There are so many golf swing tips out there that it can be dizzying trying to keep up with them. And, in some cases, they can actually do more harm than good, causing severe performance anxiety.
From using a training aid to getting tons of golf lessons to working on all sorts of technical issues, it's really easy to have paralysis by analysis -- meaning you overthink everything in your mechanics that you forget to just swing the club.
Sure, golf isn't an easy game, but it sure as hell isn't easier when you think instead of just perform.
With so many golf swing tips available, one feel that keeps things simple is a punching motion, which is something that top-ranked golf teacher Kelvin Kelley says can instantly make your golf swing more consistent.
During a recent golf lesson at Mariners Point in Foster City, CA, Kelley told the Rainmakers Golf crew why channeling your inner Mike Tyson can actually make you a better golfer.
"I've always compared the golf swing to an actual punching motion," Kelley says. "When you think of a boxer punching into a bag, he's going to pull his arm around and, by doing so, it's going to pull his body around so it's a bit more level -- and then he's going to go forward and around [as he finishes his punch]."
Believe it or not, but the golf swing should produce a similar feel.
Once you have certain fundamentals down -- like your posture, grip, aim and alignment, and takeaway -- you can focus on delivering a more consistent golf swing through the proper rotation.
"The most common pattern I see with golfers struggling [with their golf swing] is shifting and tilting," Kelley adds.
To help fix this common flaw, Kelley says visualize and feel that punching motion -- which can even be practiced in front of a mirror at your house without a golf club.
"What I love about this [golf swing tip] is that you can practice it anywhere," Kelley says. "I'm a big advocate of practicing golf away from the golf course... so you can work on your punching motion in front of your mirror at home and pretend you have a golf club in your hands."
By exaggerating this punching motion over and over, Kelley says you'll develop a feel that you can then incorporate into your golf swing on the course.
"The direction the body moves is more important than the amount of turn in the golf swing," he states. "So this direction is the holy grail of the golf swing, and by practicing this [punching motion] you'll be able to build a more efficient golf swing."