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    Golf Glossary

    Golf swing

    In short

    The golf swing is the movement in which you take the club back and return it to the ball to strike it. It can be divided into phases: set-up, backswing, downswing, impact, and follow-through with finish. The aim is a repeatable motion in which the clubface points squarely at the target at impact. This topic page gives you an overview of the key terms in golf technique, each linked to its detailed explanation.

    On this page

    Golf swing technique: what it is about

    A good golf swing does not have to look pretty. It has to do two things: the club should strike the ball as centrally as possible, and the clubface should point at the target when it does. Everything else, such as distance or ball height, builds on that.

    The swing is a rotational movement. The upper body turns away from the target in the backswing and back again in the downswing. The arms and club follow this turn, and your weight shifts from the trail leg to the lead leg.

    Impact is what matters most for ball flight. The clubface angle mainly determines the direction in which the ball starts. The relationship between clubface and swing path determines whether and how much it curves afterwards. Once you understand this, you can read from the ball flight what happened in your swing. Modern launch monitors such as TrackMan display exactly these values.

    The phases of the golf swing

    Coaches divide the golf swing into phases. This makes the movement easier to understand and to practise.

    • Set-up (address): grip, stance, posture and alignment before the swing. Mistakes here affect the whole swing.
    • Backswing: the club is moved back and up by turning the shoulders and hips.
    • Downswing: the movement back to the ball. It starts in the lower body, with arms and club following.
    • Impact: the brief moment when the club strikes the ball and the ball flight is decided.
    • Follow-through and finish: the club keeps swinging after impact and the body turns towards the target. The finish is the balanced end position.

    Each phase has its own page in the golf glossary, with explanations, common faults and drills.

    Key terms in golf technique

    There are many technical terms around the golf swing. These are the ones you will meet most often:

    • Grip: how your hands hold the club. It strongly influences the clubface angle.
    • Stance and ball position: how wide you stand and where the ball sits between your feet. Both change with the club.
    • Alignment: feet, hips and shoulders parallel to the target line.
    • Swing plane: the imaginary surface on which the club moves.
    • Weight shift: transferring weight from the trail leg to the lead leg.
    • Lag and release: the angle between arm and shaft in the downswing and its release at impact.
    • Tempo: the rhythm between backswing and downswing.
    • Pre-shot routine: a fixed sequence before every shot that builds confidence.

    Together these building blocks create a stable, repeatable swing.

    Understanding ball flight: slice, hook, draw and fade

    Ball flight reveals a lot about your swing. The main curves have their own names, described here for right-handed players:

    • Slice: the ball curves sharply to the right. The most common cause is a clubface that is open relative to the swing path, often with the club approaching from outside the line (over the top).
    • Hook: the ball curves sharply to the left. The clubface is closed relative to the swing path.
    • Fade: a gentle, controlled curve to the right that many good players use deliberately.
    • Draw: a gentle, controlled curve to the left. The ball often rolls a little further.
    • Push and pull: the ball flies straight but right or left of the target.

    There are also strike faults such as topping (hitting the top of the ball), a fat shot (hitting the ground first) and a shank (striking the ball with the hosel). For left-handers, all directions are reversed.

    Full swing versus short game

    Not every shot needs a full golf swing. The closer you are to the green, the smaller the movement becomes.

    • Full swing: for driver, woods and irons. Body turn, weight shift and wrist hinge work together.
    • Pitch: a shortened swing with a wedge, to roughly hip or shoulder height. The wrists still hinge.
    • Chip: a small movement from the shoulders with quiet wrists. The ball flies briefly and then rolls.
    • Putt: a pendulum stroke on the green in which the ball only rolls.

    The basics stay the same: a good grip, a stable set-up and impact with a square clubface. Once you understand the phases of the full swing, you also learn the smaller shots faster.

    Learning the golf swing as a beginner

    The golf swing is best learned step by step and with feedback. These tips help you get started:

    • Start with lessons: a coach spots grip or posture faults immediately. Habits you build on your own are hard to correct later.
    • Start small: begin with short swings to hip height. Only lengthen the motion once you strike the ball cleanly.
    • One club to begin with: a 7-iron is of medium length and forgiving, ideal for learning the basic motion.
    • Less effort: an even rhythm often produces more distance than a hard hit.
    • A fixed routine: set up the same way before every shot so the sequence becomes automatic.
    • Use data: a launch monitor shows clubface, swing path and strike point, so you can see whether a change works.

    Regular short sessions achieve more than occasional long practice days.

    Common golf swing faults

    Many swing faults come up again and again with beginners. Knowing their names helps you find the right drills faster:

    • Over the top: the club approaches the ball from outside the line in the downswing, often causing a slice or pull.
    • Early extension: the hips move towards the ball in the downswing and the body stands up, which hurts strike and direction.
    • Sway and reverse pivot: the body slides sideways instead of turning, or weight ends up on the wrong leg in the backswing.
    • Chicken wing: the lead arm bends in the follow-through. The ball often flies short and to the right.
    • Air shot: the club misses the ball completely, often because the head comes up too early.

    Many of these faults start at address. Before working on the swing itself, it is worth checking your grip, stance and posture.

    Try it at Golf Lounge

    You learn the golf swing fastest with feedback. At Golf Lounge you can book a 60-minute private lesson with a PGA Professional, daily by appointment and easily online. The coach uses TrackMan data for swing analysis and shows you which movement changes your ball flight. Short focused sessions on a single movement detail are also available, as is training in pairs or groups. Lessons take place all year round on the covered range with TrackMan.

    Book a coach

    Frequently asked questions

    What is the quickest way to learn the golf swing?

    The quickest route is a coach plus regular, short practice sessions. A coach corrects grip, stance and posture from the start, before faults become habits. Begin with short swings and a 7-iron. Data from a launch monitor also shows whether a change really improves your ball flight.

    What are the phases of the golf swing?

    The golf swing is usually divided into five phases: set-up, backswing, downswing, impact, and follow-through with finish. Each phase builds on the one before, so faults at address often affect everything that follows. There are dedicated drills for each phase.

    Why does my ball always go to the right?

    For right-handers this is usually a slice. The clubface is open to the swing path at impact, often with the club approaching from outside the line. Common causes are a weak grip or a downswing that starts with the shoulders. A coach using launch monitor data can find the exact cause quickly.

    What matters most in the golf swing for beginners?

    A good set-up matters most: a neutral grip, a stable stance, an upright posture with slightly flexed knees and alignment parallel to the target line. After that comes a smooth rhythm. Power comes later. If you strike the ball cleanly, distance follows on its own.

    All terms on this topic

    As of: October 2026

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