By Brad P Newman

Many amateur golfers approach the intricacies of the golf swing sequence with a sense of awe and mystery. However, there may be less mystery involved than at first appears.

You may think it sounds crazy to claim that there is little mystery to the swing. Looking at famous pro golfers, it's true to say that most if not all have trouble with their swing, and most golfing legends have amended their swing at some stage of their career.

Well, the stroke itself has no mystery. The sequence is quite straightforward - you have the backswing taking you to the pinnacle, followed by the downswing leading to contact with the, and the follow-through which takes you to the final position.

The problem is, any of these stages can and does impact the accuracy of the ensuing shot, so you need to develop fluency through the entire sequence to consistently enjoy the benefits of a good swing. This is where the fun begins!

Many people make the fundamental error of attempting to emulate their favorite golfer. Bear in mind that every pro player's stroke is unique to them and has been tailored to their exact needs by their coach. Even if, on the surface, two players' shots seem similar, the mental process each player goes through to achieve that stroke will be quite different.

Some pros' swings are 'text-book perfect' - any coach would be delighted if you or any golf student could develop a similar swing. But it has to be said that some of the top players have downright awkward swings - if you presented yourself to a coach with a swing like that he would probably do his level best to improve it for you. But, it works for that player, and attempting to copy that swing would most likely be counter-productive for anybody else. And, if that awkward swing won you millions of dollars in a golf tournament, would you try to improve it, or would you be happy to keep it ugly?

The ideal swing for you will depend to a large extent on your physical attributes. Broadly speaking, it will vary according to your physique, and whether you have more strength in your legs or your arms. It will also depend on your suppleness and muscular strength. Of course, this means that it will vary at different stages of your life, according to your general fitness level, joint flexibility, overall strength, amongst other things.

For instance - some swing techniques entail striking the ground, and if your wrists don't have the strength to handle this, that type of swing will probably never work well for you. By the same token, if you have successfully used that swing in the past, but have now developed a problem with your wrists, it's probably better to look at another type of stroke than try to recover your old skill with your accustomed shot.

At the end of the day, analyzing the basic mechanics of the stroke can be very beneficial to the amateur golfer, but once you progress beyond a purely recreational interest, you will almost certainly need professional assistance from a coach or instructor to effect much improvement in your golf swing sequence.