Your set-up is the be all and end all of what we can or can’t do in the golf swing.
If you set up in a way which is not functional for what you’re trying to do, you’ve got no chance from the minute that you stand in the address position.
Look at how much attention the tour players pay to this side of the game, they’re always doing work on their set-up, whether it’s their address, grip or posture.
They’ll be in hotel rooms with canes on the floor looking into a long mirror just working on their set-up position.
It could be ball position, it could be handle position, their distance away from the golf ball, all those little things that they’re ensuring are all correct.
Getting yourself in a good solid set-up position will then enable you to make a movement which is more akin to what it is you’re trying to do to help you create a more positive outcome.
Mirror work
Practice indoors in front of a long mirror so you can see the whole posture from face on and then you can turn sideways and see it from down the target line.
You can put sticks on the ground, put a golf ball on the carpet so you can just come in and address it. You can use a driver, you can use a wedge, it doesn’t matter.
These are some of the key points to keep a check on. Practice walking in and taking the set-up position, making sure your width of stance isn’t too wide, your feet aren’t too straight on and the feet are flared a little bit to enable you to rotate the lower body a little bit easier.
Make sure that you’ve got a tilt from the pelvis and you’re not trying to keep your back too straight with your shoulders pinned back or your arms are too extended away from your torso and a little bit more just hanging straight down from the shoulders in that forward bend.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cw2fYU3tFQW/
The head movement
You want to keep your head stable throughout the swing rather than keeping it still. It has to move because there’s a rotation in the swing, so there’s going to be some movement, but some people just get obsessed with keeping their head still or down.
From there they force themselves to stop rotating properly because they’re so obsessed with what their head is or isn’t doing. So keeping your head still and maintaining the height of your posture would be probably better for them to focus on.
For your head posture, a good tip is to have your eyes look at the ball rather than looking down your nose.
If you’re not having your chin tucked in but your head is in a slightly more natural position from your forward bend, your face will be more facing the ball’s target line rather than trying to look down your nose at it. When you’re trying to keep your head still it will lead to some tension in your neck.
The feet
Some people think that you need to draw a straight line across your toes and that will help with your alignment. It won’t. You should flare your feet to around 20-25˚ as this will help your knees to be in a slightly different angle and then the hip joint turns with greater freedom. So use the line of the big toes to draw that alignment rather than the front of the shoe.
About Ged Walters
Ged is a Golf Monthly Top 50 coach and one of the leading teachers in the North West. For more tips follow Ged on Instagram – gedwaltersgolf
Read next: The art of the pre-shot routine: How to get everything right before the full swing
The post Take a look in the mirror: The set-up shot and why it matters appeared first on Golf365.
Article Link: Leading golf coach reveals the perfect way to master your set-up shot