The Importance of Posture in the Golf Swing Determines How One Swings the Club
The importance of posture in the golf swing is such that it takes precedence over the other four elements in the set up but ironically it is released and even abandoned in order to reach the finish of one’s swing. Posture is achieved by bending backwards from the knees and forward from the hips same time and same amount which lowers one down into a balanced athlete starting position. Said another way: stick your back end out.
The importance of posture shows that the golfer is down to the ball and has room for arm swing and by lowering down like this the torso can be matched to the incline, an ideal, determined by the clubshaft at address putting the club and spine at a right angle. This means that the shoulders can easily assist the arm swing back to the ball. Here the motion is underhanded, not side arm, removing any need for timing with the release. And most importantly correct posture regulates the amount of arm swing in the backswing which keeps everything between the line of the shoulders, a mandatory, from address to finish or in what is know as front and center.
The goal is to have the left arm run into the chest at the same time that the left hand hits the right hand as demonstrated by Amateo Bido. This is how the club is kept in front of the body and between the line of the shoulders.
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Now we see a junior golfer, Calvin Li, bending to the ball into perfect posture and then keeping the club front and center at the top of his backswing a result of having the correct amount of arm swing.
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If the arms are a bit long the golfer can pull the shoulders back and if the arms are a bit short then the golfer can round the shoulders and even add more knee flex so as to get down to the ball. If the golfer is a young and skinny the posture can be made more erect to keep the arms in front of the body. These small adjustments help keep the arms and club between the line of the shoulders or are used to achieve a right angle with the club and spine.
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And finally my fellow golfers, we do not stay in our posture in the golf swing. Perhaps this golf verbiage needs to be changed. Golfers release their posture to the finish as evidenced by the following picture.
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How to get better without trying Instant improvement with the golf swing is easily achieved from a correct set up and swing concept. Set up is the starting position of stance, posture, grip, ball position and aim & alignment. These elements determine how one swings the club and should facilitate and or offset what the body can or cannot do to hit the ball. Swing concepts happen between the two positions of address and finish and are what you do when swinging the club so as to hit the ball flush and square with power and direction. But nearly all of what happens between these two positions is naturally occurring and doesn’t require much involvement on the part of the golfer to make them happen. In fact most of the time if the golfer gets involved in trying to make certain things happen it is usually done at the expense …
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I just watched a video of a golfer who was being described as having a” one plane” swing due to his left arm being parallel to his shoulder line at the top of the backswing. The golfer in question is a one plane golfer but having his left arm in line with his shoulders, as seen down the line at the top, is not why he is “one plane.” I think this might be misleading and confusing to the reader. Let’s start by using logic and common sense here this way we can all avoid the inherent problems of sounding like a know it all. If a golfer can setup with the club shaft at right angles to the spine at address they are well on their way to having a “one plane” golf swing. If a golfer cannot do this they are well on their way to having a …
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X Factor can be viewed 4 ways Golf swing and the X Factor is a term used to describe the difference in turn angle between the shoulders (upper body) and the hips (pelvis), in the backswing. Added to this is the X Factor Stretch which is an increase in the X Factor at the beginning of the downswing produced by the hips starting down before the shoulders. This new revved up version, referred to as downswing loading, intensifies the coil created in the backswing. OK everything here is completely correct and horrible wrong at the same time. From this definition it is saying that good golf is directly proportional to how much differential one can achieve between the upper and lower body. And also from this, every golfer is obligated to start the downswing from the hips, that you as a golfer must actively be involved in doing this or one will suffer the consequence …
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Jordan Spieth’s Practice Swing Jordan Spieth’s practice swing from waist high to waist high captures the golf swing’s core principals of plane, path, clubface and sequence. With little or no effort, he has these four elements in complete control. Here’s why. His practice swing starts with the right arm folding in the backswing and then the left arm folding in the through swing. As he does this back and forth several times the arms are traveling the wrists are hinging. This is arm swing and it is also perfect path. Path is the direction the club travels specifically the sweet spot of the clubface. Referenced to the target line at any one time this can be down the line, in to out, out to in, up or down. In motion the swing goes through all of these directions. As the arms swing back and forth the shoulders are controlling the …
