hit. This is goingto make a huge difference in your game, because you'll be hittingyour clubs the way they were intended to be hit. The improvementwill be drastic.

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Sincerely,

David Nevogt

Putting, and Sand Play Advice

You won't believe how easy this method makes one of the toughest shots in the game.

3-Feet from the Hole

The most important aspect of putting is to decide on your line before the stroke. The only thing to be thinking DURING the stroke is how hard you need to hit the ball. Control how far the ball rolls by controlling the distance you bring the putter back during the backswing. The length of the forward swing past the ball should ALWAYS match the length of the backswing.

When determining the "line" for the putt, pay particular attention to the lay of the green within a three foot radius around the cup, as your golf ball will be rolling fairly slowly, and therefore will break more sharply within that area near the cup. You need to determine where you want the golf ball to be when it is entering that three-feet-away radius. Always attempt to putt the ball so it will go about one foot past the hole if it misses. If it misses, watch the break PAST the hole, because that will give you the line for the tap in.

Get out of the Sand

Sand play around the green really is a different concept. Here's all you need to know to have great sand play...Open the blade of your sand wedge so that it is directed about five feet to the RIGHT of the flag. Open your stance so the tips of your feet and shoulders are aligned with each other such that you are aiming about five feet LEFT of the pin.

When you swing back, only swing the clubhead as HIGH as your right shoulder. Don't use more than about 60% power on the swing. The clubface should slice ACROSS AND DOWN THROUGH the sand, behind the ball. More than any other shot on the course, follow through is essential to lift the ball out of the sand. If you want the ball to stop more quickly, hit the sand about 1 inch behind the middle of the golf ball. If you want the ball to run, you need to hit about 2.5 inches behind the middle of the ball. Use this method and your days of poor sand play are behind you, but of course nothing comes without practice. Find a course in your area that has a chipping green with a bunker you can practice out of. After a while, your confidence will skyrocket.

golfswingguru.com

Sincerely,

David Nevogt

What is a Draw and How it will Lower Your Golf Score – Lesson # 1

Here's a great lesson that will keep you on the correct swing path when you initiate the downswing that will enable you to draw a golf ball. So many golfers start the downswing by turning the body and shoulders, instead of separating the right arm from the body. This is one of the most common causes for a slice, and will hinder you from drawing the golf ball.

If this is a fault of yours, most likely you slice the golf ball. Here's why: since your shoulders begin turning before your right arm straightens out it forces the club to enter the impact zone at a very steep angle which, in turn, forces you to cut across the golf ball. This is what causes a slice.

What we want you to start doing, is to start swinging your arms down, focusing on getting separation between the right arm and the body. It should almost feel as if you are starting the downswing with your back still facing the target.

So when you initiate the downswing focus on straightening out your right arm before you do anything else. You MUST keep the right shoulder "back" while doing this. This move will make it much easier for you to start drawing the golf ball.

Please notice the pictures below. They are directly from the new dvd that we have produced called "How to Hit a Draw".

In the picture below please notice that the right shoulder is "back" at the top of the downswing.










In the picture below please notice that the right shoulder is still "back" even though the downswing has been initiated. Notice how much the right arm has straightened, and that the arms appear to be the primary force behind the club's movement on the way down. The shoulders have not caused the club to swing down. Instead it is primarily the arms. This move helps to generate club head speed and it keeps your swing on the correct path as the arms swing down.










Finally, in the picture below, notice that the right arm is completely straightened out at impact. And even though the force of the swing has made my shoulders start to rotate, please notice that my shoulders are now even with my arms and there is a nice triangle formed between my arms and shoulders. One of the biggest mistakes golfers can make is to let their shoulders get way ahead of their hands. Below is the correct position at impact.










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Sincerely,

David Nevogt

Illustrated Golf Lesson on Drawing the Ball

I hope this finds you well, excited for the upcoming season, and ready to score lower than ever before. I wanted to catch up with you, and explain what we've been doing lately.

First off, let's be clear about what this post is all about -developing a draw will add distance to your golf shots, and consistency to your swing. I'm willing to bet that after you master this shot, you'll be playing golf like never before. Ready for the good news? We've been hard at work putting together an easy way for you to draw the ball - almost instantly (assuming you practice and understand the technique)!

