If you want to play golf, which is enjoyable, it is worth finding out the easiest golf swing to learn. I wish I had come across Brian Sparks’ ‘easiest swing in golf’ when I started.
I think learning a stress-free and easy-on-your-body swing makes golf a more joyous game. If you agree, take a look at Brian Sparks’ videos. Check out this one, and you can see how natural and fluid, and just sheer fun Brian makes it look. With a relaxed swing, you will hit the ball further, more accurately, more often.
Brian believes that it is a myth in golf that tension is good for your game. In Brian’s world, this is wrong. To play well and enjoy your game, it is best to let go of tension. He thinks the whole modern game is too full of pressure and, in particular, trying to always keep your feet on the ground piles on the stress and therefore adds to your tension.
His method has grown in popularity over the past few years as a way seniors can enjoy their golf into their 60s, 70s, and 80s. (Here is a lovely video from Julian Mellor, who follows the same ideas and specializes in coaching seniors.)
Probably one of the primary markets for Brian’s system is among older golfers, but it is not just that.
Brian wants to go much further. He thinks that nearly everyone who plays the game would benefit from playing in the way he recommends, especially developing the natural fluid swing he teaches. Hence learning “the easiest swing in golf.”
If you want to hear Brian what he does, and he talks with such enthusiasm and love for the game, then I would advise you to check out this lovely podcast, where Dick Stockton interviews him.
Here, Brian explains that his system makes golf more fun, natural, enjoyable, and less tense. And he claims this is true for every golfer, at all ages and all levels, not just seniors. He admits that very few tour players are currently adopting his system. And it worries him how stiff and tense the top players are. He mentions the alarming increase in injury among the stars, something he puts down to the rigid and tense way they swing. He argues that things have got to change if we are to stop this injury rate. He also notes that golf is declining slightly in popularity, and he puts this down to the fear of injury or actual injuries, which too many golfers at all levels are suffering.
Brian Sparks says we need a revolution in golf. Brian’s system is about natural movement and working with the body. You can see his relaxed swing, with one foot coming off the ground and the arm bent in this video. (Brian often makes videos with no sound as he believes people learn best by looking and following the movements, rather than becoming bogged down in technical instructions.)
The easiest swing in golf: “la danse du golf.”
Brian recommends starting with something he calls la danse du golf (in French because he coached golf in France for a time).
The danse du golf combines all things which need to go into your golf swing into a feeling.
The danse du golf is a natural fluid movement, with the body turning both ways and shifting the bodyweight both ways. It is comfortable and natural, and you will be able to do it after watching this 20-second video of the movement here.
That’s how easy it is!
I would suggest you use this as often as possible, even when you are not on the golf course! It will increase your flexibility and make you feel more at home in your own body. And it just feels lovely. Go on, try it.
You will have a much more relaxed and natural swing. Brian takes inspiration about movement in other sports and about human action in general. Think about how you threw a ball when you were eleven, natural, fluid, instinctive. You can get that feeling in a golf swing. Another analogy Brian uses is with dancing. He talks about a dancer like Fred Astaire, who moved in a relaxed way but with complete control.
It is hardwired into us to enjoy natural movement, and it is instinctive. When you are moving, you are not stiff. You are using your body to maximum advantage.
The natural movement to give you power
Of course, a golf swing is a movement, and making it a natural flow can give it much more power. Brian also adds that a golf stance where you are trying to keep your feet still and stand wide is tough for anyone over the age of 50 to maintain and execute well, and it is pretty steep even for the younger groups. He thinks golf has taken a wrong turn here by introducing a style that is disadvantaging the most significant groups of golfers out there.
If you develop natural movements, you will also be less tired. As you reduce tension and effort, you will conserve energy. Refresh as you make your way around the course and be less tired at the end.
So that has got you started, now let’s now go through the fundamentals of Brian’s system. It is simple and easy to understand.
Three deadly ‘do not do.’
It starts with the ‘3 deadly do not do.’
- Don’t keep your head down.
- Don’t keep your left arm straight (if you are right-handed, reverse if left-handed)
- Don’t hold your front heel on the ground.
As soon as you do this, you will notice that tension in your arms and shoulders will reduce. Also, the tension in your back and your knees will lessen, and of course, they are areas of the body that are particularly prone to injury. Playing without putting pressure on those parts means you will be able to perform better for longer.
