Having excellent or lousy posture when approaching a golf game can make or break your game. Knowing where to put your feet, how to hold your shoulders, and where to put the ball are all things that can give you a massive advantage in bettering or starting your skills as a golfer.
No matter how hard or how much you have worked to get that perfect arching swing, it will not mean much if you are not in a proper golfing stance. So it is crucial to learn about the basics of a golfing stance and proceed to make it your own.
Keep in mind that while unique stances do exist, there are essential fundamentals that are vital in helping you achieve that excellent game you have been looking forward to.
If you are looking to learn more about having a proper golfing stance, as well as some tips to perfect it and things to look out for, then you are in luck! In this article, we will go over how to have a proper golfing stance and what not to do. So settle in and get ready to change your game forever.
What To Do
A note, there are minor adjustments that need to be made depending on what club you are using. However, once you choose your equipment, you will be able to ease into the proper stance. Having chosen the right club for your turn, we can then begin to set up our perfect golfing stance. Overall, the stances do not differ much and are based on the same or similar principles.
Whether you begin by grabbing the ball and placing it to Tee off, or you are already to the third hole in the game and have decided to try and better your stance before getting much farther, it is easy to begin.
Start by positioning yourself with the ball central to your position and stance. Next, take your club and hold it where your hands are at belt level, then lower the end down.
Now, position your feet about as far as your shoulders. (This depends on the club you are using. For an Iron, keep them at shoulder length; for a shorter club, you can step a little closer together, and for a longer club, you need to have your feet further apart.)
Once you have ensured your feet are the proper distance apart, bending is the next thing to think about. Bending is essential as it helps to give you plenty of range of motion to follow through with your swing.
When bending, you want to keep your arms, knees, and hips loose. Golf is meant to be relaxing, and that fact doesn’t shine more brightly than when it comes to your position. So be sure to relax and gently bend your elbows, knees, and a bit at the waist.
Use your practice swings to adjust how close you are to the ball until it you have lined up the club and your ball perfectly.
Some important notes, your dominant hand will be the lowest on the shaft of the club; above it will be your non-dominant hand. Another thing to keep in mind about consistent posture is your bending. Bend at your knees and hips to bring the club to the ball.
Now, you are ready to practice excellent posture and begin enjoying awesome games, even without the perfect swing.
Tips on a Better Posture
While following the instructions above, there are some things that you can work on that will assist in ensuring you have excellent posture while keeping a proper golf stance every time you go for a swing. Be sure to have a slight bend in your knees, and you don’t want your knees to be rigid or stiff as that detracts from your mobility for your swing.
Next, be sure to have a slight incline at the hips. Positioning your hips correctly again assists in your mobility and being able to properly hit the golf ball and swing your club.
Relax your shoulders and spine. While you don’t want droopy shoulders, you don’t want to have stiff ones either. Also, tilt them back a little from the ball. Similarly, the concept of relaxing needs to apply to your back and spine. When you swing the club, you will need to be able to twist your back. If you are too tense, you could mess up your swing or even injure yourself.
Many professionals also suggest putting more weight on your lead foot. You don’t want all of your weight on one foot, but you also do not want to distribute your weight evenly. Lean a bit into your dominant hip, loosening up your non-dominant hip for the flexibility it is going to need to ensure a great hit.
One of the most essential things and familiar to some of the tips mentioned above are keeping yourself relaxed. A relaxed body equals more flexibility. You want to have your shoulders, back, arms, and legs in a comfortable or natural pose.
What to Look Out For
While it can be helpful at specific times, be careful not to narrow your stance too much. Narrowing your stance can assist in mobility, but it can also cause your swing to become unstable.
Be careful where you put your head. While it might be an odd thing to think of, the position of your noggin can make or break your stance. Be sure not to lean too much, but instead just a little.
You don’t have too hard of a grip. Having too strong of a grip causes all sorts of problems and even results in other issues, such as the head mentioned above. Instead, keep a firm but loose grip on the club.
If you are too far away from the ball, not only will you miss when you swing, but it also hurts your game.
Common mistakes when it comes to a proper golf stance are usually in the shoulders and the neck.