There's a reason why almost all professional tour players hit draws instead of fades or slices. But before I get into that, I need to take a step back to make sure that you understand exactly what adraw is, what it can do for you, and finally I'm going to give you some tips on how to actually hit one.

Basically, a draw is a golf shot that gently moves from right to left (for a right hander). You know the shot. It's the one that feels like you hit nothing at all, but you look up and the ball is sailing neatly down the fairway gently moving from right to left. It's not a hook because the movement on a hook is much more severe than a draw.

A draw puts "good spin" on the ball vs. a slice that puts "bad spin" on the ball. "Good Spin" propels the ball much further because it makes the ball cut through wind, and it rolls further once the ball hits the fairway. This all happens because of the top spin imparted on the ball when hitting a draw, vs. side-spin imparted on the ball when hitting a fade or a slice.

Put quite simply, you can hit a draw by learning to swing on an inside to out swing path (there's more to it obviously). Eventhough this sounds easy to complete, without the correct training, the majority of golfers really struggle with it.

The problem is that most golfers have been swinging the club for years in a way that produces a slice- so initially, we're fighting very deeply ingrained habits. But we've got ways to get you out of those habits. The bigger problem is that the swing that typically produces a slice feels very natural for most golfers. That's why slicing is the most prevalent problem that golfers face.

But - through the techniques that you're about to learn, and you feel the swing changes taking place, and you see the positive results, you're going to start developing a whole new set of positive habits. The ones that will bring your swing path from the inside, and will enable you to make solid impact with the ball on a very consistent basis.

What we teach in this system will be revolutionary for your overall golf swing. We're going to correct some basic parts of your swing, (the ones that most frequently produce a slice) and we're going to teach you some great moves to start coming into the impact zone from the inside path - so you hit it further.

One of the neat things about this system is that it will also help if you hook the ball. We've focused so closely on the movements in your swing that produce a draw, you'll be able to recognize those areas as parts of your swing that you may be over compensating on, which in turn would be causing you to hook. There are a few other reasons this could be happening of course, but if you are making all of the moves correctly that we're going to teach you - the result will be a nice gentle draw. No more hooks or slices!

Some of you may have heard that you can learn to work the ball from right to left and left to right by simply changing your stance or altering your grip. However, we believe that getting your shot to draw consistently is really about the golf swing as a whole.

Through this course, you are actually going to be making many positive changes to your full swing. Again, popular belief is that a draw mostly relates to your driver, but we believe this shot should actually be learned with your 5 iron. We want to be clear: The changes that you will be making to your full swing, will be very beneficial for every club that you carry. It's all about making impact with the ball from an inside path.

golfswingguru.com

Sincerely,

David Nevogt

Fix Your Slice or Block by Analyzing Your Finish

A Word on Your Finish

The goal of the golf swing is to make solid impact with the ball. I think that everyone would agree there. However, don't neglect a proper follow-through because the ball is already gone. You can actually correct many of the problems with your swing by analyzing your finish.

Here's a quick check to get you started. Step up to a ball, take your regular swing, but hold your finish. Now look back at your forearms. What you should see is an X. Your arms should be completely crossed. The middle of your forearms should be where the X crosses. Not your wrists, or your elbows, but the middle of your forearms.















Now, if you don't see that X, it means you are blocking the ball, and not releasing correctly. You're also giving up a ton of power and distance.

"The Simple Golf Swing" system will teach you how and when to release your hands through the ball at impact. Your slice or block will be gone. GUARANTEED.

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David Nevogt

Experiment with A Weak Grip

In my experience, a weaker grip adds power and height to the average golfer's shot. I recommend at least experimenting with it. When you take your grip, V's should be created between the thumb and pointer (index) finger of your right and left hand. For my example, I'll use the right-handed golfer. Most golfers learn from the beginning, to make both of the V's created point at the right (back) shoulder. The result is a fairly strong grip. Here are the steps you should take if you are interested in trying a weaker grip.

1. Put the strong grip on the club. (Both V's pointed at your right shoulder)

2. Don't move your left hand

3. Keeping your right pinky in place, unlock the rest of your right hand, and rotate everything over the top of the grip. Your left thumb should be totally enclosed by your right palm. Now the V formed by your right hand should be pointed more at your head, or maybe even toward your left shoulder.

