Practice Swings By:Frank Mims

This is part of a series of Golf Strategies written by the founder and President of

GolfWear Plus, Frank Mims, former PGA Golf Professional and PGA Tour Player.

The purpose of these writings is to help any player from beginner to low handicap,

to improve their game and get more enjoyment from their game without necessarily making changes to their golf swing. 
 

Practice Swings: 

Did you ever stop to think, “What am I trying to accomplish with my practice swings?”  

A practice swing on the course should not be an effort to correct any mechanical flaws you think you may be having. 

A practice swing should serve one of two purposes. One is to loosen up and get a feel of rhythm for “swinging the club”. The second would be for testing the ground or lie conditions. 

Let’s talk about purpose number one. It is always a good idea to take a swing or two, especially early in your round, just to loosen and relax your muscles, joints and whole body. These types of practice swings often should be just a pendulum motion starting out at three quarter speed and increasing the speed as you progress. This is an effort to loosen up physically and will also help you relax physically and mentally. 

Have you ever watched a PGA Tour event that goes into a sudden death playoff?

The players on the tee of the first hole of the playoff will be swinging their clubs back and forth in a pendulum motion without being concerned about the exact swing they want to make. They are not hitting the ground and taking divots. They are just trying to stay loose. This same method should apply to all practice swings. Just swing the club to get a feel for rhythm and try to do so in the same routine before every shot. You may find one swing is all you need as the round progresses or if it happens to be a nice warm day. Two or three swings might be better early in your round or on cooler days. Just remember, if you are making multiple swings, try to do so in a continuous pendulum effort. Don’t stop after one swing and try to start all over from a still position, just keep the club moving. 

The second purpose of a practice swing may be for testing the ground conditions or lie conditions. This is the only time a divot should be taken during a practice swing. By testing the condition of the lie, you can see if the ground is soft or hard, dry or mushy, if the grass is tough or will allow you club to swing through with ease. Of course, by rule, this cannot be done in a hazard or bunker area.  

From your practice swing, you can also get a feel of how your body will react during a swing if you have a very awkward lie such as a downhill, uphill or side hill lie. You should get an idea of how to play a particular shot and how you may have to compensate to maintain good balance and make that shot. For example, if you have an extreme downhill lie, you should start with more weight on your back or downhill foot. The reverse of that would be an uphill lie. For an uphill lie, start with more weight on your front or uphill foot. If the ball is above your feet for you may have a tendency to fall back as you swing. Therefore, you may start your swing with your weight more on your toes than normal. If your ball is well below your feet, you may want to flex your knees more and make a concentrated effort to stay down. All of these things are from getting the proper feel of the shot through your practice swing.