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Swing Plane vs Path The purpose of this post is to show that swing plane and path are not the same thing and that it is very important for the development of golf to be able to seperate the two. Ever wonder why golf tournaments mostly show shots down the line. We don’t see many frontal or caddie views. This perspective does put the target in view which allows one to be more involved in the shot, but there might be another reason and that is we love to see the golf swing in terms of plane and not path. It is much easier to see swing plane anyway and we find this very pleasing to the eye. That is until we encounter a Jim Furyk a John Daley or Ryan Moore. How is it that these swings work at all? Here is how: Purpose of Swing Plane The reason we swing the club on …
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Every Golfer has a Postural Release Ground reaction forces in golf swing, vertical and rotary are seen as coming out of posture, one’s spine tilt and allowing the head to come up to a finish. But all too often advice is given to the contrary on all three accounts and anytime one does try to stay in posture or spine tilt or keep the head down these forces are immediately reduced or completely eliminated. Lets look at each one of these separately so one can see what is really going on starting with the posture. At address posture is created by bending backwards from the knees and forwards from the hips at the same time and same amount. By doing this one lowers down ideally placing the clubshaft at a right angle to the spine and into a balanced athletic position. From this starting position every golfer losses this forward tilt from the torso so as …
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I was watching “On the Range” with Phil Mickelson. Apparently the reason for his great play in the Phoenix Open was due to slight swing adjustments. He was made to turn his shoulders more level in the backswing. By doing this he could capture more width and, in his downswing, post up more easily on his left side. (remember he is left handed.) Ok, as correct as this is, this really doesn’t tell me anything. Let’s look at this more closely. The shoulders can only turn at a right angle to the spine. This means that if the posture is correct, (for the individual and club,) so are the shoulders. However if Phil’s right knee collapses in the backswing he will over swing, for Phil, which will give the appearance of a shoulder tilt due to a shorting of the right side. This leads to a hang back, in the …
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Thank you for visiting! If you'd like check out my book: The Journey of Golf. See how the ball club and the individual have determined the golf swing. Here is a quick synopsis: Throughout its long history the golf swing has always been influenced by the technologies of the day. In the 19th century with the feathery golf ball and longnose clubs old Tom Morris played shots on the ground using a flat roundhouse swing. With the advent of the Gutta Percha ball and more upright clubs, Harry Vardon played shots in the air using a new grip and posture. Tiger Woods superb power swing of today is made possible by the modern golf ball and clubs. The journey of golf traces the history of the interaction between the golf swing, technology and course design and shows how every great golfer from Harry Vardon to Byron Nelson and Ben …
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Golf Swings Downswing Path Golf swings downswing path from the inside can be just as bad as from over the top. What needs to happen is for the path to be determined by each unique golfer’s downswing plane. Any single plane automatically produces an inside out downswing path to impact, where both the face and path are at the target and then an outside in path with the through swing to a finish. This happens even though the base of the incline remains unchanged as it stays aimed at the target. However the clubhead path is always changing on the incline plane. If one takes an incline and then flattens it the base line will remain pointing at the target. But now the path that the club travels on becomes more from the inside coming down and then more left in the through swing. And if one moves the incline …
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Every Golf Swing’s Three Givens The golf swing has three givens seen that with arm swing the arms and legs will always coordinate, the arms swing very nicely on the line of the shoulders since they are attached to the shoulders and the shoulders turn only at right angles to the spine. The golf swing’s three givens have a hidden sequence in them that can work either for you or against you. This sequence can also allow everything to arrive at the top at the same time or everything at different times. If the golfer starts the motion by swinging the club back one is assuring that the arms and legs will coordinate throughout the motion. With continued arm swing the shoulders will be pulled back and now everything will arrive at the top at the same time. Here the upper body is being wound against the resistance of the lower body with …
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Jordan Spieth’s Hit Hold Move Jordan Spieth’s hit hold move is considered by many to be a secret move, one that gives him an advantage over the field. Lets take a look at his swing in slow motion to see what is happening. The first thing one can see is that he does not have a straight left arm at the top. And it is not straight coming down, into the ball or afterwards. This shows how the golf swing is based on momentum rather than through positions. With his dominate hand, the right, he is getting the right arm as long as possible through the shot. With the right arm fold at the top of the backswing it straightens down to the point where both arms are straight. This is the point of release and it is past the ball as the body is somewhat open. It is also …