This new grip is going to feel strange at first, and may not work with your particular swing. But with certain swings, this weak grip is the missing link.

The Ball of Choice

I am recommending the Srixon AD 333. You can get them for about $20 per dozen, and I find that they perform much better than other balls in that price range. If you want to upgrade look into the Srixon UR-X. Srixon makes the best balls available today, and many of the tour players use them. They are top notch, and if you haven't tried them, you'll be very pleasantly surprised with their performance. The UR-X is very comparable to the Titleist Pro V1.

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David Nevogt

How "The Simple Golf Swing" Will Lower Your Score

Most golfers swing at the ball, but never really THINK about what they did wrong, or more importantly, what they did right.

Thinking about the possible corrections usually will not work because there's always a little wrist cock, or a certain turning angle that could have influenced the good or bad result.

What a system does for your game is it allows you to proactively analyze each shot after you hit it and realize the result, good or bad.

For example, I hit the ball and it slices. Now most golfers are going to hit the ball again and slice it again. Maybe they hit a good ball every once in a while, but they'll never know what MADE them hit the good shot.

With this system you'll get 5 simple steps to go through for every swing you put on the ball. Now you'll start to see trends developing, and you can always tie those trends back to one of the 5 steps you are most likely forgetting about which is causing the negative trend.

So in my example, I hit a slice. Now because I have this system in place, I automatically know what I have to concentrate on for the next shot. I know that I did one of 2 things. I let my body get ahead of my hands, or I failed to start the downswing with my arms. If I top the ball, I automatically know that I failed to keep my leading shoulder down on the ball.

So the point is that having simple but effective controls in place will really help your game. You'll be really surprised how much you'll learn about your own game, and how easy it is to develop and maintain good habits once you understand how to recognize them.

golfswingguru.com

David Nevogt

The cure for a fat shot

This problem may be easier to fix than you think. You may not realize it, but your back shoulder may be dipping towards the ground. This move forces the club to hit the ground too early. Most of the time it happens when you are really trying to get into the ball. Imagine...You're 200 yards out and you've chosen to hit the 4 iron. When you've got it in your head that you have to hit the ball hard to get it there, it's the natural tendency to start your downswing with the hips in an effort to "really get into the ball". That may work in baseball, but not in golf.

I'd like to take you through what happens if you make that move in golf. First, get into your setup position, now take your backswing and hold it at the top. Now move only your hips horizontally towards the target, and notice the way it forces your back shoulder to "dip". If you've made that "dip" with your back shoulder, it's over. You are going to hit behind the ball 90% of the time, and if you do make good contact, you'll probably end up with a killer slice. Lateral movement is no good for the golf swing.

To avoid this problem, and to simplify your golf swing, keep the lower body out of the equation. If you really want to get into the ball, start your downswing with your arms. It's tough to do if you have a habit formed, but once you get used to it, you won't be hitting the ball fat anymore. Most golfers over-emphasize the weight shift. If you keep your hips still, the weight shift will still occur, but it will happen naturally.

Get to the top, keeping your leading arm as straight as possible. Now start down at the ball with your leading arm fully extended. Your head hasn't moved laterally, and your hips haven't moved laterally. Now imagine the entire golf swing, through impact, occurring underneath the upper body.

Concentrate on keeping your front shoulder "down" on the ball. This will enable you to keep your swing on the correct plane, and it will help your hands to keep up with your body. Don't let that shoulder come up and away from the target before impact as that will cause your body to get ahead of your hands leading to fat shots and slices.

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David Nevogt

An Easy Way To Add 20 Yards

Here's a really good tip that may help you to get rid of your slice. Best of all, it's really pretty simple once you get the hang of it, and understand why it's being used.

Chances are that you have battled with a slice at some point in your golfing days. To be completely direct with you, dealing with a slice really sucks. It hurts your golf game in many more ways than one.

Luckily, it's fairly easy to fix. I cannot claim that this small tip will completely cure your slice, but there's a good chance that it will, and I hope it does.

When you come into the impact zone, there are really only 2 factors that can determine the "shape" of ball flight.

1. The angle of the club face at impact.

2. The Path the club is taking at impact.

You'd agree, that's really not that tough to understand. The tough part is explaining how to correct it, and keeping this post short at the same time.

