March 2011 Issue

Today we’re going to cover how your posture can create more CONSISTENCY in your golf game.  Posture is somewhat complicated, but I hope I can simplify it.
Getting into an athletic posture before you swing (motion) involves no motion. It’s statue stuff, so anybody ought to be able to do it every time. It just takes a little attention to details.

Imagine you are hanging a playground swing set.  Your spine is one of the support bars and your arms are the swing’s chains.  Hang the set solidly and the chains holding the seat can swing freely.
Common errors are being too upright with a squat to the ball, and too rounded with straight legs.

Yes No!

Your body should bend at the hips, not in the waist (your buttocks will protrude slightly when you are in this correct posture).  The spine is the axis of rotation for the swing, so it should be bent towards the ball from the hips to approximately 30-36 degrees, or one o’clock.
Your knees should be slightly flexed and directly over the arches of your feet for balance.  The center of the upper spine (between your shoulder blades), knees and arches of the feet should be stacked when viewed from behind the ball on the target line.
If your spine is in a “slouch” posture, every degree of bend decreases your shoulder turn by 1.5 degrees. 

Add a Little Tilt – Why? Because your trailing hand is 2-3 inches lower than your lead hand on the grip. This straightens and relaxes your spine, allowing a more free swing with fewer compensations (equals more CONSISTENCY).

Practice in front of a mirror for 1 minute five times a day.  Short and sweet, and often.

Next time – an addendum on ball position – other statue item!

I hope this all helps! See you soon!  Book a Lesson now – email, phone or on-line at www.jimpetersgolf.com!