The Set-up

Probably the major thing I have learnt through many years of teaching golf is that most swing faults start from flaws in the player’s set up. Some years ago Ralph Mann used a computerised human movement system he had developed to analyse the top hundred players on the US PGA TOUR. He expected to find differences in swings that would explain why some players were better than others. The key he found was that the best players are more consistent in their set up. Greg Norman, ranked number 1 at the time, was within millimetres of being in the same position over 50 shots with a five iron and 50 shots with a driver. The further down the list the greater the variation in body position in the set up.

So before you start looking at your swing for answers to bad shots check your set up: 1. Is the clubface aiming straight? 2. Is your body aligned to the clubface? 3. Are your feet the correct distance apart? 4. Is the ball in the correct place for the club you are using? 5. Are you the correct distance from the ball? 6. Is your weight correctly distributed? 7. Is your spine angle correct? 8. Is your head position correct? 9. Is your grip correct? 10. Are your tension levels ok?

It is most likely that somewhere in there is the answer to your swing problem.