Anyway, here's a few things your should concentrate on.

Try to keep your leading shoulder "down" on the ball through impact. This is called staying strong through impact. Lots of times the leading shoulder (left shoulder if right handed) flies up before impact. Now just for a minute, think about what that does to the club head when it's in the impact zone.

Golf is all about thinking and analyzing your shots to get better. A huge part of this game is understanding "why" you're getting a certain result, and the physics behind that result. Thinking through your golf swing will provide huge dividends if you're willing to invest the time it takes.

Get up from the computer and actually go though the motions slowly. Let your leading shoulder fly up as you approach impact and you'll actually be able feel and see the clubface coming from an outside-in path. That causes a slice every time.

So what can you do to correct it? Well, for starters, try to learn to keep your leading shoulder strong. Keep that shoulder "down" on the ball all the way through impact, even after the ball is gone and flying straight down the fairway. Here's an illustration of what I'm talking about.

As you can see, the leading shoulder is still down. The triangle is still there. Most importantly, my body has NOT gotten ahead of my hands. This is a HUGE distinction. As you may notice, the left shoulder is actually higher than the right shoulder. So what do I mean when I say "leading shoulder down"?

You have to envision yourself from the back looking down on the ball. When I say "down", I mean that the leading shoulder and chest are still facing the ball through impact.

So even though it may seem like the leading shoulder is higher than the trailing shoulder, it's still facing the ball at impact. NOT TOWARDS THIRD BASE in comparison to the ball. That would mean that you have let the leading shoulder fly up.

Hand action is huge in this game. You must learn to release your hands correctly through the ball. Meaning that you release the hands while the leading shoulder is still "down", or facing the ball.If you are currently playing with the conventional swing method, it's really easy to let your body get ahead of the ball. One of the many things you will learn in "The Simple Golf Swing" is how to avoid that trap.

Keep the leading shoulder down and let your arms and hands release through the ball and you will see the ball go farther and higher. This will take a while to get used to.

The key is to let your arms release through the ball, while your left shoulder is "Down" on the ball. To do this you will need to rotate your forearms correctly, and use your leading ELBOW (not shoulder) as a hinge. So another way to explain this movement would be that your hands are still moving towards the target, but your leading elbow has almost stopped.

Another one would be to initiate the downswing with your arms. I'm sure that's the exact opposite of what you've heard before. Starting the downswing with the arms is a tough thing to do.

You want the ball to go the maximum possible distance. So subconsciously, many people have the problem of letting their body get way ahead of their hands. That's the number one slice-producing move among golfers today. It's probably the toughest one to fix, because when you're at the top of your backswing, all you can think about is crushing the ball.

Instead of thinking maximum distance, think minimize slice. Start the downswing with your arms. Get to the top of your backswing, and then the first move should be with the arms. Put this move together with keeping the leading shoulder down, and it will do wonders for both your woods and your irons.

If you look at any of the really good players, you will see that they actually initiate the downswing by "pulling" the club down with their arms. They do NOT start the downswing by twisting the chest towards the target. That is a very important distinction to make.

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David Nevogt

The Setup Routine

The way you set up to hit a golf ball may be the most important factor in determining your score. We don’t take that statement lightly. This section will likely be the most important in the entire book. Do not underestimate the importance of the setup! Luckily, the setup is the easiest part of the golf “swing” to change. It's the easiest of all the bad habits related to your golf swing to break because it occurs before the swing. If you set up to the ball in the manner described, your golf swing will change for the better.

You may believe that the way you currently set up to the ball assures a consistent and reliable striking of the golf ball. But, if you have a nagging (or worse yet, unpredictable) slice or hook, hit behind the ball, or even top the ball, the problem may originate in your current setup. If you experience one or more of these problems, there is a high probability that:

1. Your setup puts you in a position to allow for these frustrating results, or
2. You have, at some point, adjusted your set-up or swing to compensate for the problem, which has done nothing but facilitate a complicated golf swing. A complicated golf swing is the last thing a bogey (or higher) golfer needs.

The process for “setting up” a simple golf swing puts you in a position to go through the five steps of the golf swing, and come back to the starting position with power and control. The combination of power and control is what every golfer strives for, and it all starts with a sound and repeatable set-up.

