Golf Lessons: The Stance
The stance or posture, is one of the basic fundamentals in golf that is often overlooked. But a good posture is very important, a good posture will make a good swing much better, but a bad posture will turn a good swing bad, very quickly.
A good posture begins with a good solid base. Your feet should be about shoulder width apart. Now lets stop here and say that the width of your feet will vary depending on the club and shot you choose to play. But for now lets put your feet at shoulder width apart, your knees will be slightly flexed, they’re not bent, this is where we see a lot of problems with amateur golfers. When you bend your knees too much you cause tension in the lower body so knees are flexed not bent.
Your upper body will bend forward slightly at the waist while keeping your lower back flat, this is very important because if your back is in a slouched position you will not be able to swing the club around your body properly, resulting in a poor shot. From this position let your arms hang down, not out, you never want to reach for the ball. This is where you grip the club.
Golfers all over have always asked, “How far should I stand from the ball?”
The answer is fairly simple: You get in a good body posture, where your arms hang down, the length of the club will dictate how far you stand from the ball. The length of the club will change but your posture will basically stay the same.
One last thing on posture, when you take your stance, keep your head up. Don’t bury your chin in your chest; you won’t be able to turn your shoulders properly with your head in that position.
Possible problems that can arise from bad posture are:
Back injuries. Remember, if you have back problems, a good posture can relieve a lot of pressure on your back.
…Lack of Distance.
A bad posture can restrict the back swing, which can decrease club head speed. Your shoulders need to be able to turn freely to increase the length of your back swing. Good posture will help you achieve this.
…and Accuracy.
This happens simply because with bad posture the swing becomes less repeatable, therefore you become less consistent. These are just a few of the things that can happen as a result of bad posture. So, practice these positions using a mirror and study these pictures on this CD until you have a good understanding of what a good stance and body posture look like, then just grip it and rip it.
