The Perfect Posture For Your Golf Swing (Part 1) You have
arrived at your ball on the tee or on the grass. Now: How far
over do you bend at your hips? How much do you bend your knees?
Where are your arms supposed to be? What about your back and
head positions? What did that guy on TV say about parallel
lines, anyway? In this article you will learn some information
that will improve your golf swing dramatically. Some of my golf
students get amazing improvements to their golf swing simply by
being in the correct posture before they carry out their swing
motions. When you are in your best possible posture you can
almost feel a good swing before you actually do your swing. This
article is in two parts. It will: 1. Describe a routine that you
can do in front of a mirror to train yourself how to be in most
of the correct posture angles without using a golf club. Pt. 1
#1 2. Show you how to have perfect body alignments. Pt. 1 #2 3.
Show you how to achieve all of the correct posture angles with a
golf club. Pt. 2 #3 4. Describe a quick way to ensure you are in
the correct body angles during your round of golf or while
practicing. Pt. 2 #4
Please note that pictures and video clips are displayed in the
copy of this article which I have on my website (given below).
1. The Basic Training Routine Here are the steps to get into a
good posture. Do them in front of a mirror so you can get
feedback of the movements you make and the positions you
achieve. * Stand at attention with your feet about shoulder
width apart.
* Reach out your arms so that your hands are almost straight out
from your shoulders.
* Grab your left thumb with your right hand (right thumb with
left hand for lefties.)
* Firm your whole body to maintain body control for the coming
movements.
* Lower your arms until you feel the top of your arms touch your
ribs just under your armpits.
* Snug your arms lightly downwards and inwards to your ribs.
Note: I remind golf students of the previous two steps with one
word — TOUCH.
By maintaining this touch position in the arc of your return
swing to the ball you will avoid many of the bad swing results
golfers experience. But, the "one wrong thought" I wrote about
in a previous article makes most golfers lose the control and
precision that this "touch" provides.
Maintaining this "touch" is one of the "don't moves" which I
teach. It is at this point that I tell golf students that "there
is power in no movement". End Note * Tilt your left thumb
downwards as far as you can.
Note: Lefties are to tilt your right thumb downwards. Do not
twist your hands or your wrists to do this step. You will feel a
noticeable stretch in your left forearm. This stretch sets you
up to swing any club you use so the club does not dig into the
ground behind the ball. End Note
* Bend forward at your hip joints. Note: Try several bend angles
at your hips when you do this step. Keep your back as straight
as it was before you bent forward. Keep your head from drooping
downwards More on this step Pt. 2 #3 where I describe the same
steps using a golf club. End Note
* Bend your knees forward until the muscles just above your
kneecaps start to firm up to prevent you from falling to your
knees.
Note: Several of my golf students bring their hips forward with
their knees. You must avoid this as it brings your hips under
your shoulders causing your balance to move backwards onto your
heels. Think of some of these thoughts when bending your knees:
1. Bend your knees forward and reach your hips backwards. 2. Get
into the ready position common to most sports. 3. Get into the
position you need to push a vehicle out of a snow bank or
mud-puddle or to move a sofa/couch to vacuum the floor. 4. If
you are familiar with any kind of baseball then you make the
bend of the knees the same as the back catcher starting the
squat position. 5. If these thoughts don't help you get the knee
bend correct then — picture yourself beginning the first
movement of sitting on a toilet seat. (My junior golfers love
that tip.) Correctly doing this move will usually place your
shoulders slightly forward of the front of your shoes. It will
also place your hip joints over or slightly behind your heels.
End Note
Practice the steps above facing the mirror and standing sideways
to the mirror. In fact, do so in both sideways positions.
2. Setting up those perfect parallel body alignments Your foot
position is the foundation to being lined up correctly to where
you want your golf ball to stop (or, best of all, fall in the
hole on the green.) Your feet also act as guides for your turn
movements in your swing sequence. (Future articles and my lesson
modules will show you how your feet can guide your swing
movements.) You have arrived at your ball and you have
positioned your feet so they are parallel to the line of flight
of the ball.
How do you ensure that your knees, hips, and shoulders are also
parallel to the flight line? For almost all golfers and
"would-be golfers" this can be done by sight and feel.
KNEES: When you have taken the posture position described in
Part 1 #1 you can look down and see if the SAME length of both
of your shoes is visible past your knees. If so, then your knees
are aligned parallel to your feet.
HIPS: If your knees are parallel to your feet then your hips are
already parallel to your feet. This applies to almost everyone.
The exception will be anyone who has different lengths in their
legs. SHOULDERS: When you stand at attention your shoulders are
each above one of your hip joints. You will feel comfortable
with no side or back muscles working.
When you bend at your hips you must feel this same comfort
— no muscles working or straining.
Your shoulders will be in line with your hips, but at an angle.
Since your hips are parallel with your feet then, so will your
shoulders be parallel to your feet.
During a round of golf a quick glance out of the bottom of your
eyes will confirm your knee and hip alignment. A quick thought
about whether your back and sides feel comfortable will help
confirm that your shoulders are in line.
More instruction on a good setup posture is found in Part 2. As
well, I have additional notes about how to avoid improper
posture and body alignments at my website.
Copyright by Glen Osborne August 2004. All Rights Reserved
About Author :
Glen teaches his golf program for Ladysmith, BC Parks & Rec.
Beginners, struggling golfers, and juniors are his specialty
http://basicbodymovementforanygolfswing.com mailto:
golflesson@basicbodymovementforanygolfswing.com 10935 Trans
Canada Hwy Ladysmith, BC Canada V9G 1X7