Now we know what not to do, let’s move on to the positive: what should we be doing to get the perfect golf swing. As you set up, stand a little bit taller and closer to the ball. The stance eases pressure on the lower back.
The Six Main Principles to the easiest golf swing to learn
Brian has six main principles: turning, weight shift, rhythm, coordination, balance, souplesse (suppleness).
- TURNING – let your body turn naturally
- WEIGHT SHIFT – your weight shifts as you move
- RHYTHM – respect your natural rhythm as part of your Don’t be too fast or too slow for your instinctive game.
- COORDINATION – your body and your club working together, at the same speed and the same rhythm
- BALANCE – hold your position next time you hit a shot well and feel that Your body will learn this, and it will become part of your natural game
- SOUPLESSE – suppleness, remain relaxed in your set up and swing, and your game will
So, it’s all about free-flowing movement.
Learning the easiest golf swing can improve your golf game
Up until now, we have been talking about enjoyability and protecting yourself from injury. You may find, however, that playing in this fluid way improves your game. There are both mental and physical reasons for this.
For example, if you keep your arm straight and tense, it will behave as if it is shorter than your real arm. A tense arm is a short arm. If you use this system, you will probably find you hit as many good shots with a bent arm as with a straight arm.
Don’t grip the club too tightly. A looser grip means your shoulders will be looser, and you will get more power behind your shot.
A natural movement will help you develop a mental edge
A mental attitude is important, and if your body is relaxed, it is easier to get a positive mental attitude.
Perhaps if you have played a game with lots of tension, you are familiar with standing on the first tee, almost praying to yourself, “I hope I do not make a bad shot.” An attitude like this makes you and your muscles begin to lock up. You may even feel some twinges of pain.
Stop the mental chatter
Many people we have spoken to who use this system say they have a much clearer mind when they are out on the course. That mental chatter, trying to remember everything you should do and everything you have been told to do, will quieten as you use this system. You will have less to think about so you can focus more. If you don’t have to think about keeping your foot on the ground and keeping your head still, you can concentrate on the game. You can let go and start enjoying the act of swinging a golf club as the ball sings off the clubface and goes miles.
Do not worry if you make a terrible shot
If you start relaxed, you start with a different attitude. As Brian Sparks says: “No one ever plays without some bad shots,” so perhaps it is best to not bother about them too much. That way, you avoid getting into a vicious spiral of frustrations.
Don’t overthink
Does this sound like you? As soon as you make a terrible shot, you go into: “What did I do wrong? What did I do wrong?” mode. That internal chatter is going, and you are thinking about what you did rather than what you will do next. Then as you slip into analysis, you are doing a body scan. You are aware of all the parts of your body involved in the game and are not doing what you want them to do. This mental action is making you tense up. None of it feels good! Very quickly, you are feeling more and more confused.
Much better is to “Put a cross on it and walk on,” as Brian says. He tells a good story about his coaching. Brian gives a little speech about what a beautiful day it is and how wonderful it is to be out on the course. Then he hits a bad shot!
Gasps all around! He smiles and says, “It is still a beautiful day.”
Cultivate that attitude, and you will enjoy your game more, and you will get better as you will make beautiful fluid golf movements.
The Easiest golf swing to learn
Brian tells this story about himself. He says he started as a very technical teacher and swing examiner. One day, he played with an assistant when he noticed that the assistant’s heel was off the ground. Brian pointed this out, and the assistant said that if he didn’t do this, he couldn’t do the other things he knew he should.
His assistant’s heel made Brian question what he had been taught and taught and eventually led to his current thinking.
He now worries that a lot of golf coaching can put people off of the game. The idea that if you go to a coach, you are likely to get worse before you get better, for example. People can be overwhelmed with information.
Brian’s teaching is not about thinking. He thinks there is too much overthinking in golf and too much practice, reinforcing the lousy practice. I know myself, and I have seen friends blossom and grow into such enjoyment of the game by adopting this more natural approach. Visiting a coach who practices this method is easy and fun. Get better straightway, rather than get worse at golf before you get better, as can happen with some techniques.
Enjoy golfing!
If you want to know more, we would recommend this book Positive impact guide