Best Golf Swing For Beginners (5 Options)


If you are new to the game of golf and are looking for the best golf swing for your game, I have 5 options for you!

Golf can seem overwhelming and confusing, but if you pick one of the options below, you will have a system to follow and a quality online golf instructor.

While having your own personal golf swing coach would be ideal, not everyone can afford the money that it takes to have this setup.

Instead, there is a great deal that can be learned and ultimately you will get out of the game what you put into it.

If you follow one of the systems below and put in the time, you just might reach your goals!

Best Golf Swing For Beginners (5 Options)

  • The Shawn Clement Swing
  • The Mike Malaska Swing
  • The George Gankas Swing
  • The Mike Bender Swing
  • The Milo Lines Swing

In the game of golf you will hear different terms used to describe a swing.  These terms often include rotational, arm based, hands based, target based, etc.  Is there one swing that is better than the other?  I would say no.  

You can play a high level of golf with any of the swings above whether it is rotational, arm driven, hands reliant, or target based.  The key is to pick a swing that you can believe in, execute and take with you to the course.

Option 1: The Shawn Clement Swing

I would best describe the Shawn Clement Swing as a target based, anti positional swing that utilizes gravity to hit some impressive shots.  Shawn Clement tries to provide a task such as hitting the dandelion through natural, athletic, everyday movements that we make in life.  He will actually have golfers throw a club down the fairway to get a feel for the proper release and to focus on swing out at the target or use a grass whip to get the right feels and motions in the swing.

The last thing you will hear from Shawn Clement is to try to be in certain positions at different points in the swing.  He is the most anti position based instructor out there and talks about the human anatomy and the inability of the human to hit certain positions. 

However, he does talk about how amazing we are with completing a task, so everything comes down to the task you give your mind and body to complete.  He is rather impressive and a great way for many beginners to start the game.  You will learn how to set up to impact the curve of the ball, how to have a “flight plan,” and stay with the task throughout the swing.  He is rather impressive and worth checking out!

Resource: What is the easiest golf swing to learn?

Summary: Who is this swing best for?

  • Golfers of all ages
  • Golfers who want a stress free, anti positional approach to golf
  • Golfers who want to hit a draw and fade
  • Golfer who prefer to learn about the proper movements in the swing based on task provided.
Video To Help You Better Understand His Approach

Option 2: The Mike Malaska Swing

Mike Malaska is another impressive instructor that has plenty of online videos to help you learn the game.  He is someone that spends a lot of time talking about training the hands to be the best golfer possible.  

He actually has an impressive video out on youtube where he shows four different styles of swings and describe the pros and cons of each one.  He is all about directing the momentum and using the hands and arms to line up the face and use your natural, athletic abilities to hit the shots that you need.

In many of his videos he talks about training the right hand as it control the club face.  He spent years trying to get to certain positions and often found himself getting “stuck” and having to flip through the ball.

Overall, if you are someone that has played baseball you will connect well with Mike Malaska as he has many baseball comparisons and talks about the similarities found in the two motions.  

Resource: How to simplify your golf swing!

Summary: Who is this swing best for?

  • Golfers of all ages
  • Golfers who have good hand-eye coordination 
  • Golfers who want a simple approach to the game
  • Golfers who have tried different methods and are frustrated

Video To Help You Better Understand His Approach

Option 3: The George Gankas Swing

George Gankas is becoming one of the most popular golf instructors on the planet.  His rotational based golf swing approach is all about the matchups.  He is someone that is known for maximizing speed and club face stability through using the legs and body drive and rotate through the shot.  His most famous golfer at this point is Matthew Wolff.  His rotational swing is something to check out!

As far as who this swing would be best for is any junior or golfer who has a strong body and core that can make the movements.  His online membership is amazing and worth checking out as the amount of detail and information is impressive and you can truly learn to become your own golf coach.

He has a complete system that he lays out and it is all about matchups.  He doesn’t give you the perfect method for swinging, but instead talks about some keys and if you do this, then you must do something else in reaction to the first thing that you did.

Resource: How to generate speed in the golf swing!

Summary: Who is this swing best for?

