Introduction The Setup The Takeaway Top of the Swing Downswing Point of Impact Follow Through Introduction I am sure that I have said it before, and I am sure that I will say it again, but the truth of the matter is that everyone has a different golf swing. Some are more standard than others and some re more unique than others. The important point of what I am saying is that in each swing, there are key stages that can be found. Below are the six parts of a golf swing that are similar. The Setup This is how a player sets himself/herself up before he/she starts the swing. It is in this step that players normally line the toes of their feet up in a direction parallel to the line to the target. It is also during this step that a player places the ball on the ground and lines it up with the target. The Takeaway This part of the swing is the part of the swing that is crucial to a good swing. This first 2 feet (24 inches or 60 cm) of the swing determines both the width of the swing arc and the path of the club head. It is during the takeaway that mistakes can be disasterous and destructive. Top of the Swing It is during this, the peak of the swing, that the final line up for a solid square impact of the ball is made. With a good setup and takeaway, this is the final part of the backwards swinging action before the impact of the ball. This part of the swing is sometimes refered to as the slot. Downswing The downswing follows right after the top of the swing. It is this part of the swing that the club changes in direction. It is also during this part of the swing that the person's weight transfers from the right to the left foot occurs. (This weight transfer will be in the opposite direction for left handed swingers.) Any jerkiness or inconsistency in this part of the swing will normally end in destructive complications to the golfers swing and the ball will not follow its planned path. Point of Impact It is here that the momentum of the clubhead is transfered to the golf ball. The weigh transfer of the person has occured all ready. This is where the golf ball either goes where you intended or on some uncharted path. Follow Through Like a basebal swing, a golf club swing also has a follow through built in. It is the follow through that can normally help to determine how good/bad a golf shot was. Normally, a controlled folow through means that the ball was hit well. If the follow through leaves the golfer off balance, then normally the golfball did not go where it was intended to go.