In the beginning, it will take an open mind and some work to get used to this new set up. For some of you, it will be close to the set-up you are currently using. For the rest of you, it will require that you drastically change your set-up. The description will be fairly technical, and it may be difficult to get used to this new set-up routine. However, if you want to succeed, the first thing that you have to do is to be willing to accept change. As stated earlier, the set-up will be one of the most valuable parts of “The Simple Golf Swing” system, so please focus on it.

The Mechanics of the Setup

Position yourself so that your feet are shoulder width apart. It’s fine if you are more comfortable with a slightly more narrow or wide stance. You should be comfortable. For the longer clubs, you may need a wider stance to support yourself, and for the shorter clubs you may want a narrower stance. That's fine too. A stance that is too wide will make it difficult to turn. A stance that's too narrow will result in loss of balance. The width of your stance should not vary by more than the width of your foot in either direction. Feel free to get comfortable, as long as your feet are approximately shoulder-width apart. The toe of your left foot should be pointing straight out, NOT pointing to the left at all. If you angle the toe out, it will prevent you from completing a full shoulder turn.

The ball should be half way between your left and right foot. For simplicity reasons, you should play the ball in the middle of your stance for every shot. Some of the equipment you use may perform better if you play the ball a bit forward or backward in your stance. That's fine, but you shouldn't position the ball more than its’ width forward or backward in either direction. With the Simple Golf Swing process you will soon be learning, positioning the ball in the middle of your stance should be best for every shot to begin with. Once you master the Simple Golf Swing, you may wish to experiment by moving the ball off-center by as much as one ball width toward your trailing foot for the shortest irons and as much as one ball width toward your leading foot for long irons. For now, however, place the ball in the middle of your stance as shown below!

Position the golf ball in the manner previously described, then stand straight up. Your knees are not locked, but they are close to locked. Your back is perfectly straight. Your chest should be out. It won’t feel right to have your back straight and chest protruding. It will look and feel “exaggerated”, but that is alright. It is supposed to feel like that, when you first adopt this new setup. Your spine has to remain straight throughout the swing. It is most important that your spine remain straight during the setup and throughout the swing. Your spine will be acting as the axis for your swing.

For a moment, I want you to imagine something rotating around a bent axis. A tire, for example, turning about a bent axle…How would you describe the pattern regarding how that tire was rotating? Complex? Unpredictable? It would be really difficult to steer a car down a straight line on a bent axle wouldn't it? Bent axles are worthless, and so is your swing if your back isn’t perfectly straight. Similarly, it is difficult to “steer” a golf ball along a predictable path when the axis about which your swing rotates is not straight. You must eliminate the curvature in your spine (back) if you ever hope to strike the ball with precision and power. It is impossible to overemphasize this point.

Now, focus on a straight back and spine, which allows for a very predictable, smooth, and consistent path of the club head. This will be the core of your new golf swing. Your whole swing will rotate around a straight spine. This is an extremely important and valuable new concept! Luckily, it is one of the easiest to apply and remember. Right now, even if you were to use your old swing to hit a few balls, remembering to keep your spine perfectly straight throughout the swing, you would see and feel immediate results. If you were not to see immediate results at the practice range using the “spine as axis” approach, you would definitely see results after applying the proper set-up and the Simple Golf Swing process.

Next, hold the club out straight in front of you. Extend your arms as far as they can extend out in front of your body. You are holding the club, with the correct grip, straight out in front of you. Now, while keeping the club parallel to the ground, arms extended and elbows locked, move the club and your arms down so the club is even with your belly button or waist. Your wrists will have to bend slightly to do this.

Now, you should be standing up straight, with your chest out, and your shoulders back. Your arms should be straight out in front of you, your elbows locked, and your wrists level with the height of your waist, while holding the club parallel to the ground. Next, bend over AT THE HIPS until the club touches the ground. Move towards or away from the ball according to where the club touches the ground.

After some practice, you will be able to judge the distance well enough so that you don't have to move around to get into position. Keep your chest out and straight while bending over at the hips. It is impossible to overstate the importance of this…You should not be bending with the back at all to reach down to the ball; you should be bending AT THE HIPS. This is one of the most common mistakes made by amateur golfers. If you look at any professional golfer on the tour, they will ALWAYS have a straight back, and they will ALWAYS bend at the hips to get to the ball.