  • Golfers who are seeking more distance
  • Golfers who want a rotational based swing
  • Golfers who want a complete system and approach to the game
Video To Help You Better Understand His Approach

Option 4: The Mike Bender Swing

Mike Bender has an instagram page worth checking out.  Here you will find him giving lessons to golfers of various ability levels.  He is someone that believes the speed in the swing is round in the arms and the hands.  The approach is rather different from the George Gankas approach, but both can be effective.  

He uses many obstacles such as walls or cones in this training to help students reach certain positions or avoidance approaches to help engrain a swing that is in a certain position at the top, is inside on the approach and has the hands control the clubface at impact.

If are someone that prefers to use the speed of the arms and the hands, he is worth checking out.

Resource: Over the top golf swing: How to stop today!

Summary: Who is this swing best for?

  • Golfers who want an arm driven swing for speed
  • Golfers who enjoy using training aids or different tools to help develop a swing
Video To Help You Better Understand His Approach

Option 5: Milo Lines

I would compare his approach mainly to the George Gankas approach.  He is very rotational based as well and the impact positions between the Gankas approach and Milo Lines approach would be very similar.

It is fun to watch both Gankas and Lines hit golf balls as they can both still play and get the ball out there quite a bit.  Once again, if you want a more rotational swing he is another option that is out there for you!

Resource: What is the perfect golf swing?

Summary: Who is this swing best for?

  • Golfers who are seeking more distance
  • Golfers who want a rotational based swing
  • Golfers who want a complete system and approach to the game
Video To Help You Better Understand His Approach

How To Assess What Is Best For Your Game?

There are three fundamentals in golf. They include:

  • Fundamental #1: The golfer’s ability to control the bottom of the golf swing.  The best golfers will hit the ground in the intended spot, close to 100% of the time.
  • Fundamental #2: The golfer’s ability to control the curve of the golf ball. The best golfers are able to start the ball to the right or left of the target line and have the ball curve towards the target without the ball over-curving past the target.
  • Fundamental #3: The golfer’s ability to have enough power to play the golf course.  This means they are able to hit the ball far enough to play the course in regulation.

I would recommend checking out each of the instructors above.  I have a youtube video for each instructor that best describes and shows their approach to the golf swing.  As you explore and possibly test out the different methods, consider the three fundamentals above and use it as a method to assess which one helps you achieve the three fundamentals the best!

Next Steps

Have fun!  I enjoy learning about the golf swing and have explore each of the instructors and swing methods above.  They can all work!  The key is to dedicate and commit to a system and approach to help take your game to the level you desire.  

The last thing you want to do is keep switching from method to method as the approaches are different and it could lead to some confusion and swing issues.  Once you explore and decide, stick with a method and get good at it!

My Secret To Golf Improvement

Let’s face it, in order to get really good at golf, we must practice frequently.  About three years ago, I made the leap and invested in a golf simulator build for my garage.  I went with a SkyTrak Launch Monitor and the TGC software and can now play over 100,000 courses including Augusta, Pebble Beach, Bethpage Black, Whistling Straits. St. Andrews and many other of the top 100 courses in the world.

This golf simulator setup, which is more affordable that you might imagine, has been a game changer.  I can now play golf everyday of the year regardless of rain, snow, cold weather or time of day.  I can practice or play rounds of golf.  I can stand in the 11th fairway at Augusta and with the auto-rewind feature I am able to practice my approach shots from various differences.

It is worth checking out through Rain or Shine Golf as they offer some incredible packages along with financing offers that are difficult to beat.

Some direct links to Rain or Shine Golf for pricing and financing:

Take Action – What You Can Do Today to Get Better

What does this mean for you?  I believe in the following recipe to get better:

1 – Improve your motion in the golf swing by identifying a golf instructor.  Here are some options:

Here is a list of golf instructors that we have reviewed:

2 – Train to swing faster and improve your swing speed.  Here are some options:

Looking to gain more Speed and Distance in your swing. Two Options:

3 – Understand course strategy and work to break through your next barrier.  Here is a series on breaking through:

We have provided guides on how to break 100, 90, 80 and 70. Check out more below, if interested.

4 – Practice Frequently

Did you know that I build a golf simulator in my garage and have played over 500 rounds of golf on my SkyTrak system?  It has been a game changer and one worth checking out. Here are some of my other posts on golf simulators frequently asked questions:

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