| One of the most common mistakes made by | | | | better body turn on their backswing. This is |
| many golfers during their setup routine is they | | | | usually because they are very stiff in their lower |
| use their feet to align themselves to the target. | | | | hips - a problem often experienced as a result of |
| Although you may see many pros do this during | | | | hip replacement surgery. |
| their setup, I do not recommend this - especially | | | | In many cases the problem that arises for them |
| if you are new to the game. | | | | out of this stance setup is that they tend to |
| Let me explain why. At the point of contact, | | | | position the ball too far forward in the stance. |
| there are only two variables of the swing that | | | | Again, this encourages the shoulders to "open". |
| determine the flight path of the ball: | | | | The net effect of this setup creates multiple |
| 1) Club face alignment | | | | problems: |
| 2) Shoulder alignment | | | | First, their hip movement through impact is |
| The feet play little or no direct role in the flight | | | | restricted with the closed stance which saps a |
| path of the ball as you may imagine. It would | | | | huge amount of power out of the swing. |
| make sense then to align both the shoulders and | | | | Secondly, the open shoulders in the stance tends |
| club face during your setup routine before your | | | | to take over on the downswing ahead of the hips |
| feet. | | | | which can create a pull to the left. |
| The most common problem I see with my | | | | Lastly, the hands will tend to release ahead of |
| students during their setup is that they first align | | | | impact with the ball because of its forward |
| their club face to the target, followed by their | | | | position in the stance which can create a violent |
| feet. | | | | snap hook. |
| At first glance this seems logical since everything | | | | Again these faults stem from incorrect ball |
| in the setup looks absolutely square. However, | | | | position and no shoulder alignment check in the |
| what usually follows is a shot that starts off as | | | | setup routine. |
| "pull" to the left, then fades or slices to the right. | | | | Visual Distortion in the Setup |
| When this occurs it creates a lot of confusion for | | | | Most of all the problems that I have described are |
| the student since everything in the stance "looked | | | | caused from a "visual distortion" of your body |
| visually correct". | | | | position relative to the target and the ball, created |
| This problem was caused because their setup | | | | by an unbalanced focus of your eyes in the setup. |
| routine did not take into account any check on | | | | To counter any visual distortion effect , what I |
| the alignment of their shoulders which were wide | | | | recommend to all my students is to create "visual |
| "open" at the beginning of the swing, resulting in | | | | reference points" in the stance against which you |
| the outside-in club head swing path. | | | | can check your body positions. |
| Impact of Misaligned Shoulders | | | | Simple Routine |
| One of the primary ball flight laws that every | | | | Here is a condensed routine that makes use of a |
| golfer should understand is that the shoulder | | | | visual reference point that will eliminate all the |
| alignment determines the swing path of the club | | | | problems I have just been describing. You can |
| head. | | | | download a free fail safe "Alignment and Stance" |
| This means that if the shoulders are "open" in the | | | | routine from my book website in the link given |
| stance, the club head swing path will be | | | | below: |
| "outside-in". If they are "closed", the swing path | | | | 1) Stand up to the ball with both feet together |
| will be "inside-out". | | | | and with the ball position on an imaginary line that |
| The position of the feet does not determine the | | | | splits the feet. |
| club head swing path. They may influence the | | | | Right away you have created a visual reference |
| swing path, but that depends on how much | | | | point between the ball and your feet that is |
| control the golfer has over the swing. | | | | square to your shoulders. Now align the club face |
| It is therefore imperative that the alignment of | | | | to the target with the club head and the hands |
| the shoulders be a key factor in your swing setup | | | | positioned over this imaginary line. |
| routine. | | | | 2) Align your shoulders slightly left of the target |
| If my feet are square to the target, why are my | | | | parallel with a line drawn from your club face to |
| shoulders not square? | | | | the target - make slight foot adjustments if need |
| The simple answer to this is that it depends on | | | | be to set the shoulders, again while keeping both |
| the ball position and your hand position in the | | | | feet together. |
| stance. | | | | 3) Position you feet in the stance. At this point |
| The further forward you position the ball in the | | | | you know your shoulders and club face alignment |
| stance, the greater the tendency to "open" the | | | | is set and you have a clear reference with the ball |
| shoulders. The further back the ball is positioned, | | | | against which you can correctly set your feet. |
| the more the tendency to "close" the shoulders. | | | | You also know your feet will be square with your |
| The same effect is created by pushing the hands | | | | shoulder alignment. |
| forward/ back in the stance. | | | | 4) Finally, position your hands slightly ahead of the |
| You can see this for yourself. Stand in front of a | | | | club head for the correct hand position, followed |
| mirror in your stance with a club in your hands. | | | | by a final check on your shoulders. |
| Watch the effect on your shoulders as you vary | | | | Always follow this simple alignment sequence and |
| the position backwards and forwards of the ball | | | | you will never go wrong: |
| and/or your hands in the stance. | | | | Club Face, Shoulders then the Feet |
| So besides a check on the correct shoulder | | | | If you are to ask any of the great players what |
| alignment, a check also needs to be made on the | | | | the most important aspect of the swing is, in |
| correct ball position in the stance. | | | | more cases than not you will hear it's all in the |
| Senior Golfers adopting a "Closed" Stance Position | | | | setup. |
| Another problem that I see all the time with | | | | Taking time to do your setup routines correctly |
| many of my senior students is the adoption of a | | | | requires no "physical" talent. Anyone can learn |
| "closed" foot position in the stance. | | | | them. Do so and you will avoid many swing |
| This is because at some time in their golf | | | | problems. |
| instruction they have been advised to adopt this | | | | Good luck! |
| position to make it easier for them to make a | | | | |