How to Get a Good Setup Position
The setup position is the single most important full swing fundamental in golf, the setup writes the script for the swing and all too often amateur and professional golfers struggle due to poor address positions. All great golfers and teachers are aware of the importance of the setup. Then we will learn how to get a standard setup position on the course.
At first, you need to make your body to be positioned parallel to the target line. When viewed from behind, a right-handed golfer will appear aimed slightly left of the target. This optical illusion is created because the ball is on the target line and the body is not.
The easiest way to conceptualize this is the image of a railroad track. The body is on the inside rail and the ball is on the outside rail. For right-handers, at 100 yards your body will appear aligned approximately 3 to 5 yards left, at 150 yards approximately 8 to 10 yards left and at 200 yards 12 to 15 yards left. The feet should be shoulder width for the middle irons. The short iron stance will be two inches narrower and the stance for long irons and woods should be two inches wider. The target-side foot should be flared toward the target from 20 to 40 degrees to allow the body to rotate toward the target on the downswing. The back foot should be square to slightly open to create the proper hip turn on the back swing. Your flexibility and body rotation speed determine the proper foot placement.
The ball placement varies with the club you select. You need to play your short irons in the center portion of your stance. And your middle irons should be played one ball toward the target-side foot from center. These clubs have a slightly flatter lie angle and you should take a slightly shallower divot than with the short irons. The correct ball position for the long irons and fairway woods is two balls toward the target-side foot from center. With these clubs, the ball should be struck directly at the bottom of the swing arc with very little divot. And the driver is played farthest forward to strike the ball on the upswing.
Your body should bend at the hips, not in the waist. The spine is the axis of rotation for the swing, so it should be bent towards the ball from the hips at approximately a 90-degree angle to the shaft of the club. This right angle relationship between the spine and the shaft will help you swing the club, arms and body as a team on the correct plane.
Your chin should be up, out of your chest to encourage a better shoulder turn. The head should be tipped at the same angle as the spine and your eyes should focus on the inside portion of the back of the ball.When viewed from face on, your spine should tilt to the side, slightly away from the target. The target side hip and shoulder should be slightly higher than the back hip and shoulder. The entire pelvis should be set an inch or two toward the target. This places the hips in the lead and it counter balances your body as your upper spine leans away from the target.
Your arms and shoulders should form a triangle and the elbows should point to the hips.Your vertebrae should be in a straight line with no bending in the middle of the spine. If your spine is in a “slouch” posture, every degree of bend decreases your shoulder turn by 1.5 degrees. Your ability to turn the shoulders on the back swing equals your power potential, so keep your spine in line for longer drives and more consistent ball striking.
Your knees should be slightly flexed and directly over the balls of your feet for balance. The center of the upper spine, knees and balls of the feet should be stacked when viewed from behind the ball on the target line. Also, the back knee should be cocked slightly inward towards the target. This will help you brace yourself on this leg during the back swing, thus preventing lower body sway.
Your weight should be balanced on the balls of the feet, not on the heels or toes. With short irons, your weight should be 60-percent on the target side foot (left foot for right-handers). For middle iron shots the weight should be 50/50 or equal on each foot. For your longest clubs, place 60% of your weight on the backside foot. This will help you swing the club on the correct angle on the back swing.
At address, your hands should hang just forward of your zipper. The hands-to-body distance varies depending on the club you are hitting. The shaft of the club will appear to lean slightly toward the target with your short irons because the ball is positioned in the center of your stance. With your middle irons, the shaft of the club will lean only slightly toward the target since the ball is forward of center. With long irons and woods, your hands and the shaft of the club will appear to be in line. Again, as the ball position moves forward, the hands stay in the same place so the lean of the shaft disappears. With a driver, the shaft will lean away from the target.
All great players pre-set themselves in positions that they try to create at impact. In other words, your golf setup puts you in positions of advantage, making a fundamentally sound swing possible. Your swing evolves from your setup and if you want to achieve a good impact position, you can simply setup with impact in mind. A good setup stacks the deck in your favor and places you in positions of advantage.
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