of your swing - the ball screaming down the course.

Next, take a firm but not tight grip on the club and think about the swing sequence.

The backswing - draw your club back in a smooth arch until the knuckle of your thumb is above your right ear. As you draw back, the club head will trace out a large circle and at the top of your backswing your chest will be pointing away from your target.

The downswing - this is where you swing your club down and the club head makes contact with the ball. Let the natural motion of your body carry the club head through the balls position down the range toward the target.

The follow through - your body continues and completes the swing arc after contacting the ball. Your finish position is part of your swing, so do not stop abruptly and try to keep your motion fluid.

When you start your backswing, take a deep breath as you draw back and release it slowly as you start your downswing. Holding your breath will create stiffness in the upper body that will affect the fluid motion you are trying to develop in your swing. Here are some tips to remember while visualizing your swing:

- Keep your left elbow straight during the backswing as the club goes straight up and back.
- Let your left arm roll slightly clockwise at the start of your downswing.
- Your wrists should be at a 90-degree angle when your left arm is parallel to the ground.
- Start your downswing with your lower body, NOT your shoulders.
- As you bring the club down, turn your hips as fast and powerful as you can towards the target.
- At the bottom of the swing arc, your wrists should snap and you will start the follow through.
- Your right arm will swing across your body and end up near your left shoulder.
- Your shoulders will be perpendicular to the target.

At the completion of the follow through portion of your swing, your weight should be balanced on your front hip and your back toe should be on the ground. Your hands will come to rest above your left shoulder and with your left knee facing the hole.

Now, going back to the original question – What is a proper swing? First off there is no simple swing as many people try to believe. People who have never played will tell you that hitting the ball is easy. Just take a club and hit the ball as hard as you can. However, as any golfer will tell you it is never that easy because there are quite a lot of variables and small nuances that go into developing a good swing. Therefore, a proper swing is one that you can execute repeatedly, and feel good about the results.

To develop your own swing, it will take practice and training both on and off the course. Take some time to build your body off the course through a specific fitness training and conditioning program, and then get onto the course to develop your own proper swing by practicing the fundamentals of until they are second nature. Anything you do in life, your overall attitude and expectations of yourself, will ultimately determine your enjoyment of the game. View each swing, water hazard, hook and slice as another opportunity to improve. Remember, great players are not born; they work at becoming a great player through training and practice.
The proper golf swing comes from improving upon the basic fundamentals of golf. Visit www.realgolftraining.com for golf swing tips, training aids such as swing trainers and other training aids to help you imrove your golf swing.