There are dozens of sometimes clever, sometimes ridiculous tricks for improving your swing. We'll review some shortly. And hope they're viewed as clever, not ridiculous! But, first, some basics.
STANCE AND BALL POSITION
Your feet should be about shoulder-width apart (unless you are Mr. Universe); slightly less for short irons, wider for long irons and wedges. Aim the club directly at the target and imagine a line between your position and it. That's the target line. Your body should be parallel to the target line, with the line of the shoulders perpendicular to the club face. Imagine you're standing on a ladder on the ground, with your feet on one side, the target line on the other. One rung connects you to the ball. If you're driving, you know you have the ball teed correctly if the top of it is slightly above the club's head. For a putt, since the common putter has a short, flat face, it should align along the ladder rung.
WRISTS AND GRIP
The grip should be firm, but not tense. You want control, not muscle. Your wrist position is essential to creating maximum impact at the proper angle. That does a lot more for distance than brute force. The most common mistake is to allow the lead wrist to collapse at impact. To firm up the wrists, take a club and raise it just using the wrist, keeping your arm at your side. Point the toe parallel to the ground and hold for five seconds. (Tough, isn't it!?) Repeat until your forearm feels used, but not sore. Switch arms and repeat. Take some swings with one hand/arm only. It's not a natural thing and doesn't improve your swing by itself; it's too different from a two-handed swing. But it helps develop control.
BODY
Take your normal address. (Address: the stance and position with respect to the ball before the swing.) Hold a club across your shoulders, then turn as if you were making a backswing. Get someone to watch you and verify that the club points four feet or more beyond the ball.
