I took myself out to the driving range yesterday to hit a bucket of balls. I was just fitted for a new set of Callaway irons and I wanted to try them out. It was a bit of  a disaster. For whatever reason, I could not hit any one of my golf clubs correctly. Slice, hook, worm-burner – every swing had a problem. So I began to break my swing down into simple steps. That way I could focus on each step and determine what the heck was going wrong.

1. Grip: Before addressing the golf ball I stepped back behind the ball, and focused on a target out on the range, then found a spot about 5 – 10 feet in front of the tee box that aligned with that target. At the same time my gloved hand holding the club was at my side, relaxed and holding the club with the face square.
2. Stance: I moved to address the ball and depending on the club, set the ball position near the center of my stance for the mid-irons, and off the heel of my front foot for the woods and driver. As I practiced with each of my clubs, the position would change accordingly.
3. Balance: Before each swing, I shifted my weight to my back foot to give a head start for my body to turn during the swing, and was sure to shift my head just enough to see the logo on the side of the ball.
4. Focus: Having made all these adjustments I focused on keeping my head down and my eyes locked on the ball in front of me so that my swing would connect in exactly the right position.
5. Rhythm: I have a short phrase I sometimes use that has 5 syllables in it… I use it to set the pace for my swing… one, two, three (as I swing back) four, five (as I swing through the ball)… it works for me and keeps me from swinging too hard or fast.
6. Follow through: One of my biggest problems is that I drive to the ball not through the ball. To get the ball to fly straight and true you have to let the club swing down, through, and up again. Stop half way to the top of your swing and the ball will just go anywhere—or nowhere.

I drove the rest of the bucket of balls with more success. Still need a lot of practice, but using these 6 steps helps me focus on developing a better swing which leads to better scores on the course.

Want to swing your golf club like a pro? Check out this video.