You will feel like your “seat” is protruding backwards more than usual. That is what we want here… Also, it’s okay if the toe of your club is not flush with the ground. It should be that way, especially for the long irons.

As you can see in the image to the left, the back remains straight while bending over to the ball. All of the bending is done at the hips. Bending at the hips and keeping a straight back will promote great ball flight and consistency. The relationship between the arms and chest has not changed.








This is the final setup position. The back is still straight. All you need to do is bend at the hips until the club touches the ground. As you can see, the arms are still stretched out, and the hands are at waist level. They seem lower, but the relationship between the arms and chest has not changed. Your legs remain in a fixed position, while you move the arms and chest together to the ball. This is the key to a good, simple setup.





Now you are in a position to hit a golf ball straight and consistently down the middle. Every time you hit a golf ball, go through this set-up drill. It will become easier each time you hit a ball. It will soon become a habitual routine that you go through on the course as well as the range. More importantly, it will give you confidence, knowing that you are in the right position to make solid contact with the ball every time.

Now hit a few balls after going through this set up routine for each ball. Get used to it for a few days and then we'll move on to the Simple Golf Swing. Congratulations, the hardest part is over. We realize that may be difficult to believe.

* Just a quick word on the driver. Woods are designed differently than irons. With an iron, you should essentially be hitting "down" on the ball. That's not really the case with the woods, so it may cause problems if you set up to the ball in exactly the fashion that I described above. Here's the solution.

First, get in to your normal setup position, as I describe above. You've got the driver in hand, you're bent over at the hips, you're back is perfectly straight, and you're ready to take a good swing. Now, all you have to do is stand up a bit straighter. You should have already determined the correct distance between your feet and the ball. You just stand up a bit more straight, and reach out with you arms to bring the head of the driver back to the ball.

You will need to experiment with the amount that you need to adjust (it shouldn't be much). Your chest may move about 1 - 3 inches. It doesn't seem like very much, but the change will be very noticeable. Just remember that nothing else in your swing or setup changes. Your lower body doesn't adjust because you have already determined the correct distance between your feet and the ball. It's just a matter of standing up a bit straighter, and then reaching out a bit more with the arms to compensate.

After we get through the remaining sections, you will understand that this will change your swing plane a bit. Your swing plane will become more horizontal, the straighter you stand up. Please realize that nothing else should change. You will swing each of your clubs in exactly the same fashion. This repositioning at setup will have a huge effect on the outcome of your shot, so please take some time to see where you are the most comfortable.

Please try this method out and see your results, literally soar. Moving to this new setup routine will do so much good for your golf swing, because it puts you in a repeatable position to make solid impact with the ball, each and every time that you swing.

golfswingguru.com

David Nevogt

The Simple Golf Swing

Introduction

This book was written for one purpose only. That purpose is to significantly lower the handicaps of golfers who are willing to accept ideas that are outside the realm of what the “conventional golf swing” teaches. What do I mean by that?

1. It is my solid belief that not everyone was born with the physical ability to swing the club like the tour pros. So why are so many people wasting their time trying to learn a swing that they’ll never be able to play effectively with? If you have ever read Tiger’s book “How I Play Golf”, you will see a perfect example of what I am talking about (if you haven’t read it, I highly recommend it for short game help, and overall golf strategies). “How I Play Golf” deals more with course management and trouble shots than it does with the mechanics of Tiger’s golf swing. Why? Because when this book was being put together the writers knew that the general golf population would get absolutely no benefit from reading a book about the mechanics of Tiger’s golf swing. They simply couldn’t copy it.

Solution – “The Simple Golf Swing System” was designed so that anyone, regardless of physical ability, could pick up the club and actually complete the swing effectively. Furthermore, as you will see below in the setup chapter, the book is very easy to comprehend, and incorporate into your golf swing on the practice range or on the course. “The Simple Golf Swing” places less stress on the lower back because it is taught with a shortened backswing. This leads to solid impact and more consistency, with less stress on the body.

