Last week we talked about the elements of a good backswing. Now we are going to talk about the elements of a good forward swing. This is the most dynamic part of the swing so it is very dependent upon the fact that we have properly executed the static portion of the swing, which includes grip, stance, posture, ball position and backswing.

The title "forward swing" is in fact somewhat misleading because to properly return the club to impact, we don’t swing the club, we allow the club to drop toward the ground as we turn our body. As we begin our forward turn, we must allow the club to drop back to the 9 O’clock position. That is a position where the club is parallel to the ground with the handle pointing along our toe line. At this point the handle of the club should be pointed at your chest. As the body turn continues, the wrists release and square the face at impact. At this point your club should still be pointed at your chest. As the body continues to turn the club head is released at the target and guess what, the club handle should still be pointed at your chest. So you see we don’t swing the club, we turn our body aggressively toward the target and allow the club to follow its natural path. This is one of the reasons the touring pros look so effortless in their swing.

The forward swing I have just described allows the power to be produced by the big muscles of the back and legs. Did you ever wonder why we have ladies on the LPGA tour who might weigh 120 pounds, hitting the ball 250 yards or more? They are allowing the big muscles of the back and legs to produce the power and their arms are a conduit to transfer the power to the golf club. The great ball striker, Mo Norman from Canada, once said ‘If you want to hit the ball with power, your arms should be the consistency of cooked spaghetti’.

Men, especially men with lots of upper body strength, try to muscle the club with their arms. If they are particularly athletic they can get away with this although they will lack consistency. As they get older and start to lose arm strength, their shots will get noticeably shorter and more inconsistent until they eventually either take lessons and try to break these bad habits, or they quit playing. A proper body swing will allow players to play great golf as they get older as we see on the Senior PGA tour.

One of the classic mistakes we see with arm swingers is a swing where the club leads the parade. The swing resembles someone chopping down a tree and produces a slice shot because the first move of the arms in the swing puts the club "outside the line". By that I mean that the club head is outside the target line the ball is resting on. They still want to hit the ball; therefore they pull their arms toward their body and thereby slice the ball (left to right ball flight for right-handed players) and lose much power. A properly executed swing comes from the inside of the target line allowing the player to throw the clubhead through the golf ball toward the target producing a powerful draw shot (right to left ball flight for right-handed players). I think you will agree that you can produce more club speed throwing a club away from your body rather than pulling a club toward your body.

Here is a great drill to help you produce the proper forward swing path. Place a ball on a tee and address it. Take the club back to waist height on your backswing so the club is at the 9 O’clock position. From there swing forward through the ball and try to release the club from your body. Don’t try to hit it too hard but focus on the feel of throwing the club away from your body. Once you groove this move, that it to your full swing. This should produce a slight draw shot, and give you greater distance and more consistency. Remember that golf is a game for a lifetime. Work on it and you will have a wonderful lifetime of golf.