The most simple golf swing is one that you can repeat time and time again without fear of the results of self doubt in your technique. Here are the five swings that we believe work for many golfers and produce a simple to follow approach resulting in a simple golf swing:
- The Shawn Clement Approach
- The Mike Malaska Approach
- The Mike Bender Approach
- The Stack and Tilt Approach
- The Jim Venetos Approach
Tired of playing the same inconsistent golf that leads to disappointing scores?
Or do you simply just want to play better more often and keep making progress in your journey with the game of golf?
Either way, we are here to help!
After years of playing and studying the golf swing, we have our 5 simplest golf swings discussed in detail. Below we will get into who should try these simple swings and what golfers they might best match up with!
We have all been there and on our journey with golf have discovered different swings that can make the game more simple. The last thing many of us need is all of these swing thoughts and complication positions in the game of golf causing greater anxiety over the ball and further self doubt.
Having just a little bit of self doubt or fear over the golf shot can cause some devastating or disappointing results.
Are you ready to finally find that simple swing approach that you can commit to and get better with. Our recommendation is to make sure you read the details below about each swing approach and select one and stick with the swing.
What is the Simplest Golf Swing?
Simple Swing 1: The Shawn Clement Approach
This vision based, pre setup position, natural throwing motion based swing is refreshing, easy to understand and relies on our “gravity genius” human anatomy and mind that can produce some amazing results.
The free flowing nature of this swing that doesn’t focus on positions is simple impressive.
Who should try this swing?
- Golfers who are tired of hitting positions
- Athletic golfers who want to make a more natural motion
- Golfers who want to be able to hit a draw or fade and play the shot the course requires
Shawn Clement spends a significant amount of time talking about swinging the grass whip as a training aid and using a perpetual motion drill to feel the flow of the swing.
You will often hear him talking about getting out of the way on the back swing and down swing and utilizing a door frame imagery to keep you behind the ball and to maintain lag.
He works closely with his daughter Savannah who is an impressive golfer herself. One amazing thing about Shawn Clement is that he is a scratch golfer both right handed and left handed. I think this speaks volumes to the ease of this swing the simple motion.
What makes the swing simple?
The position less approach to the swing. He never talks about getting into certain positions, instead it is a focus on a natural following swing where you pretty much swing along your feet line.
He will have you set up slightly closed for a draw of slight open for a fade. Then the golfer simply uses gravity to take the club back up and then thru. The results will impress you.
You can head to the golf course with confidence that you naturally ability and gravity will take over and lead to more consistency. You will setup properly and allow the natural flow of the swing to take place!
Check out this Shawn Clement Video for further insight:
Simple Swing 2: The Mike Malaska Approach
The momentum directing swing can bring some great results. Similar to the Shawn Clement swing, the swing relies on an athletic motion of taking the club back and through and allowing your hands and arms to react more naturally.
This approach is taught by Mike Malaska, who played some wonderful golf as a junior, as he dove further into lessons, he got caught in the trap of trying to hit certain still photo positions that were published in different golf magazines.
He chased this position right before impact that ended up causing him to play golf in a “stuck” position for many years.
On some days he would time it right and on other days he wouldn’t and would struggle immensely.
Who should try this swing?
- Former or current baseball players
- Golfers who find themselves getting “stuck” on the downswing and flipping the club
- People who struggle physically to get into certain position or have played golf with pain
Mike Malaska spends a lot of time explaining the difference in swings and why some of the most popular instruction is difficult to repeat for many golfers.
He actually has a video (see below) where he describes the four different types of swings in today’s game. It is quite eye opening and can grow our understanding of his approach and other approaches to the game.
What makes the swing simple?
I truly enjoy the Mike Malaska approach because it is simple and easy to understand. It relies on controlling the club face through your hands.
As a former baseball myself, I can think about the club head sitting in my right hand and using my right hand to control the shot. For too many years I heard the golf instruction to take your hands out of the swing.
This is terrible advice and instead golfers should utilize their hands not only for better control, but for an increase in speed and distance!
Check out this Mike Malaska video for further insight:
Simple Swing 3: The Mike Bender Approach
Do you ever feel like you could swing the club faster if you started using your hands and arms at firing away at the ball. Are you tired of hearing about moving your hips or shoulders in certain directions?
If you fall into these categories, the Mike Bender approach will be really refreshing for you. The Mike Bender approach activates your hands and your arms in the swing. Why? Because each of us has a great deal of speed hidden inside these areas.
Unfortunately, much of golf instruction has focused on moving your hips this way, or moving your shoulders like this while the reality is that the body will react to what the arms and hands do and support this motion.
Who should try this swing?
- Any golfer not utilizing his or her hands and arms through the shot.
- Golfers who swing tentatively and still struggle.
- Golfers who want to make an aggressive swing.
Mike Bender spends a lot of time talking about impact and how to get to impact with a great deal of speed and control. The golf swing in this approach is aggressive and allows the golfer to utilize their hands in the golf swing.
