What do you reckon is the single most important element in the golf swing?

After 20 years of fighting this game I would vote in favour of the simple natural ability to swing straight down the target line, if you can do that, there's really not much else that can go wrong, and what there is can be easily cured with setup/grip changes.
All my bad shots are caused by swinging out-to-in

Single most important element is impact. Without impact your just taking practice strokes. Sorry feel like being a smart *$$ today.

I've seen this answer before, and I love it:


Trust


You have to be able to trust your swing. Otherwise, you play hit 'n' pray golf.

I have come to the conclusion that the term "a good left hand" has a huge bearing on this point. i.e. It is from the left hand that we strike the ball, and the left side brings the power in from the down swing. Thats my tuppence worth antway

The brain.

plane, if im not on plane then screw it, a good grip means nothing, posture means nothing, gotta have the right plane

Not to take away from that thought of the brain being important, because without it, we are veggie dip, but what I want to offer is the opposite:

When we swing the club without fear (kind of like LP42's "trust"), you have now taken a leap of faith that your preshot, practice and preperation up to this magic moment of taking the club back is going to happen exactly the way you expect it to go.

Trying to "make" it happen while you are swinging...well, it's just too late. Turn off all the worry, fear and analytical encomerments and you will see a free swing that has it's best chance of success.

__________________
I'm a golfaholic, no question about that. Counseling wouldn't help me. They'd have to put me in prison, and then I'd talk the warden into building a hole or two and teach him how to play. ~Lee Trevino

Hi folks.
I cant't believe that nobody as mentioned set-up( is there a prize? ) , yes i know that its pre-swing, but if i was to mention all of the swing faults and general bad shots that occur from a poor set-up, i would be typing from now until bedtime

cheers folks

But I can set up perfectly and still swing out to in, in fact I'm an expert at it

I'd love to be able to switch off and just swing, but if I do, my swingpath is out to in.

This is perhaps my problem in that I am hugely right-hand dominant - I couldn't throw a golf ball across the road with my left hand, and I would look like an 8-year old girl if I tried!
Is there any help for this, I cant keep the right arm from being over-active in the swing, causing me to come over the top.

I've met second hand car salesmen that are more trustworthy than my swing - if I trust it, it goes out to in, so I have to do the opposite and manipulate it though I know it's wrong

Lets have you start a different thread if you want to talk specifically about the out-to-in. This is supposed to be "the most important" element debate...fun stuff! Not that boring details about that all you have to do is maintain your spine angle letting your shoulders rotate that axis...stuff.

Well IMHO you can set up well, you can have a good drip, you can think about about what you want to accomplish, and you can even adapt to an out to in swing. But even with all of those items, working in your favor, without good balance (tempo/timing) you won't play up to your own expectations. Without balance too many things will be going too many different ways in your swing. GJS

very tough question, and there are a few things that all seem equal, but if I have to choose only one I will say trained hands. the hands are the most important link in the chain, just like they are while driving a motorcycle. everything else could be great but bad hands can mess it all up.