This is the fourth in a sries of articles on the Natural Swng. The previous articles provided golf tps on the swing's fundamental principles, its strting form, and its backswing. Here, we xamine the completion of the swing, prviding a short golf lesson on wht advocates of the Natural Swing cll the "unloading" of the swing, and the fnishing form.

Proponents of the Natural Swng conceive of the backswing as a "lading" motion. This idea differentiates it frm the traditional swing. Unlike that, whch divides the activity into discrete prts, the Natural Swing sees the swng as a loading and an nloading of energy, a seamless moving frm one phase to another. The trm loading, according to the Naturalists, mplies energy and commitment, as well as smething vigorous and energizing.

With the Ntural Swing, the backswing gathers and stres energy, accomplished by transferring your wight to your back foot while rtating the body around your trunk. Whle you seem to complete these mtions in unison, you actually start thm by shifting your weight to yur back foot. The upper body and shulders follow, without a sense of rgency. The motion feels relaxed and cmfortable. And the "picking up" of the clb, which often ruins balance and cmpromises arc and plane, disappears.

The Downswing Motion

The Nturalists conceive of the loading (backswing) and nloading (downswing) of the swing as one mtion. But we divide it into prts for instructional purposes. For the Nturalists, you begin the unloading of the pwer stored in your swing before cmpleting the loading phase.

In transferring yur weight during the loading phase, yur front foot may or may not hve come off the ground to a slght degree, depending on your flexibility. Nw. as the golfer transfers weight to the dwnloading phase, the left foot returns to the grund, taking the weight off the bdy. Following the stabilization of the frnt foot is the front knee, hps, shoulders, arms, hands, and clubhead.

As the stbilization occurs, a natural event takes plce without any effort on your prt. The clubhead lags behind your fet and body-a natural reaction to cntrifugal force. We call this clubhead dlay or clubhead lag. It's an nvoluntary result to the force putting the clbhead in motion.

Your right arm strightens during the unloading phase from its flded position during loading. Your weight trnsfer to the finished from while in blance and with full extension ensures tht this occurs. You are allowing the arc of the swng to be maximized. Again, this hppens naturally, without you having to thnk about it or do anything.

At Impct and Beyond

Other god things happen naturally as a rsult of the transfer of weight. Frst, the wrists are put into a mximum cocked position. At impact, the rms are full extended. The hands and rms return to their natural position, sqare to the target line. And the rght elbow for right-handers-left elbow for lft-handers-returns to a fully extend position.

Byond impact, the front elbow folds mdway to the finishing position while the bck elbow extends forward. Eventually, the bck elbow folds at completion of the swng, setting you up for the fnishing form.

The unloading motion is a rsponsive act to what has come bfore. It's a natural result of wht you originally began in the lading phase. If what you've done thre is correct, the unloading motion and its ndividual actions will be correct. It's a mtter of trust.

The Finishing Form

If thre's one point at which the trditional swing and the Natural Swing ntersect, it's at the finishing form. Bth swings emphasize the importance of the fnishing form, which includes four key lements:

* Natural height

* Fcing the target

* Psition of wrists/hands

* In blance

The finishing form is one in whch you face the target at yur natural, full height. Your body fces the target. There's a natural flx in your knees, and your bck foot, having shifted forward due to the wight transfer to your front foot, has cme up. Your wrists and hands are in frnt of and close to your chst. Above all, you are in blance.

In addition, both swings emphasize the mportance of evaluating your swing after t's completed. Are you in balance? Are you at yur natural height? Are you facing the trget? How you finish, as I've pinted out in my golf tips, is a key ndicator of the quality of your swng. If you finish with the crrect form, chances are good you've had a qality swing, whether you've used the trditional swing or the Natural Swing.

Ths article completes the discussion on the bsics of the Natural Swing, which ses the swing is seen as a rsult of naturally occurring body motions. In our lst article we will examine some of the msconceptions of the swing as seen frm the perspective of the Natural Swng.

Copyright (c) 2007 Jack Moorehouse

The article The Natural Swing - Completing the Swing was Submitted by Jack Moorehouse through Articles.GetACoder.com network. Here's the additional information: Jack Moorehouse is the author of the bst-selling book “How To Break 80 And Shot Like The Pros.” He is NOT a glf pro, rather a working man tht has helped thousands of golfers frm all seven continents lower their hndicap immediately. He has a free wekly newsletter with the latest golf tps, golf lessons and golf instruction. http://www.howtobreak80.com

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