By Matt Rudy

If you haven’t played for very long, the golf swing can seem like an impossibly complicated motion. There’s definitely a learning curve, but you can give yourself a much better chance at success by following a few simple concepts. Instead of trying to remember five or six different mechanical tips—keep your head down!—relax and try to let the club do the work.

What You Need To Know

• Trace a consistent path back and forth with the club with relaxed hands and arms and let the loft built into the club make the ball go airborne.

• When you add tension to your body—either out of stress or because you’re trying to hit it really hard—you throw off the natural rhythm of the swing.

• Solid contact in the middle of the face is better than off-centre contact with a faster swing.