2. Even if you are a golfer that is in great shape, it takes hours upon hours of practice to learn the conventional swing. Not everyone has that kind of time. If your goal is to learn how to effectively use a wrist cock at the top of your backswing or to transfer your weight through the impact zone correctly, plan on spending at least 2 years of practice just to learn these procedures, and get your muscles to memorize these movements.

Solution – “The Simple Golf Swing” was designed to take all of the unnecessary movements out of your swing. Yes, you heard that right. Scrap them. Get rid of them. Don’t waste your time worrying about them. Instead focus on the fundamentals that will get the club back to where it started, get it there square and get it there fast. The weight transfer still occurs, but it happens subconsciously due to the correct actions made during the backswing and downswing. You will still be moving forward through the ball at impact, but you will not be moving away from the target when completing your backswing. This will help to eliminate fat shots, topping the ball, and of center shots. The wrist cock will still naturally occur, but again, it will no longer be necessary to think about it. Thinking about a wrist cock during your swing will throw off your timing…and timing is everything in golf.

This book is about results. In other words, you will be learning mechanics-based swing fundamentals that you can practice, incorporate, and benefit from in a very short period of time.

This book is simple. Literally, you will be able to pick up your 7 iron, and if you follow the advice given, you’ll be hitting crisp, solid shots with great accuracy. The best part is that since this is a system, you’ll be able to consistently do all of the above. There are only 5 steps to “The Simple Golf Swing”. After you have learned and practiced each one of them, you’ll be hitting great shots. 5 steps - that’s it. The 5 fundamentals that will transform your game.

This book works for golfers with high and low handicaps.

High Handicappers – You will want to rebuild your swing based on what this book teaches. Whether you spend a lot of time practicing, but you just can’t reduce your handicap… or you simply don’t practice enough, it’s time to rethink your swing. If you don’t have the time to practice, then you need to get a less complex swing. If you practice, but can’t get better, then chances are that you are practicing the wrong fundamentals, or practicing in an unproductive way. Regardless of the situation, this swing is the answer. High handicappers generally drop 7-14 strokes using “The Simple Golf Swing” in conjunction with “The Simple Chip”. And they usually drop these strokes in less than 3 weeks.

Low Handicappers – You’ll most likely take parts of what “The Simple Golf Swing” teaches and incorporate them into your current swing. You are already doing a lot of things right, and it is not my goal to totally rebuild your swing. However, since this book teaches in a different way than you have seen before, we have had great success with low handicappers. Generally, the low handicapper will build a hybrid swing that is a mix of what they already know and 2 or 3 of “The Simple Golf Swing” steps. The result is usually a 2 to 4 stroke reduction.

Every golfer wants something that actually works. You’ve been looking for a product that you can pick up, work through in your spare time to produce results. Here it is. This system will simplify your golf swing, and our promise is that your swing will be very repeatable, so that you may anticipate consistency on the course. You will get the results you’ve been searching for. Most importantly, you will likely see positive results during your first round on the golf course, where it really matters.

The system you will read about is resistant to pressures that occur when competing. We have tested the techniques expressed in this book using players of all skill levels. The end results are the same. Every player experiences an improved ability to hit the fairway on the tee shot as well as hit the green from the fairway. As a player sees the improvement, confidence allows the player to relax and let the shot happen. Because the system delivers results, confidence increases and the desired results follow.

The Simple Golf Swing system has been designed to simplify your swing. It’s very easy to turn golf into a complex system of turns and twists. Our goal is to get away from that. First, we’re going to get you into a set-up position that will enable you to make solid impact with the golf ball. You will use this set-up procedure every time you approach a shot. You will be amazed at how much this improves your game in itself.

Next, we are going to teach you a sound grip. Then, we’re going to give you a timing drill. The goal here is to simplify how timing may be improved, while contributing to basic swing mechanics related to our Simple Golf Swing. We hope that you focus on this drill and truly understand it, so that when we take you through the swing process there is very little new that you will have to learn. Finally, we give you the component pieces of your new and simpler golf swing.

You’ll have a completely new swing, and it will be simple and repeatable. We realize what you want, and your new swing will deliver. No more studying. No more frustrations about how to hit the ball solidly and reliably. The time to improve your golf game is now. It’s amazingly simple, and that’s why you should be so excited.

Click HERE to learn more about "The Simple Golf Swing"

Thanks, and have a great day.

David Nevogt