The 3 Things That Actually Matter in a Golf Swing

Golf instruction has never been more detailed than it is today.

We have launch monitors, force plates, 3D systems, swing models, and an endless stream of information explaining exactly what every part of the body should be doing. Yet despite all of this knowledge, many golfers still struggle with the same problems they have always struggled with. They hit the ball too short. They struggle with consistency. They become trapped in endless swing changes without ever feeling like they truly own their motion.

That is why I occasionally like to step back from the details and ask a much simpler question:

What actually matters?

If we stripped away all the instruction, all the positions, and all the technical discussions, what are the things that a golf swing genuinely needs in order to function?

For me, the answer comes down to three things.

Speed.

Space.

Low point.

I call this the hierarchy of a golf swing.

Speed Comes First

The first thing a golf swing needs is speed.

Not control.

Not precision.

Not a perfectly structured motion.

Speed.

Without speed there is very little point in discussing anything else. The golf club needs momentum. It needs energy. It needs enough force to move through the golf ball and create the kind of shots that make the game enjoyable.

One of the biggest mistakes golfers make is introducing control too early. The moment control becomes the primary objective, the body begins to slow down. The club begins to get guided rather than swung. Movements become cautious instead of athletic.

The irony is that many golfers are trying so hard to hit the ball straight that they never learn how to move the club with freedom.

When I want somebody to develop speed, I don’t start with accuracy. I don’t start with mechanics. I simply want them to swing the club and complete the motion. Swing it faster. Swing it freely. Learn what it feels like to create momentum.

Because once speed exists, we have something useful to work with.

Space Allows Speed To Function

The second part of the hierarchy is space.

Speed by itself is not enough. The body must also create an environment where that speed can exist.

This is where many golfers run into trouble.

One of the most common examples is early extension. As space disappears, the club loses the room it needs to travel naturally through the swing. The body begins making compensations. Timing becomes more difficult. The motion starts feeling crowded and restricted.

When I returned to golf in my thirties, I dealt with plenty of this myself. My solution was not particularly sophisticated. I simply looked at what was happening and tried to do the opposite.

Without fully understanding it at the time, I was creating space.

I began feeling more grounded. More connected to the ground. My posture felt more stable. My body felt like it had room to move rather than constantly fighting for it.

The interesting thing about space is that it solves far more problems than most golfers realize. Once the club has room to travel, many compensations begin disappearing on their own.

The motion starts working because the club is finally allowed to work.

Low Point Brings It Together

If speed is the engine and space is the environment, low point is what makes everything practical.

Most golfers naturally swing with their trail arm working below the lead arm. When speed starts increasing, there is a tendency for the club to bottom out too early. The result is familiar to almost every golfer: heavy shots, fat shots, and inconsistent contact.

This is where low point becomes important.

The goal is not necessarily to follow one specific method. Golfers can achieve low point control in different ways. Some players shift more. Some push differently. Some organize their sequence in unique ways.

The details matter less than the principle.

You need a way to move the bottom of the swing arc forward enough that solid contact becomes repeatable.

Once you have speed and space, low point becomes the final piece of the puzzle.

A Practical Example

The reason I believe so strongly in this hierarchy is because it mirrors my own development.

Generating speed was never particularly difficult for me. If there was no target involved and the objective was simply to hit the ball as far as possible, I could always create speed. Most golfers can do the same if they temporarily remove the need for control and simply focus on swinging the club through to a complete finish.

Space came next.

As I learned how to stay grounded and create room for the club, the entire motion began feeling more natural. My body rotated more freely. The club traveled more freely. Many problems that had previously required conscious correction started improving automatically.

Low point was the final refinement.

By combining speed with space and then learning how to organize the strike, the swing became simpler. Not more complicated.

Simpler.

That is an important distinction.

The Hierarchy of a Golf Swing

Many golfers spend years searching for advanced answers before they have mastered the fundamentals that make everything else possible.

My experience has been the opposite.

Build speed.

Create space.

Control low point.

Those three elements solve an incredible number of problems before technical instruction even becomes necessary.

That doesn’t mean details are irrelevant. They certainly have their place. But details work best when they are applied to a motion that already has speed, space, and a functional strike.

If those three pieces are present, the golf world starts to open up.

The game becomes simpler.

The swing becomes more athletic.

And from there, you can choose just how technical you want to become.

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