I find that it helps eliminate too many swing thoughts as I stand over the ball. I can now just activate my hands and let them fire away and hit that sweet impact position that results in a great ball flight and impressive compression!
What makes the swing simple?
The golf swing allows the golfer to stop swinging tentatively. In my experience with the Mike Bender approach, I feel that I can fire my hands and arms and let my body respond.
My biggest swing fault is getting my body out in front of my hands and then flipping the club resulting in a hook. However, when I turned to the Mike Bender approach, I simply instruct my hands to get to the impact position I need and the compression of the ball is impressive along with the ability to control the start line!
Check out this Mike Bender video for further insight:
Simple Swing 4: The Stack and Tilt Approach
This swing is different than any of the first three, but can be very good for people who think in certain ways, more like an engineering approach to the swing.
Mike Bennet and Andy Plummer reversed engineered the golf swing essentially and created a swing system that allows you to read your ball flight and no what corrections are needed.
Who should try this swing?
- The golf who wants a complete system
- The golf who struggles to make solid contract
- The golfer who swings best with their weight forward
This approach shocked the golf world as these two instructors started to advocate for 55-60% of the weight set on the front foot and keeping it there and increasing it through the downswing.
The other golf instructors and the golfing world cried foul! “How are we supposed to not shift our weight and still have power?” People felt threatened, but in reality this swing works and more and more instructors are talking about “staying centered’ and even advocate for the weight to be forward.
They revolutionized the golf swing and are worth checking out!
What makes the swing simple?
The weight forward approach makes ground contact more consistent. Too many golfers shift off the ball and have no chance of being consistent and making a consistent golf swing unless they have hours each day to practice this timing.
While an entire book has been written on the Stack and Tilt swing, it can be simple in it can be followed in 10 words.
Check out this video for further insight into the Stack and Tilt approach:
Simple Swing 5: The Jim Venetos Approach
Are you ready for a completely alternative swing that can produce results? The Jim Venetos approach is unlike any other swing I have seen, but it works.
You can get some awesome results from this pre-set position where the golfer closes their shoulders, sets about 70% of the weight on the front foot and then follows a swing thought of “stillness.”
Yes, you read that correctly, stillness! The golfer allows the closed setup to produce a swing that creates a slight draw shot. The golfer aims the club face at the target, closes down, and only moves the arms back and to the ball without moving your body parts in all different directions.
Who should try this swing?
- Golfers who want a simple, minimum movement golf swing.
- Golfers who have tried many other swings and want an alternative.
- Golfers who enjoy a zen like approach to the game of golf
Jim Venetos has taken heat on different golf forums over the years, but it really isn’t called for. I have utilized this swing int he past with some great results.
I was able to control my start line on just about every shot and eliminate the left side of the course. The ball would jump off my irons and hit some of the most pure, compressed irons in my life. I loved par 3’s!
What makes this swing simple?
The refreshing thought and approach that you aren’t moving your body all over hte place. Instead you truly try to stay as still as possible with your body during the golf swing.
You might question where the power comes from, but the circular, inside approach to the ball causes a lower spin shot and drives through the air!
Check out this video for further insight into the Jim Venetos approach:
Next Steps!
Here at golfjourney365 we believe in these three fuanemtnals to the game of golf:
The Stack and Tilt Instructors said it best when they described what they believed were the fundamentals of golf. They explained it somewhat similar to this:
- The first fundamental is 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.
- The second fundamental is 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.
- The third fundamental is 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.
They explained that among the greatest golfers of all time there were different grips and different aim points. The fundamentals in golf are not grip, and alignment.
Ben Hogan played with a weak grip, while Lee Trevino had a strong grip. Lee Trevino and Fred Couples aimed way to the right, while Sam Snead and Arnold Palmer aimed well to the right.
So as you try these different approaches as yourself these three questions:
- What swing approach provides me with the best ball contact?
- What swing approach provides me with the ability to control my start line and the curve of the ball?
- What swing approach provides me with enough distance and power to play the courses I play?
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:
One last thing that has helped me gain significant distance is the SuperSpeed Training System.
This overspeed based system where you train every other day for about 10-15 minutes with different swing sticks can help you increase your swing speed by 5-8% which can be 20-30 yards. Who wouldn’t want an extra 20-30 yards. Plus it helps improve your mechanics.
SuperSpeed Golf – Use Discount Code Golfjourney365 for some savings!
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:
- Is a Golf Simulator Worth It?
- How to Build a Golf Simulator?
- What is the Best Golf Simulator?
- Golf Simulator Accessories?
- How to Build a Golf Simulator for under $7000
- Top 11 Reasons to Buy a SkyTrak
- How to Build a Golf Simulator for Under $1000
- Why Build A Golf Simulator?
- What Space is Needed?
- Can A Golf Simulator Improve My Game?
- How Much Does A Golf Simulator Cost?
- Don’t Forget to Check out our 15 best golf swings of all time.