Good execution is a cornerstone of consistency. The best way to assure good execution is to use swing keys. They help you execute the fundamentals that produce good shots. But swing keys change from golfer to golfer. What works for one doesn’t work for another. Plus, you can use too many at one time. Otherwise, you complicate things where you want them to be simple.

Below are six proven swing keys. These keys have worked for others, so there’s a good chance they’ll work for you. The only way to know for certain is by trying them. For best results, focus on one key at a time. It should be a key that makes a difference in your swing. It doesn’t matter which as long as it works. The keys help you hit you repeat your best shots and chop strokes off your golf handicap.

1. Pre-Set Your Wrists
Wrist hinge is a major source of power. Done correctly, it positions the club and hands to make a good forward swing. But many golfers with high golf handicaps roll their wrists clockwise going back instead of hinging them. Or, they hinge them too late in the backswing. Golf instruction sessions don’t always emphasize proper wrist hinge. To compensate re-set your wrist hinge to make sure you it correctly the next time you hit a shot.

2. Align Yourself Correctly
Maintain eye contact with your target as you move into your setup. This makes it easier to set your feet properly and align your body. Above all, avoid looking down at the ball as you set up. Many players with high golf handicaps tend to look at the ball when setting up. When you do that, you end up aligning yourself to the ball, not the target. That can throw your alignment way off.

3. Turn Through The Swing
One thing we always emphasize in our golf lessons is staying in balance. You want to be balanced over your front foot at the finish. But many players “fire and fallback,” ending up with their weight on their back foot. Instead, stay in balance by turning your body fully through the swing. You’ve done it right if you end up with your weight positioned over your front foot and your trailing shoulder pointing toward the target.

4. Achieve The Right Distance
You’d be surprised how many golfers in our golf instruction sessions stand too far from the ball. Stand the same distance from the ball all the time. Otherwise, you’ll mis-hit. To groove the proper distance, do the following:

Address the ball. Now take your right hand off the club and move it back about a foot. Next, move it back to the club. If it falls naturally back in its original position, you’re the right distance from the ball. If it swings over your hand, you’re too far away. If it swings under the club, you’re too close.

5. Fit The Finish To the Shot
Learn to control shot distance by varying the length of your follow-through. Determine the distance the ball goes for each club for both a full swing and for less than full swing. When on the course, select the finish to fit the shot. Then, rehearse it in your practice swing. Hold the finish for emphasis. It’s called pre-programming your finish. It hones distance control and improves accuracy.

Keep these five golf tips in mind next time you play or practice. Focus on one of them when you swing. Make it an integral part of your pre-shot routine. It will help you repeat your best shots time and time again. That in turn will help you slice strokes off your golf handicap.

More and more golfers are switching to graphite shafts. In fact, most players today use clubs with graphite shafts. Graphite shafts are lighter than steel shafts. That translates into 2-4 miles more of swing speed for most weekend golfers, adding six to 12 yards more in distance. Using the right shafts—whether steel or graphite— can boost your game to another level, even for players with high golf handicaps.

Despite their popularity, graphite shafts still have some common misconceptions about them, many of which that we hear in golf lessons. Below we discuss three of the more common ones and talk about the two most critical factors in choosing graphite shafts—flex and torque.

#1: No Benefit For Average Golfer
One misconception is that graphite shafts provide no benefit golfers with high golf handicaps. The theory is that these golfers release the club (unhinge the wrists) too early in the downswing to benefit from graphite shafts. All golfers benefit from graphite shafts—even those with high golf handicaps.

As one golf executive put it “even if you come over the top and release early, the shaft is still dong something at impact.” In other words, even if you release the club early, causing the clubhead to decelerate, the shaft will still be in a flex mode. So you’ll get some benefit from the shaft. You just won’t get as much as Tiger Woods or John Daily.

# 2: Graphite Shafts Wear Out Quickly
Another misconception we hear in golf lessons is that graphite shafts wear out quickly. Graphite shafts wear well regardless of what you’ve heard. Today’s graphite shaft materials have outstanding fatigue properties. So they last a long time. You might get some slight “micro-cracking” between a composite’s fibers and adhesives at first. But otherwise, graphite shafts are good for the long haul.

#3 Custom Shafts Offer The Best Result
A third misconception is that custom shafts produce the best results. While custom shafts offer more options for matching a swing or launch condition, they don’t necessarily provide the boost in power over standard models some might expect. The shaft’s original mass properties are the key to performance. Mass properties determine a shaft’s weight and flexibility. Weight and flexibility drive performance.

Flex Is The Key
Flex is the key when it comes to judging graphite shafts. Flex is a shaft's ability to bend during the golf swing, as I've explained in my golf tips newsletter. Since you can't actually see the shaft bend with the naked eye, you have to rely on the manufacturer’s ratings system. Flex ratings on shafts are generally categorized as follows: Ladies (L), Regular (R), Senior (S), and Extra Stiff (XS). A shaft sold as standard (stock) flexes to fit most players.

But flex ratings aren't consistent from manufacturer to manufacturer. So many golfers use frequency to measure shaft flex. Frequency is a more reliable measurement than the letter ratings. Frequency is the number of times a shaft oscillates, either vertically or horizontally, known as cycles per minute, or CPM. The faster the rate of oscillation, the stiffer the shaft. The slower the rate of oscillation, the more flexible the shaft.

Torque is another factor
Another factor with graphite shafts is torque. Torque is the club’s tendency to twist in your hands. Faster swingers do better with less torque because they help better golfers hit the ball straight. Slower swingers do better with more torque. The extra torque gives them more of a chance to square the clubface at impact. Weekend golfers with high golf handicaps tend to have slower swings. So you should consider graphite shafts with higher torque ratings.

Ultimately, the choice of a shaft boils down to feel, just as it did for Tiger. A simple way to find the right feel—as I’ve said in my golf tips newsletter—is to take your favorite club and determine its shaft’s characteristics. Then, find shafts with similar characteristics and use them for your other clubs. Having the right shafts boosts accuracy and power. More power and accuracy can dramatically reduce golf handicaps.