Great golf swing mechanics can fix the worst slice in the world. When you learn golf swing techniques, look at your body as if it were a machine, with all parts needing to work together in a specific manner. Find the zen of golf for you, step back and watch your body movements working in harmony, and you'll be able to repair all your bad golfing habits.

First, realize that the simple golf swing is not so simple. It is a process made up of at least four parts: the lineup, the backswing, the downswing, and the follow-through. You must focus on the mechanics of each part in order to maintain the harmony of the whole. To understand this, get hold of a DVD with some footage of the best pros, then watch their swing a frame at a time. There's a harmony to golf swing mechanics, and you'll start to notice little things fairly quickly, especially if you work to emulate them while you watch.

Golf swing biomechanics make each of these four parts work together, and is based primarily on an understanding of physics: potential energy (winding a spring), kinetic energy (releasing a spring) and geometry (hey, why'd the ball go that direction?). Start with lining yourself up with the ball. In good golf swing mechanics, setting your feet properly, holding the club in exactly the right way, and ensuring your angle is good are all a means for creating a perfect baseline - a foundation from which your perfect golf swing can grow.

The second step in great golf swing mechanics is the upswing. This is where potential energy comes in. The concept here is that all the energy in your body needs to be focused on the club head, so that when it hits the ball on the downstroke, the maximum amount of energy can be communicated to the ball. The tiniest things can be critical in this step: the angle at which your wrist is cocked, the precise position of the club head, whether your feet are flat on the ground throughout. If you're getting golf swing lessons, make sure your instructor is paying attention to all these things.

The downswing, in golf swing mechanics, is where all that potential energy is released. You should actually feel it leaving your body in a rush when the club comes down. To get the right golf swing techniques during this, picture the head of your club as a pendulum. It needs to swing completely unimpeded to have the maximum amount of energy at the bottom. Almost all of the wasted energy in a pendulum comes at the top, where it swings from. In the mechanics of a golf swing, you want as little energy as possible to be wasted in your body, and the maximum amount to be transmitted to the club head.

The follow-through after the club makes contact with the ball is just as important as the first three steps. In a great golf swing, mechanics dictate that you will not use up all the potential energy in your swing right there at the ball. The good follow-through keeps you moving smoothly, prevents you from balking at the ball, and lets your muscles completely unwind.

A side effect of using proper golf swing mechanics: fewer injuries. If you move your body the right way, you won't strain or pull anything when you golf. Biomechanics work with the way your body is naturally put together to maximize its performance. Simply learning the right way to move while golfing prevents pain after golfing, whether from physical injury or from the horrible slice that sailed into the boss's car.