To play great golf then there are some specific techniques and shot types that must be learned and mastered.
A golf swing is one of the most important aspects of playing well, but what about all those different clubs?
Should they be swung the same way or do you need to adjust your technique for each club?
This article will answer that question.
How Many Different Golf Swings Are There?
The average Golfer uses nine different golf swings when playing a round of golf.
Thus causing you to move farther and farther away from consistency because if becoming consistent with just one golf swing is not difficult enough … it’s even tougher to become consistent with eight different golf swings.
It’s crazy how many different golf shots the average golfer has to learn when playing golf.
Whether you play casually, as an enjoyable past-time, or play competitively, there are certain shots every golfer should know to be able to get the most out of their game.
And as a beginner it can be a bit over-whelming as you have to learn how to play the following shots:
- Chipping
- Pitching
- Full and Part Swing Wedge shots
- Mid irons
- Long-iron shots
- Hybrid Club Shots
- Fairway Wood Shots
- Hitting the Driver (obviously as far as you can)
- And of course Putting
With so many different shots to be played, and a temptation to play them all in a different way, it’s no wonder it’s hard for most amateur golfers to be consistent.
When playing golf, it’s insane for an average golfer to have different swings depending on what club they’re using.
Instead of having eight or nine different swings during the game, focus instead on mastering one swing!
Your golf swing should be the same with every club except your putter.
You can watch how Professionals move and you will see that they only change clubs for distance, not technique.
When the Tour Player hits Driver off of a tee they make large movements with their arms and legs. But when hitting an iron, to the green, smaller swings are seen in comparison as well as less body movement overall.
There are more shots than swings in golf and it’s worth understanding how to play each. Check out my article called The Golf Shots Every Golfer Must Learn
Why Is The Golf Swing So Difficult?
The golf swing is difficult because people try to think about all of the different tips that they have heard over time, rather than just letting it happen naturally.
It takes less than two seconds for your body to do this motion correctly and by trying to sync up everything you’ve learned into one movement makes it much more challenging!
An ideal golf swing is one that uses minimal muscle effort while maximizing ball speed.
With this in mind, a golfer should do everything he can to make sure his entire body works together so power is generated from the ground and transferred through the kinetic chain before being unleashed at impact.
However, the simple truth is that many golfers don’t possess the flexibility and motor control to achieve such a swing.
But does this mean they should give up?
Not at all.
To build consistency and lower their handicap, they’ll need to find ways of creating consistent power with less-than-ideal bio-mechanics, and this will require learning how to properly use the available muscles in their body during the swing.
Is The Golf Swing The Same For Driver And Irons?
Most aspects of the swings are the same with the main difference in a driver swing vs an iron swing is the way you attack the golf ball.
When you swing a driver, the angle of attack is much more in an upward motion as the clubface makes contact with the ball.
However with irons (or any other club) you are not trying to hit up on the ball, quite the opposite.
Should You Swing Harder With A Driver?
There are two schools of thought when it comes to how hard you should swing your driver.
One camp believes that swinging harder will give you more distance, while the other group argues that by not using as much force with the club it’s easier to control your shots and make better contact with the ball.
I think you should swing as hard as you can without losing your balance and posture.The longer you can hit the ball off the tee, the easier scoring becomes as you’ll leave yourself less distance into the green.
Read my article about how I played with just irons
and how it cost me the opportunity to make four birdies in a row
Are You Supposed To Move Your Feet Throughout The Golf Swing?
Your power comes from the ground through your feet.
You need to be ‘grounded’ throughout your swing because your feet transfer the power up through your legs.
This is called Ground Force
To experience what is termed as ground force, try making a backswing with your leading foot pulled back so it’s toe is level with the back foots’ heel.
Feel your weight compress down into the ground whilst retaining the flex in the back knee.
This is powerful!
It’s like the string on a crossbow being pulled into its taught firing position.
The lathe building energy and the stock providing resistance ready to release the string and provide energy to the arrow.
The golf swing is no different.
The upper body builds energy as the lower body provides resistance ready for the club to be propelled forward and provide energy to the ball.
So Should A Golf Swing Be The Same For All Clubs?
Golf is a game that takes time to master.
If you want great golf then there are some specific techniques and shot types that must be learned and mastered.
The average golfer uses nine different swings when playing a round of golf, but instead of having eight or nine different swings during the game focus on mastering one swing!
Your simple golf swing should be the same with every club, except your putter, so give it a try next time out on the course!
