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Special Olympics offers training and competition opportunities in 30 Olympic-type sports for athletes 8 years or older.  For children with intellectual disabilities ages 2 through 7, Special Olympics provides a Young Athletes Program. Special Olympics coaches have a unique opportunity to work with athletes in competitive situations to assist in their training for life. As a grass-roots organization, Special Olympics relies on volunteers at all levels of the movement to ensure that every athlete is offered a quality sports training and competition experience. Individual donors, corporate partners and many others make it possible for Special Olympics to offer children and adults with intellectual disabilities the opportunity to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage and experience joy through participation in the program.
English > Coach > Coaching Guides > Golf > Teaching Sport Skills > Basic Golf Swing
Coaching Guides

Basic Golf Swing

When teaching the golf swing it is common to refer to the target. When we stand to hit a golf ball, we stand side-ways to the target. If you are a right-handed golfer, your left side would be called your target side and your right arm and leg would be called the rear side. This would be the exact opposite for a left-handed golfer.
 
Using the terms target and rear allows us to address both left- and right-handed golfers equally.
 
Fundamental Swing Elements:
  1. Grip, Stance, Aim
  2. Arm Swing
  3. Body Movement — The Pivot
Arm Swing + Pivot = Basic Golf Swing
 
Caution: No player should swing until he or she is in the designated area and all others are in position.
 
 
 
 
Stance:
  1. Feet should be shoulder width apart






  2. Flex Knees








  3. Establish posture by bending forward from the waist (at your hips) so that arms drop down from your body as demonstrated in the photo to the left.
 
 
 

Coaching suggestions
  • Should be done without a golf club
  • Weight should be evenly balanced
  • Similar to other athletic stances
  • Insure stance is not too wide
 
 
 
 
 
Arm Swing:

  1. Assume stance
  2. With palms together, swing arms back and forth, keepings arms in front of chest (elephant trunk exercises). First pocket to pocket, hip to hip, shoulder to shoulder
  3. Make a bigger swing — arms will follow body in a circular motion
Coaching Suggestions
  • Demonstrate elephant trunk exercise. (Pendulum motion)
  • Using hands on technique place athletes in position
  • Arm swing is similar to arm swing while walking
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Body Movement — The Pivot
  1. Assume stance






  2. Put hands on hips and turn body to the right side (left side for left handers)
  3. Target knee and hip should move slightly towards center, not beyond
  4. Weight should transfer back into rear heel


  5. Turn forward now and the opposite weight transfer should occur
  6. Continue turning until you face the target
 
 
 
 
 
 
Coaching suggestions
  • Have athletes toss a tennis ball with arm below the waist
  • Demonstrate the similarities between the golf swing and other sports: baseball, tennis, bowling
 
Arm Swing — Elephant Trunk Exercise
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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