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Sergio Garcia Swinging Like Ben Hogan Sergio Garcia swinging like Ben Hogan is a much talked about comparison. In transition from backswing to downswing both Ben and Sergio are seen to flatten the club shaft and increase the angle. This is a fair likeness but there is something far more significant that makes their golf swings comparable and it happens in their delivery to the ball. In Hogan’s “Five Lessons the Modern Fundamentals of Golf” he talks of: “the turning of the hips inaugurating the downswing. This movement of the hips automatically lowers the arms and hands to a position just above hip level.” Essentially this is a tucking motion similar to baseball. The batter, starting with the hips, tucks the right elbow flattening the bat and leveling the hands to deliver the handle of the bat towards the ball. With this delivery the right elbow passes the right hip …
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Sand Wedge Bounce Defined
Posted on November 2, 2014 by Warren Raatz in About Golf, Golf Instruction, Newsletter | No CommentsA new definition of bounce Sand wedge bounce defined with the elements of degree of bounce, sole camber, sole width, and the sole grind, contribute to a perfect fit. These variables are adjusted to match the turf conditions that you are playing, how you want to use the club as well as your angle of attack specific to how you swing the club. Lets take a look at these elements so that we can see how they can contribute to the bounce of any sand wedge and give the golfer a wedge that can both facilitate and offset how one swings the club. Bounce: This is the angle of the bottom of the club or sole, measured from the leading edge while including the other four elements of sole radius, sole camber, sole width and sole grind. Bounce gives this club a resistance to digging as it lifts the club out of the ground not unlike …
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Source of Forward Shaft Lean Forward shaft lean in golf swing is made possible from the three power connections of grip to club, arms to body and feet to ground, resulting in body turn, and it is this body turn that creates the shaft lead. You don’t do it. This means that the focus in any golf swing should be to capture and maintain these three power connection rather than trying to lean the shaft at impact. If instead if ones focus is on trying to lean the shaft with the arms, it is done at the expense of these all important connections. Here’s why. The first power connection is grip to club and here one grips the club for impact. The faster the hips are the more the clubface and shoulders are opened at impact. This means that a stronger grip is required to maintain a square clubface for impact. This becomes an important power …
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There are Two Ways to Look at Impact With the Golf Swing The golf swing has two views of impact with the first being an almost instantaneous club to ball event of some 50 milliseconds . With this view one can see that there is very little time for any personal involvement by the golfer in controlling the shot. Now the sum total of an entire round of golf is less than a few seconds! But with new technologies many important events can be easily revealed and measured within this brief moment of time. Simulators offer a most comprehensive and accurate club-and-ball tracking. A few degrees can mean the difference between hitting a fairway or green or can impart a desired fade or draw. Here shot distance is measured, how far the ball has traveled. Carry distance is the distance the ball flew in the air. Club head speed is the speed at which the …
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How Golf Swings Miss the Shot Give Four Possibilities How golf swings miss the shot can be from hitting off the toe of the club or from off the heel and with both of these the path can be from inside out or from outside in. This gives every golfer four possible ball flights. This also means that if one understands these misses it is now quite easy to fix the problem. If one hits the ball off of the toe of the club and the ball goes left, this is from the body stopping and the arms wrapping. This club is coming from inside to inside. But this shot is mostly accused of being over the top as it is seen as going left. We can hear this all the time on TV “well Nick, he really pulled that one left”. It’s not a pull it’s an arm wrap and the …
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A comment was made this week in response to a golfers shot going left of his intended target. It was said that, in his downswing, his body stopped turning, resulting in over active arms, wrapping, closing the face. This implies that the arms are doing more than they are supposed to and that they are at fault here in the shot going left, evil and in need of disciple. Such is NOT the case. The role of the arms in the golf swing is to swing the club and when they do this they close the face in the downswing. Closing the face in the downswing IS their job. It is not their fault if the body stops turning. The body’s job, (lower), is to bring the club forward and to OPEN the face in the downswing. This now becomes a match as the arms close the leg and hips …
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Winter practice with indoor simulators gives any golfer the best environment possible for improvement in both the golf swing and short game. Here lie the elements for making the fastest and most efficient change possible. Mostly these elements are applied without one being aware that they are being used. Here is why: To make a change in any golf swing, it is necessary to have a moment of impact. This means that change is not possible with just a practice swing. But if one can remove the consequence or the requirements of a shot, while still having the moment of impact, change can be both quick and easy. Historically this has been done by putting the ball on a tee. Doing this removes any obligation of getting the ball air born and forward thus freeing one to focus on whatever one needs to focus on to make a change. Now one can have the impact from a changed motion …