No one says swinging a golf club is easy, but if you can relate the movement to other activities in life – such as using a shovel – it often helps you understand how the whole body works in unison.

Personally, I had to swing a hockey stick to really exaggerate the side-to-side lean (especially with my driver), which helped me feel where different parts of my body should be moving in my golf sequence. By incorporating that same feeling into my golf swing, I was able to make better contact.

For me as a visual learner, such exercises are a great help – especially because I can then try them out myself.

If you’re someone who learns the same way, golf instructor Addison Craig offers a good visual example of how to improve your golf swing: Use a shovel.

It may sound a little bizarre at first, but Craig explains how using a shovel can actually help mimic (and then improve) your golf swing. Check out his tips below.

How a shovel can improve your golf swing

“When you dig up dirt with a shovel, there are more similarities to swinging a golf club than you might think,” Craig says.

The picture below shows what a good finish with a shovel and golf club should look like.

And the following picture shows what a bad finish looks like with both a shovel and a golf club.

“Here are a few checkpoints to keep in mind the next time you make a golf shot around the green,” adds Craig.

Step 1: The further you take it back, the more potential power you create for yourself.

Step 2: The more weight you have on your back leg at and during impact, the more likely it is that your lowest point will be before the intended impact point.

Step 3: Optimize good contact by engaging the larger muscles (e.g. your legs) more and then using your upper body to create leverage.

Step 4: Limit the activity of your wrists – even though they are a big part of the golf swing. They control where the clubface points at impact and, if they become too active, can change or determine your actual loft and angle of attack.

Step 5: Maintain your posture until the end. Whether you’re using a shovel or swinging the golf club, the equipment will do the work for you.

If you’re having trouble perfecting your golf swing, it might be time to pick up a shovel and get into landscaping—there are many similarities between the two sports.

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Nick Dimengo

Golf.com Publisher